Lovesickness: The five phases – and why we often feel better afterwards than before | Word & Image Publishing Group

A breakup can hurt terribly – like drug withdrawal, to the point of pain and despair. Because she is always one universal break in one’s own biography – and needs time to process it, she writes current issue of the health magazine “Apotheken Umschau” in the main cover story. The good news: After the grief, many are happier than before. Who the five stages of heartbreak has managed, accepts being alone and looks forward to the future again. The important thing is to go through all the phases of heartbreak in order to overcome it.

Lovesickness can be divided into five phases:

In Phase Eins The separation is already threateningly close – you don’t want to admit it. It is only in retrospect that many people realize that nothing has been right in their relationship for a long time.

In Phase two is over. Many feel the pain at this moment as if their heart had been ripped out. Many people start to “fantasize”: arguments, boredom, no sex – all the points that may have been annoying are forgotten. Everything was actually wonderful, those who have been abandoned now imagine.

In Phase Three The paralysis sometimes turns into newfound zeal. It switches to attack mode. Goal: Win back your ex-partner.

In Phase Vier Sadness and anger dominate. No good thing is said about an ex-girlfriend or boyfriend. Actually, you have always been too good for the other person!

And then, in Phase Fiveyou finally come to terms with the fact that there is no happy ending. An “I” develops from the “we” feeling. The focus is slowly turning to the future again.

How long heartbreak lasts varies. Sometimes a few months, others take a year or longer. After two years, most people are able to reorient themselves when it comes to love. A study even shows that many people feel better after a breakup than before. Participants reported having important experiences that made their lives better; to have become more self-confident and to have grown personally.

This report is only free for publication if the source is cited. The health magazine “Apotheken Umschau” 11B/2024 is currently available in most pharmacies in Austria. Lots of other interesting health news can be found at https://www.apotheken-umschau.de as well as on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.