Mental Health Issues After Breakup Posted byMiss Date Doctor February 4, 2023 Table of Contents hide 1 Mental Health Issues After Breakup 1.1 How Does A Breakup Affect You Mentally? 1.2 How Long Does It Take To Mentally Recover From A Breakup? 1.3 How Do You Deal With Mental Health After A Breakup? 1.4 Can You Be Traumatised By A Breakup? 1.5 Can A Breakup Change Your Personality? 1.6 Can I Get PTSD From A Breakup? 1.6.1 Mental Health Issues After Breakup Conclusion 1.7 Further reading Mental Health Issues After Breakup Mental health issues after breakup. Whether it’s a short-term fling or a long-time relationship, we often have to deal with breakups. It’s terrible when relationships end and there’s a breakup, but they’re a part of life. As much as we would like, not all relationships last a lifetime. Romantic relationships tend to be intense and so when they end, that too usually tends to be dramatic and difficult. Every relationship is different and every break-up is different, as well. But the common factor is the feeling of grief when we reach the dead-end of a relationship, and the mental health issues after breakup. Breakups can have a severe effect on our mental health. And if someone has a pre-existing or ongoing mental health condition, it can amplify that condition. Losing a loved one can cause behavioral disorders leading to anxiety and depression. Mental health issues after breakup. We often discuss how mental health impacts our physical health. Yet we overlook the importance of mental health in relationships and breakups. It’s vital to realize that breakups are a part of our life and we have to deal with them at some point in life or the other. In this article, we discuss how breakups affect us and how we can handle them better. Mental health issues after breakup. Breakups can take a serious toll on your well-being. Not only can the end of a relationship lead to major life changes in finances and living situations, but breakups also create a great deal of emotional turmoil. Some splits are easier than others. You might be able to let go and move on fairly quickly. In other cases, you might feel angry, sad, bitter, anxious, and heartbroken. All of these emotions can be perfectly normal after a romantic breakup—but if they lead to prolonged feelings of sadness or apathy and significant impairment in areas of life functioning, this might be a sign that something more serious is going on. Stressful life events such as a breakup or divorce can sometimes trigger prolonged and severe emotional distress. One study found that even normal post-breakup emotional states closely resemble clinical depression. Mental health issues after breakup. Experiencing depressive and other symptoms following the end of a relationship is sometimes diagnosed as an adjustment disorder with depressed mood, also sometimes referred to as a situational depression. Because these feelings with adjustment disorders can last six months to two years, it is important to understand the signs and symptoms so that you can find help and support if you need it. Symptoms of Mental health issues after breakup. Feelings of sadness can vary from mild to severe after a breakup. Sometimes these feelings can be strong for a relatively brief period. In other cases, people might feel a range of mild to strong feelings of sadness that fluctuate and linger for a longer period. Because emotional responses to a breakup can vary so greatly, it can be difficult to discern when to reach out for additional support. More serious symptoms that may indicate depression include Feelings of hopelessness or helplessness Losing or gaining weight; appetite changes Sleeping too much or too little Loss of pleasure and interest Feelings of worthlessness Feeling sad, empty, or worthlessness Fatigue and lack of energy Listlessness Thoughts of death or suicide Grief and sadness are human responses to stressful and painful life events. Research has found that breakups can influence people in several profound ways. Following the end of a relationship, people report experiences such as distress, loneliness, and a loss of self-esteem. Allow yourself time to grieve the loss of the relationship. Responses may include a period of mourning, sadness, frustration, bargaining, anger, denial, and regret. It is a period of adjustment, so you grant yourself as much time as needed to feel what you feel, process, and heal. While upsetting, these feelings usually start to shift with time as you heal and recover mentally, emotionally, and relationally from the breakup. If your symptoms seem more serious than normal sadness after a breakup or if your symptoms seem to be getting worse, talk to your doctor about what you are feeling. How to Recognize Symptoms of Depression Mental health issues after breakup. As a form of situational depression, the end of a relationship is what triggers these feelings. A breakup can be a point of major change in a person’s life. Not only does it mean no longer being involved with someone you once loved, but it can also lead to an entire cascade of life changes. Shared friends may choose