Friends & Family: Find Your Lifeline when a Relationship Ends

It is surprisingly common when a relationship ends for people to withdraw inside themselves and avoid contact with people who might help them through the break-up. Whether because they are ashamed or because they feel they can handle it on their own, we tend to put ourselves inside a box and withdraw from loved ones.

Friends and family are invaluable assets, however, and it is important not to shun the support they offer. When relationships end, we are bombarded by a succession of uncomfortable emotions that lead us farther and farther into a black hole. Just because you have lost a significant other doesn't mean there aren't other people who care for you.

Look at this from a different perspective. Imagine that your sister has just ended a relationship with someone who wasn't treating her well. She's distraught, unhappy and mourning her loss, and she's unplugged her phones and refuses to answer the door. Wouldn't you want more than anything to help her through this ordeal? And wouldn't you hope that she would come to you for support in her time of need?

Your friends and family are there for you, and believe it or not, they want to help. They won't mind if your eyes are puffy and you haven't taken a shower in three days; they still want to throw you a lifeline and listen to your troubles.

No matter how terrible a relationship becomes, you have no reason to feel ashamed when it ends. In fact, you should feel liberated for taking the step that so many others are afraid to make. You've made a decision that, while difficult, will improve your quality of life in the long wrong. Be proud of your strength and allow your friends and family to comfort you.

The worst thing you can do when a bad relationship ends is withdraw from life and from those who love you. You'll begin to believe that you aren't worthy of their love, and that you have nowhere to turn in a time of crisis. This couldn't be farther from the truth.

So grab your address book and start looking for phone numbers. Make lunch dates, go to movies and simply be with people who love you. This will serve to reaffirm that you are lovable, and that life isn't over. Just because your relationship didn't work out doesn't mean that you can't find another one. And while you are waiting for another relationship to develop, you can spend time with friends and family!