If you understand the emotional stages of a relationship breakup, you will be able to deal with the whole thing much better and be ready to move on to a new relationship. It helps healing too.
Really,you cannot skip any of the five stages because each one is a necessary link in the healing process. The comforting thing is that once you get on to the next stage you know that healing is taking place but it is still going to take you some time to get over the break up so hang in there!
You are going to need the support of friends and loved ones and the strength of this network and the type of support it gives will determine how long the whole process is going to take. It is impossible to predict what the the time limits are.
The first stage is severe pain and suffering after the first initial trauma.It can be so severe that it can affect your appetite and sleep. It is no accident that they talk of heartbreak in physical terms very often. There will be a temptation to become a hermit and to lock yourself away.
The second phase can be that of denial where you refuse to believe that someone who loved you so much could do this to you. How could that happen? You are suffering so much and you loved so much that it just cannot be true. There has been some terrible misunderstanding and soon you will be back together again. If this stage persists,it is dangerous because you will have great problems in moving on.
The third stage can be difficult to control because the hurt and pain now turns to anger and can be both dangerous and destructive if not controlled. If, for example,you were given a chance to get him or her back at this point and you decided to give vent to your feelings, then the chances of getting back together would be very slim indeed. Sometimes anger can turn to bitterness and that can permeate your personality and damage it that you will become a less appealing person. That may ruin your chances of having strong stable relationships in the future.
After anger comes the mourning and you have to work through your grief. You will be constantly remembering the good times and the fun you had together so a lot of flashbacks are going though your mind. It is at this point that you have to keep an eye on mental health problems because they may surface at this point. If you feel suicidal, try to get help from medical advisers or social workers.
The last stage is finally accepting that it is all over and that now is the time to move on and seek new relationships. There will be moments of sadness and grief still to get over but you will be more determined than ever to move on. These then are the emotional stages of a relationship breakup.