sides, which can lead to the end of other relationships. You might have to adjust your finances, and your living situation, or even cope with the challenges of co-parenting children with your ex. Breakups can also influence how you view yourself. One study found that the end of romantic relationships influenced how university students felt about their academic performance, including their ability to concentrate, their homework, and test scores. Another study found that breakups not only altered self-concept but that people who have a greater disruption in their self-image are also more likely to experience more post-breakup emotional distress. All of these adjustments can be challenging. They can make you feel confused, insecure, anxious, and sad. And in some cases, it may trigger more severe and longer-lasting symptoms of depression. How does a breakup affect us? As mentioned earlier, everyone deals differently with beak-ups. Some are quick to accept and move on, while others may bottle up their feelings. It’s natural to feel sad and alone at the loss of a relationship. We go through a wide range of emotions before healing. So, it’s normal to feel angry and frustrated after a breakup. It’s perfectly fine to cry and feel sad about it. These feelings are completely normal and healthy. However, sometimes we fail to cope with these feelings. Instead of healing, we tend to drown ourselves in grief. Sometimes the pain affects our mind and triggers mental health concerns like deep sadness, loneliness, fear, and anxiousness. If these feelings impact our healthy lifestyle and destroy our mental peace for a prolonged period, we should seek help. Relationship heartbreak can make us feel hopeless and empty, nearly every day. People tend to lose interest in their favorite activities, lose their appetites, and are unable to focus on studies or work. Depression after a breakup is a painful thing, and some people even entertain suicidal thoughts. People living with a history of mental illness can make it more severe. Hormonal changes after significant changes in our life, such as breakups can cause depression as well. How Does A Breakup Affect You Mentally? How does a breakup affect you mentally? Breakups are hard, especially when they come as a shock. It’s natural to go through a lot of painful emotions. You might even get physical symptoms like headaches or chest pain. These should lessen over time. If they don’t, you might have depression. You don’t have to go through your breakup alone. Talk to your doctor if your down mood never lifts or if it gets in the way of your daily life. Together, you can find the right treatment to help you move on. Romantic love can be like a drug. It triggers the release of “feel good” chemicals in your brain. Losing it in a breakup can cause emotional and physical problems, like anxiety and tiredness. How does a breakup affect you mentally? Emotional stress can also send out a rush of stress hormones that make you feel like you’re having a heart attack. That’s called broken heart syndrome. And sometimes your identity gets wrapped up in the “we” of your relationship. That means a breakup can disrupt how you think about yourself. You might feel uneasy as you adjust to your new self-concept. How does a breakup affect you mentally? Some other common symptoms after a breakup include: Loneliness Sadness Irritability A change in appetite Sleep trouble How does a breakup affect you mentally? A breakup tends to cause more distress in certain situations. That includes: You don’t expect it. You are very committed. You live together. You feel rejected or betrayed. You’re a teenager or young adult. How to Tell if You’re Depressed How does a breakup affect you mentally? It’s common to feel crummy for a while after a breakup. But major depressive disorder, or clinical depression, is different than normal sadness. It’s constant, lasts at least 2 weeks, and can affect all aspects of your life. How does a breakup affect you mentally? Stressful life events, like a breakup, can trigger depression. But it’s possible to have depression-like symptoms without having a mood disorder. It’s important to know what symptoms to look for. To have clinical depression, you need to have several of the following: Ongoing sadness or worry An “empty” feeling Irritability Tiredness General feelings of guilt or worthlessness No hope for the future Less interest in things you used to like Appetite changes Sleep problems Trouble thinking clearly or making decisions Slow-moving or talking Restlessness Headache Body pain or stomach problems Thoughts of death or suicide Risk Factors How does a breakup affect you mentally? Most people don’t develop depression after a breakup. But it’s more likely to happen in certain instances. That includes: You have a history of depression. You’re more likely to have another depressive episode if you’ve had one in the past. You misuse drugs and alcohol. A substance use disorder can mask a hidden mood disorder or make depression worse. You have an adjustment disorder. This is a condition where you have a very strong reaction to stress