By Sarah Fader
Post-Breakup Anxiety
Whether your relationship lasted two months or two years, the stress after a break up can be extremely tough and take a toll on your mental health. Anxiety after break-up is normal because break ups are not simple. Navigating how to deal with a breakup can leave you feeling mentally, emotionally, and physically drained. Whether it is anxiety about the actual breakup or what is next after the breakup, this anxiety is valid and you will heal from it.
Going through break-ups and the associated social anxiety that can accompany breaking up is completely normal, and it’s important to be patient with yourself during the breakup recovery process. You’re grieving someone who loved you, so be gentle with yourself. The important thing to remember is, you’re going to be okay with time. The feelings that surround the breakup will not last forever and neither will the anxiety.
Dealing with a breakup: what are the first healthy steps to dealing with heartbreak?
When you’re trying to figure out who to deal with a breakup, some questions you might find yourself asking are: “What if I feel like this forever?” and, “Should I get back with my ex?“
These types of thoughts are perfectly natural. And although it’s also normal to seek immediate relief from distressing thoughts and feelings, this is actually a good time for introspection, self-reflection, and an opportunity to take good care of your mental health. The breakup leaves you with a new beginning, and although that might be anxiety provoking the time following a breakup can be a place to reflect.
“What should I do after my breakup?”
Instead of immediately contacting your ex, take a step back and be real with yourself. Deal with the anxiety after breakup. Once you get beyond the feelings of rejection, you’ll remember that there’s a reason you broke up. Sure, there were things you liked about the relationship, but there’s a reason it ended.
And, it’s not a failure, it’s a breakup. People go through breakups all the time. Understandably, that does not mean it is easy, and there may be anxiety after the breakup, however this is normal, and you will finding coping mechanisms to tackle the anxious thoughts and feelings. Breaking up with someone doesn’t mean that your mental health will never recover.
was a reason this relationship did not work out, and you’ll learn from that experience. Maybe you don’t know what the reason is now, and that’s okay too. You don’t have to know, but you can start by accepting yourself. Whatever the thoughts are after the breakup, it is a time to remind yourself of who you are outside of a relationship.
You are in the process of healing, and that begins with introspection. When the “what if” fears start to grow, take a second to bring yourself back to the present moment and away from the thoughts of the breakup. Focus on today. What can you do today? Mindfulness practices can be really helpful with staying in the present and reducing anxiety after a breakup.
Don’t meet someone else, meet yourself; breakups are a time for mindfulness
Although it may be tempting, going straight back into the world of dating and relationships isn’t always the best idea. Right after a relationship, it is normal to be uneasy about being alone, especially if you were in a long term relationship. That is where the anxiety after breakups stems from. However, take that time to reconstruct yourself first, that will help reduce anxiety after a breakup.
Who are you outside of the relationship?
The saying, “hindsight is 20/20” is often true. Taking time to reflect on the relationship after a breakup is a great way to learn more about yourself (and what will be important to you in future relationships). This is a crucial time to revisit the things you enjoyed before your relationship ended and take good care of your mental health.
You can go back to the gym to lower your stress levels or join breakup support groups. You can spend time cultivating hobbies and being with close friends. This could be a time to start an educational course or class, write a book, or start a blog. Immersing yourself in something other than dwelling on your past relationship will help you see a future without your ex-partner’s involvement.
A good friend may try to pressure you to go out and have fun and “forget” about your ex. Be careful with this.
Find balance after your breakup
It is fine to go out with your friends and have fun, but anxiety after breakup can leave you in a vulnerable state. You might make decisions that have lasting impacts on your mental health. You could later regret engaging in activities to avoid the pain of traumatic stress instead of facing it gently.
Moreover, you will not give yourself the opportunity to reflect, assess, and heal from this relationship that just ended unless you make time for taking care of your mental health.
Face reality: truthful thoughts to leave behind a heartbreak
Following a breakup, it can be comforting to entertain the idea of getting back together with your ex-partner. But, this is likely counterproductive to your efforts to move on.
Remember the red flags you missed that led you here.
It is difficult to move forward when you are clinging to the past. It’s important to keep in mind that the relationship ended for a reason, and going back is not likely to result in the happy ending you seek.
Clinging to the past and speculating about the future without acknowledging what is actually happening can be detrimental to your mental health.
If you suffer from chronic mental health issues like having an anxiety disorder, the traumatic stress of a breakup may feel overwhelming or debilitating for you. The best thing to do at this time is to get professional support for dealing with your mental health concerns to prevent traumatic stress and an anxiety disorder from taking over.
