Breakups are never easy, regardless of whether it was your choice or it was forced upon you.
For most people, ending a relationship means having to find meaning in life all over again – only, this time, without the support of the one dearest to their heart.
They’ll get angry, relieved, frustrated, resigned, motivated, and sad. But once all these emotions lay to rest, most people feel empty.
They feel like life has lost all its flavor, and they go on through their days just as a shell of themselves.
Although you may refuse to accept it, you may very well be suffering from breakup depression.
So how can you tell if you’re depressed?
How can you deal with this depression and survive it better than ever? That’s what we’re here to help you with.
Signs of Depression
It’s normal for breakups to suck. It’s normal to feel sad, angry, and give yourself time to grieve. However, struggling with these emotions doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve depressed.
Developing depression is much more serious than feeling down for a few weeks.
Depression is a clinical disorder that interferes with the brain’s chemical homeostasis and the body’s normal physiology; it’s enough to tamper with your daily life.
A clinically depressed person can show more than one of the following symptoms:
- Feeling empty most of the time
- Irritability, anger, restlessness, or severe mood swings
- Fatigue and tiredness, even after resting well
- Feelings of guilt, shame, or worthlessness
- Lack of interest in things they used to like
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- Appetite changes that lead to weight gain or loss
- Lack of productivity and mental fatigue
- Having suicidal thoughts
How to Recover from Breakup Depression
Although it may feel hopeless, you shouldn’t give up hope just yet. Here are a few expert tips to help you recover from breakup depression.
Decide if Breaking Up was the Right Choice
First of all, you need to have an honest conversation with yourself to determine if breaking up was a mistake.
If you conclude that breaking up was a rash decision that you want to take back, a step by step guide from getherbackguide.com gives precious advice on how you can reverse such a mistake.
Although you may have to learn to let go, you should first do everything you can first before accepting this reality.
Process Your Emotions
If you know deep down that breaking up was the right decision, you’ll have a lot of internal work to do.
The biggest mistake you can make is to run away from your emotions or bury your thoughts in fleeting distractions.
It’s going to be hard, but you’ll need to find a way to express your emotions and grieve your way through the process until you’re ready to accept reality.
Control Your Thoughts
Our minds are a dangerous place, especially if we’re stuck in a toxic thought pattern.
If you’ve decided to move on, you need to set thought boundaries and stop the toxic thought patterns from taking over.
Whenever you find yourself feeling nostalgic or stuck in emotions or a memory, stop the thought pattern and do something else to distract yourself.
Recover Yourself
Most of us lose ourselves in our relationships, only to struggle to identify who we are once we lose it all.
However, going through a breakup can be a golden opportunity to explore deeper parts of yourself or even create new ones.
Take the time to look for new interests, take up new hobbies, exercise, and create a new you who can enjoy life once again.
Rebounding is Not the Answer
Although it may be tempting to jump into another relationship right away, give yourself some time out. Rebounding is not the answer, and it’s pretty unfair to the other person.
Instead, you can look for healthy ways to fill the emptiness, and the best way to do that is to create new meaningful platonic relations.
Open Up to a Therapist
If everything feels too bleak and you can’t seem to muster the energy to take effective steps forward, consider talking to a therapist.
Therapy is a great way to help you process your emotions and accept your reality without succumbing to toxic thoughts and emotions.
You’ll need to take your time recovering from the breakup.
Some days, it’ll feel like you just can’t handle it. Other days, it’ll feel like you’ve finally moved on, only to be triggered by fleeting memories.
At the end of the day, it’s all part of the process.
Whatever you do, keep in mind that pain is part of being human, and you can never truly enjoy the magic of life without learning how to survive through the painful moments.