or unexpected change. Your depression symptoms might take 3-6 months to go away. In some cases, it might take longer. You lack social support. If you’re depressed, you might pull away from your friends and family. On the flip side, loneliness can worsen your sadness. You have multiple stressors at once. Your breakup might be harder to handle if you have to move, get a different job, or have another kind of change or loss at the same time. How Long Does It Take To Mentally Recover From A Breakup? How long does it take to mentally recover from a breakup? Though, while break-ups are often debilitating, mentally taxing, and a frequent catalyst of depression, loneliness, and a loss of sense of self – all of which can manifest physically — they don’t have to take over your life forever. Somewhere between your third I-can’t-get-off-the-couch Sunday and re-reading all the texts, you swore you wouldn’t re-read; you start to wonder when the hurt and heartache will end. How long does it take to mentally recover from a breakup? and what can you do to hasten your checkout from heartbreak hotel? Here is their wisdom and 7 things you can do to get over a breakup faster. Give yourself three months to begin to heal Studies suggest that most people start to feel better around three months post-breakup. One study, which evaluated 155 undergraduates who’d been through breakups in the last six months, found that 71 percent start to feel significantly better around the 11-week mark, or around three months. Divorces, understandably, often take the longest: one study on marital splits found that divorcees need around 17 months and 26 days to catch their breath and move on. How long does it take to mentally recover from a breakup? However, there is no normal amount of time for convalescence, the timeline is different for everyone, and it may be less healthy to hold yourself to a specific recovery date. There’s no one single miracle date you can add to your calendar, and look forward to waking up refreshed with full closure. Avoid holding yourself to a deadline Pop culture is rich with a gamut of unfounded equations for moving on after a breakup. Take, for example, the oft-cited Sex and the City theory that it takes half as long as the relationship lasted to get over an ex. How long does it take to mentally recover from a breakup? While most people would wish this were accurate, the truth is, getting over a breakup is a far more nuanced undertaking than some generalized calculation. Your timeline will depend on your unique situation and personality, so avoid holding yourself to a deadline. Healing from a breakup is like moving through grief after any loss. It is an ugly, messy process with no definitive time frame for how long it will take. To lose a boyfriend, girlfriend, or partner in a breakup can be considered like the loss of a loved one in death. Missing that romantic connection is challenging and complicated. In the aftermath of mental health issues after breakup, the feelings of hurt and anger, and memories of happiness and trust represent an opportunity to heal, but time can be the important factor in returning to your sense of normal – take all the time that you need. Recognise that personal history affects your “recovery time” How long does it take to mentally recover from a breakup? In reality, the ending of a relationship is going to mean very different things to different people – and how long it will hurt could be impacted by earlier experiences like trauma or losses of other significant people in their life. That means anything from your upbringing to your prior dating life and past relationships to your attachment style can come gushing out right about now. Your journey is yours alone, so do your best not to compare yourself with others who may have healed quicker or more slowly because of who they are. Your reasons are not a problem but will define how comfortable you are with moving on. A day, weeks, a year, or years, depending on your relationship and circumstances, your history may determine how quickly you heal emotionally. Let yourself let go Accepting that we can feel sad and also feel happiness is an important component of getting through a breakup because it reduces our chances of getting stuck in our sadness and becoming hopeless. Sadness is okay because if we allow it to be, we are also allowing it to pass. This is a huge component of mindfulness — letting thoughts and feelings pass without judgment. How long does it take to mentally recover from a breakup? Letting go of the expectations to which we tend to hold ourselves following a breakup – and permitting ourselves to feel heartache and grief devoid of judgment and without rushing the transition to happy thoughts – can help us to feel better sooner. Science confirms the benefits of releasing judgement. One study used a prompt called “love reappraisal,” which encouraged participants to absorb statements of acceptance like “It’s ok to love someone I’m no longer with.” The result? Though it didn’t help participants move on immediately, they did experience a weaker emotional response to