It’s important to remember that even if you were not previously diagnosed with a chronic mental illness it is still possible and valid for you to feel uneasy after a breakup. The time period after a breakup is one that is unfamiliar to many people, making it a normal time to feel anxious. Reaching out for help from a therapist or counselor is a great way to find coping mechanisms to deal with the anxiety that comes with breakups.
“What if we get back together after the breakup?”
The important thing to note — is that it isn’t impossible that you will be reunited with your ex. But for this to be healthy, you both need time alone to digest and explore what went wrong and what you want to be different upon getting back together.
This is especially true if you or your partner is suffering from the symptoms of chronic mental health like social anxiety.
Are there solutions to anxiety after a breakup?
Taking part in therapy or breakup support groups can help you heal. This may allow you to explore who you are outside of the relationship and find a way to move forward after the breakup. These groups will allow you to find people who may feel similar post-break up anxiety or can relate to your breakup story. A therapist will also be able to work with you on focusing on yourself after a breakup to skill you with coping techniques for any anxiety that might come up.
Realize what you already have
At the beginning of break-ups, it is often difficult to look beyond the present (which may feel bleak) due to overwhelming feelings of loss and heartache. Because of this, your tunnel vision may only allow you to see the negativity of your situation.
Instead of focusing on the breakup or the anxiety after the breakup, redirect your energy to appreciating what you have.
You can be thankful for something small. It could be that you are grateful for a good friend, or maybe you appreciate a quality that you have to bring to others. Joining support groups for people with social anxiety or those dealing with traumatic stress can help.
Gratitude for what you have after a breakup
Compile a list of things you’re grateful for. Writing a gratitude list has been proven to boost your physical well-being and the state of your mental health. It will allow you to take your mind off the breakup or any anxious feelings and remind you of who you are.
A gratitude list does not have to be filled with unusual or unique things. In fact, some of the best things to be grateful for could be right in front of you, everyday things. You might be grateful to enjoy engaging in activities like a warm day of sunshine, getting to sleep an hour late, or enjoying a delicious chocolate chip cookie. Taking time for yourself will help to improve your mood and mental health over time.
Coping by keeping a balanced mind
It is important that you keep a balanced perspective of your relationship to prevent the aggravation of (or development of) traumatic stress that can come from an anxiety disorder. It is easy to remember all the good times and worry you will never have that again. People who suffer from anxiety disorder often focus on only the negative aspects of breaking up. But, with every relationship, there are good times and bad times.
In hindsight, especially when suffering from post-break up anxiety, we tend to see things more favorably (with rose-colored glasses) than the actual reality of the situation. Staying in this state long-term isn’t good for our mental health. We have to learn to accept the good times as memories, not a sign that you will get back together.
How to view your ex after a heartbreak
You do not need to make out your ex to be a terrible person to be able to get over them, you just need to allow yourself to remember what it was about the relationship that made it ultimately come to an end. The time after the breakup is a time for you to heal, a time for you to work on your anxiety, and reflect on who you are after the breakup.
How BetterHelp can support you
Maybe you’re exhausted from the emotional turmoil of the breakup or the breakup is aggravating an existing anxiety disorder.
The effects of an anxiety disorder at this time can be hard to deal with. You’re having trouble getting out to see your friends. You don’t want to get out of your pajamas. It’s brutal to leave the house and go to work. “Breakup Anxiety” isn’t an officially recognized mental health condition, but it can sure feel like one.
If you’re suffering from an anxiety disorder — or dealing with mental health challenges after a breakup — there is hope out there. It’s called online counseling.
The counselors and staff at BetterHelp care about your pain. Licensed therapists can help you get through the confusion and pain of dealing with a breakup and living with anxiety. They want you to heal from this experience. And you can, with the help of a mental health therapist who understands how hard it is when a relationship ends.
You might not be able to see the light at the end of the breakup tunnel, but your counselor can. Trust the skilled mental health professionals – they are here to help you with anxiety after a breakup. BetterHelp board-certified and licensed therapists can help you transition and find a way to improved mental health and rebuild yourself after your breakup.
The counselors at BetterHelp have seen many people in the United States that suffer from negative symptoms of mental health and social anxiety. When people visit BetterHelp therapy experts for chronic mental health issues and social anxiety, the professional counselors can guide you through these tough times.
You can be sure that your online counselor will take great care of you and help you heal.**
