The 10 Stages of a Breakup
Breaking up with someone can be hard, but it’s a natural part of life. It’s important to acknowledge that sorting through your emotions and forming a plan for moving on can be overwhelming.
In this article, we’re going to cover the various stages of a breakup and give you some tips on how to navigate through them.
1. Shock
The first stage of a breakup tends to be shock, which is often characterized by an unexpected end to the relationship. The breakup could have been mutual, but it’s still surprising.
You might experience a feeling of confusion, and a sense that you weren’t ready for the end of your relationship.
2. Denial
Following the shock, it’s common for people to be in denial about the breakup.
They might try to persuade their ex-partner to come back to them or convince themselves that it wasn’t real. The denial stage can help people cope with the loss of the relationship, but it is not a helpful long-term solution.
3. Anger
The third stage, anger, is probably the scariest and most intense stage of a breakup. You’re often burning with hatred and asking yourself how that person could’ve hurt you like that.
However, anger is also an important step in healing. It signifies your transition from feeling helpless to taking control of the aftermath of the relationship.
4. Distraction
In this stage, you’ll feel a desperate need to distract yourself from the pain of the breakup. You might continually replay past conversations and over-analyze events leading up to the breakup.
It’s a natural instinct to distract yourself after a breakup, but it’s important to remember that doing so only prolongs the overall healing process.
5. Bargaining
In the bargaining stage, people might steal glances at themselves in the mirror and wonder if their appearance contributed to the breakup.
They may also prey on the idea that they would be willing to do anything or take any actions for another chance to fix it.
6. Sadness
This stage is a tough one.
It’s where you experience intense sadness and can’t stop crying. You might also feel like there’s no reason to get out of bed or that you don’t want to do anything at all.
Sadness can make you doubt everything about yourself and destroy your self-esteem.
7. Independence
Whether this stage is genuine or a fake one, it’s where you decide to pursue a self-discovery journey.
This might mean taking up a new hobby, planning a trip, or simply spending more time alone. This will provide a comfortable environment to figure out who you are without the influence of another person.
8. Revenge
The word “revenge” sounds too dark and intense. However, in this stage, you’ll find yourself trying to move on, and one way to do that is to show off a “single and loving it” attitude and deliberately post it on social media.
You’re trying to validate that you can still have a good time by yourself.
9. Relapse
A breakup isn’t an easy process to overcome, and it’s common to feel like you’re doing okay only to realize you’re not over them yet.
You might re-experience some of the previous stages of grief as you try to improve.
10. Acceptance
This stage isn’t always peaceful.
It tends to happen gradually, seeping in towards the end of the healing process. Acceptance is where you come to a place of indifference, acknowledging that the break up happened, and relationships happen for a reason.
Dealing with a Breakup
-
Loneliness hits the hardest.
After a breakup, many people often feel alone, leading to excessive amounts of cat pics, instead of doing something productive to distract themselves. Remember, it’s important to take the opportunity to reflect on your life and explore new things.
-
Control loss.
When a breakup occurs, control is one of the first things people lose. The relationship is over and there’s often nothing you can do to bring it back.
It’s essential to move forward and let go of the things you can’t control.
-
Similarity to grieving.
After a breakup, you might find that you’re going through a similar process to grieving over a lost loved one.
Psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, who developed the model for grief, suggests there are five stages: Denial & Isolation, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. And there are seven stages of grief: Shock, Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Testing, and Acceptance.
It’s essential to acknowledge that your emotions affect every aspect of your life.
-
Importance of getting through all stages.
To move on and feel happier, you need to get through all of the stages quickly and efficiently.
Navigating through them can be difficult, but the sooner you do it, the better.
-
Mourning for as long as needed.
It’s crucial that you let yourself feel whatever emotions come up.
Losing someone you love is difficult, and there’s no timetable for when you will feel better. Don’t rush through the healing process.
-
Importance of talking to someone.
Don’t go through a breakup alone. Social support helps people get through challenging times.
Call a friend or family member to talk to them and express your feelings. You can also get professional help if you need to.
Conclusion
No one likes going through a breakup, but it’s one of those inevitable things that happen in life. Everyone has their unique journey to cope with the heartbreak.
Understanding the stages of a breakup and how to deal with them can make the process less painful and more manageable. Remember to surround yourself with people who love you because it’ll make the process a little bit less lonely.
It’s healthy to take the opportunity to reflect on your life and explore new things. The most important thing is that you don’t rush yourself and let your healing journey take the time it needs.
In conclusion, navigating through a breakup can be challenging, but it’s a natural part of life. Understanding the different stages of a breakup, such as shock, denial, anger, distraction, bargaining, sadness, independence, revenge, relapse, and acceptance, is essential.
Coping with a breakup requires a significant amount of patience and an open heart. It’s important to surround yourself with loved ones and seek professional help if needed.
Remember to take your time and be kind to yourself. Know that healing will take place and you’ll come out of it stronger and wiser.