items like photos of their exes. In comparison, thinking about things they don’t like about their exes, such as an annoying habit, helped them move on a bit but also brought their moods down and was distressing in the short run. Encourages gentle self-discipline with sorrow. While we are permitting ourselves to feel our pain with no pressure of an expiration date, it is a good idea to find ways not to wallow in the pain or get the stuck feeling that is our only feeling. Some ideas for coping during this time of sadness are to connect with friends and others who can offer supportive distractions – go to a funny movie or go out for a nice meal with good conversation. Mental health issues after breakup. Don’t get cheated out or miss the chance to indulge your feelings about your breakup, but don’t get consumed by them either. Choose to spend time with friends and company to clear your mind, have fun, and disrupt your negative perspective. Embrace self-care as a coping mechanism Mental health issues after breakup. Self-care is especially important following a breakup. While you might be tempted to wallow in a puddle of Ben & Jerry’s, now is the time to snap into the opposite action. Make sure you’re eating well, getting the right level of physical exercise, and consistently getting adequate sleep to keep your emotional energy levels high. Creating healthy priorities in your daily routine, and engaging in hobbies and new learning opportunities allows you to reach your goal, pick up the pieces and close the door on the old romantic relationship. Also helpful – Getting in touch with your inner balance. Mindfulness or meditation exercises are very helpful for building up the mental muscles to refocus our attention on positive things, even when we are also feeling sad. By taking a few actionable steps with regular doses of self-compassion, the waves of pain from your ‘whole’ body ache will become fewer and farther apart. Struggling to get up and at ’em? Ask a trusted friend to hold you accountable, or try methods of recharging your lack of motivation. Good friendships allow a ready support system and remind you of your inner power to get started and stay connected with people so you can get over your breakup. Realize that this is the reason it hurts so much Heartbreak is a psychological experience for the mind and body. It hurts because we now know that emotional and physical pain come from the same place in our brains. We also know that falling in love, and emotional and physical intimacy release a whole host of positive, feel-good chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and epinephrine into our bodies. And when a relationship comes to an end? The amount of those powerful neurotransmitters drastically drops, causing our brain to respond the same way it would in a withdrawal from drug addiction. Try talking it out to get out of the depths How long does it take to mentally recover from a breakup? Talking to a therapist can be tremendously valuable during a breakup, especially for those who struggle to accept the melancholy without attaching to it or for those who feel alone in their recovery. Many therapists specialize in working with clients who are going through major life transitions, like break-ups. They understand how difficult it can be to reintegrate into a changed daily routine — and they can teach you skills in finding a new way of living that’s authentic to you, individually. Oftentimes when people are going through a painful breakup, it can feel isolating and difficult to talk about such strong emotions with friends and family for fear of burning out our support systems or having to navigate a lot of ‘fix-it’ advice. A therapist provides a neutral and safe space to talk in-depth about the breakup without risk of judgment or pressure to ‘fix it. Mental health issues after breakup. While there’s, unfortunately, no magic math or one right way to get over a breakup, embracing self-care and surrounding yourself with the right foundation of support can help. Release unrealistic expectations of yourself, cry without worry, and shed as many tears as you need or respect your feelings of anger at the confusion of the situation. Suspend all judgment on the number of times you re-watch Call Me By Your Name, or how many sappy songs you listen to on repeat! Spend time on conversation and friendships that matter, engage in healthy activities, respect the time it takes to grieve and remember the ending of one relationship is just giving you time to prepare for the beginning of a new relationship. Things change, and you will get to a better place soon! How Do You Deal With Mental Health After A Breakup? How do you deal with mental health after a breakup? A breakup can lead to a mental breakdown or other mental health issues Ways to deal with a breakup Since all relationships and breakups are unique, we all have our unique ways to deal with them. We have different ways to feel grief and express vulnerability. There is no secret or mantra to cope with a bad breakup. However, we can follow some coping mechanisms to deal with the loss. Take time to heal How do you deal with mental health after a breakup? Time can heal our wounds. We have to allow ourselves some time to cope with all the pain and allow our breakup to sink in. During this time, it is okay to cry, to feel too sensitive, or not do anything productive. It’s important to not be harsh on oneself. It may take us some time to accept the reality but with time we will get there. If the relationship was abusive or manipulative in any way, healing might be more complex because of the trauma experienced. Deciding to seek additional help in the form of a counsellor or therapist is perfectly alright, and is a very healthy and strong thing to do. Don’t take drastic steps How do you deal with mental health after a breakup? After a breakup, some people develop potentially harmful behaviour like consuming alcohol, overeating, fasting, excessive gaming, or engaging in unhealthy online conversations with random people. It’s normal to eat some ice cream or to cry in your pajamas. Yet overdoing anything can harm our physical and mental health. It’s harmful to take drastic and impulsive steps to cope with mental health issues after breakup. One should remember that the end of a relationship doesn’t mean the end of the world. Life is a long journey and we can work to build the courage needed to walk the long road. The way you feel today doesn’t have to be how you will feel a year or even six months from now if you allow yourself time to heal healthily. Take a break from social media It’s not a good idea to use social media right after a breakup. It’s hard to move on, as social media connects us with people we know and the memories we share with them. How do you deal with mental health after a breakup? A healthy way to heal is to stay away from all addictions, including technology Blocking one’s ex on social media is not always a realistic solution as we may still be in touch with common friends. One of the best ways to cope with this is to go on a social media detox for a short while and focus on oneself. Indulge in a hobby How do you deal with mental health after a breakup? Our generation needs to understand that end of a relationship doesn’t mean the end of life. Instead of thinking about their ex, one can indulge in their favorite activity. If you enjoy art, join a painting class; if you love dancing, go to a dance class, and invest time in yourself. Self-care is crucial to cope with heartbreaks. So after a breakup make time for things you love. While the relationship may have been an important one, our lives are bigger and there can be so much more to life beyond it. Maintain a schedule How do you deal with mental health after a breakup? We all go through the post-breakup phase, where we want to lay down all day thinking about the rosy past and wallow in self-pity. But the truth is, laying down won’t help us to heal. A schedule, workouts, healthy breakfasts, and focusing on things beyond the past can work wonders for healing post-breakup trauma. Give yourself time to get back up, by all means. But be mindful when you feel that it’s taking over your life and take steps in the right direction. Stay in touch with family and friends How do you deal with mental health after a breakup? It may not be easy, but post-breakup we should consider sharing our feelings with our loved ones. When friends and family care and want to help us, we should embrace it instead of rejecting them. In difficult times, sharing our sorrow can ease our pain and help us to deal with difficult emotions. However, sadly not all of us can share our feelings or breakup stories with our families. In such cases, we should reach out to our friends. Instead of isolating ourselves from our family, we should try to talk to them about their lives and other things that could make us happy. Can You Be Traumatised By A Breakup? Can you be traumatised by a breakup? Absolutely a relationship breakup can be emotionally traumatic. It can cause considerable psychological distress. You may feel as if you have been kicked in the stomach or blindsided and knocked down. Can you be traumatised by a breakup? Feelings of rejection and self-doubt are common, as is the feeling of being stuck and feeling like you do not want to go in with life. Can you be traumatised by a breakup? Some people just aren’t meant to be with us even if you think they may be the perfect fit, they aren’t. If they are, you will eventually get back together later on in life. Can you be traumatised by a breakup? I’ve also seen this happen as well. Just give it time. Everyone is different and also cut all contact and stay away from this person or you will just continuously be opening a wound that has partially healed somewhat. Can you be traumatised by a breakup? You heal every single day although you do not feel like you are. Can you be traumatised by a breakup? Each day may not seem any better but it’s on its way to that point. It will be okay. You will meet someone perfect for you that you love even more even though it doesn’t seem possible now. Can you be traumatised by a breakup? You need to probably force yourself to get out and do things even if you don’t want to and it’s just little things, to begin with. It helps a lot! Can A Breakup Change Your Personality? Can a breakup change your personality? People are the sum of their experiences. Everything that happened to us shaped us into who we are today. The way we were raised made us who we are, and every relationship we had contributed. Our childhood best friends, our first loves and first heartbreaks, as well as those dudes we met in college and had a blast with but then fell out of touch — all of those experiences contributed to our personalities. Inevitably, breakups are a massive part of that. Now, that doesn’t have to mean anything dramatic. Sure, some people go through drastic changes after a breakup. They change their entire persona because the experience scars them. Depending on the breakup’s nastiness, they might even change how they interact with people in general. However, not every breakup has to have massive consequences for our mental health and personality. But, the reality of the situation is that changes happen. You change your outlook after a breakup, even if it’s ever so slightly. How Breakups Change Your Personality Can a breakup change your personality? Breakups change us because they have to. They are like going back to factory settings — some things will simply be different. When we are in a long-term relationship, we adapt to our partner. We change some of our habits to accommodate this whole other person in our lives. We change the way we think and speak. That’s because we no longer think and speak just about ourselves, but about our partners as well Furthermore, we can also pick up on some of our partner’s habits and personality traits. Then, that changes (again), and, suddenly, we’re single, with a personality we don’t recognise. What’s more, breakups can cause us severe pain not just mental health issues after breakup. Not physical pain, of course, but an emotional one. One that can be so traumatizing that we end up changing our personality to avoid similar situations in future relationships. The Changes in Your Brain Can a breakup change your personality? Believe it or not, breakups (like other traumatic events) can change our brain chemistry. First of all, after a breakup, our brains can start releasing hormones that push us into a “flight or fight” mode. The brain perceives the entire situation as potentially dangerous, so it makes our bodies react. That’s why we can’t sleep, have no appetite, have digestive problems, and are overall tense. Our bodies are ready to either fight the Big Bad, whatever it may be or run from it. Aside from that, during and after a breakup, our brains make us think we feel pain. The part of the brain that’s associated with physical pain becomes more active. Nothing is stimulating our pain receptors, and yet, that area is exceptionally active. Finally, our brains stop or reduce the production of hormones responsible for the feelings of happiness, joy, and euphoria. Our brains cut off our production of serotonin and dopamine, which we need to feel happy again. Inevitable Psychological Changes That Follow a Breakup Can a breakup change your personality? Given that breakups can alter our brain chemistry, it’s logical that they can also change our psyche. Some changes after a breakup are common. For example, we might be more scared of new experiences. Alternatively, we won’t trust as easily because others have hurt us before. Personality traits aren’t fixed. They are fluid and ever-changing. Some personality traits will change after a breakup, while others will stay the same. For example, naturally extroverted people will probably stay extroverted no matter the breakup. However, they might not be as ready to take on a new partner for a long time. Aside from these changes, other, more severe psychological changes also happen. Depression Can a breakup change your personality? After a breakup, feelings of rejection and self-doubt kick us while we’re down. We’re in a perpetual state of emotional distress (not to mention the “fight or flight” state we’re also in). So, for some of us, depression kicks in. When the brain isn’t bothered by serotonin and dopamine, depression is just around the corner. Withdrawal Can a breakup change your personality? If you ever heard anyone tell you that you’re their drug, they were telling the truth (but didn’t know it). When we lose a partner, our sense of grief and loss is quite profound. Aside from depression, it can also cause a withdrawal of sorts. What happens when we grieve over our past relationship? Well, our brains engage the same areas that are active with addicts who are waiting for their next hit. So, we are obsessed with and addicted to our exes! That’s why moving on seems particularly hard — every addiction is. During our grieving period, we’ll periodically get these intrusive, obsessive thoughts about our ex. That’s because we are addicted to them, and our brains are pushing us to think of them and “get our next fix” in any way. When people say, “Oh, I can’t stop thinking about my ex!” this is what they mean. A Breakup Can Change You for the Better Can a breakup change your personality? Don’t forget that not all changes that follow a breakup are necessarily bad. Breakups can give us a new outlook on life and make us look at every new opportunity with a set of different eyes. Here are some good changes that might follow a breakup: You’ll lower your expectations. This doesn’t sound like a plus to some people, but it might be. If you have unrealistic expectations, there’s no way for someone to meet them. Thus, you always end up disappointed. You’ll trust yourself more than before. After going through a breakup trauma, you won’t have the excess energy to go with the flow and say yes to people just because it would be impolite not to. Instead, you’ll listen to your gut more and have enough courage to speak out. Being alone won’t phase you. Most freshly broken-up people are deathly afraid of being alone. But after a while, you’ll realize that being alone is quite nice. You have more time for yourself and your family and friends, and you won’t have to answer to anybody. Can I Get PTSD From A Breakup? Can I get PTSD from a breakup? When thinking of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), many minds go straight to war veterans, disaster survivors, or physical abuse victims. These are all true examples, however, PTSD can manifest in any situation of trauma—whether that be physical, emotional, or psychological. Can I get PTSD from a breakup? According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 7.8 percent of people in the United Kingdom will suffer from PTSD at some point in their lifetime. Unfortunately, women are twice as likely to experience PTSD as men. PTSD is an extreme anxiety disorder that is often manifested through intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal. It is possible, real, and valid to experience PTSD after an abusive relationship. Can I get PTSD from a breakup? Living in a toxic relationship can take an extreme toll on mental health, and the negative effects of that relationship often last far after a breakup. Here are 5 symptoms of relationship PTSD: Flashbacks Can I get PTSD from a breakup? Arguably one of the most characterizing symptoms of all PTSD, those who have been in an unhealthy relationship can also suffer from flashbacks or nightmares. A specific smell may transport them back to an awful memory or they may avoid specific people, places, or things that remind them of the past. The flashbacks can also occur in nightmares. These episodes bring back all of the memories full-force and it may feel like the trauma has just happened, reopening healing wounds. Repetition This is a more subtle sign of relationship PTSD. It may not be apparent at first, but many victims of abusive relationships often find themselves in similar relationship dynamics over and over again. Can I get PTSD from a breakup? PTSD from past relationships can manifest as self-blame and decreasing self-worth, so one may rationalize that they don’t deserve to be in a healthy relationship. This is just the PTSD warping into intrusive thoughts. Self-medicating Self-medication is a common coping mechanism for many mental health conditions. Many turn to drugs, alcohol, food, shopping, sex, or other vices as a way to escape the thoughts and memories of an abusive relationship. Blowing things out of proportion Can I get PTSD from a breakup? A past relationship can make the person feel as if they’re constantly on the defensive, which leads to an overreaction in seemingly small situations. In a new relationship, self-sabotage may come into play and make one think that a minor altercation means much more than it truly does. Obsessive thoughts Can I get PTSD from a breakup? While it’s normal to reflect on a current or past relationship from time to time, those suffering from relationship PTSD think about it constantly. The intrusive thoughts seep into every facet of their life. It may manifest in repeatedly bringing the subject back to the abuser or current partner in conversations, obsessively checking their social media, or always wondering what you could have done differently to change the past. If you or a loved one is exhibiting any of these symptoms, support is available. Counsellors at Miss Date Doctor can help those experiencing the negative effects of an unhealthy relationship. Mental Health Issues After Breakup Conclusion Mental health issues after breakup conclusion. People change and heartbreaks happen. Unfortunately, not every story has a happy ending. The end of a relationship can help us grow as individuals and be the start of a new chapter in life. But the experience can be overwhelming and painful. Instead of fearing the negative experience, one should learn to reach out, engage in self-care, and most importantly love and accept oneself. Mental health issues after breakup conclusion. While it’s natural to feel sad, one should seek professional help if the person is unable to shake off the sadness and it starts interfering with routine tasks for a prolonged period. 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