Handling Heartbreak Without Breaking Down

Watching the Britney Spears special the other night, I thought about how so many young men and women's lives completely turn around for the worse after experiencing heartbreak. Some people have complete mental breakdowns. Others contemplate suicide, and feel that life is not worth living. Many men whose first love cheated on them, believe that women are untrustworthy, and do not treat a good woman right, because they can't forget what the first woman did. Many women do the same thing. Britney Spears' mental breakdown started slowly after her painful breakup with Justin Timberlake. From there she made the wrong choice of husband, and many erroneous choices thereafter. How can someone keep from having a breakdown after a heart-wrenching break-up?

Remember who you were prior to the relationship

You have to realize that your worth is not tied up in being with that other person. It doesn't make you a loser or a nobody because someone else felt that you were not the one for them. That doesn't mean that you're not just perfect for someone else. Everyone has flaws, and you should realize that you have them. But, that doesn't mean that you should try to change essential components of your personality or values just to try to hang on to someone. You had worth prior to meeting this person, and you have worth afterward. A relationship does not make you who you are.

Everyone has gone through something

You may feel like the world will look at you differently because you were rejected or cheated on, or have gone through a divorce. But, the truth is, everyone has gone through some kind of painful event, and many have come out even stronger. A friend of mine went through a divorce, but felt so humiliated about getting a divorce so soon after getting married. But, she told me afterward that it wasn't nearly as bad as she thought it would be to tell people that she was getting divorced. Sure there were people who offered their unwanted opinions, but overall, people didn't judge her to her face or criticize her the way she thought.

Develop purpose

You definitely have to have something that fuels you to get out of bed each day. It could be your children, your career, or a hobby. You have to have something, or else you will allow your grief over the breakup to cloud everything else in your life. Being determined and working hard at her career while taking care of her children, kept my friend from wallowing in pity and depression. She hardly had time to think about her situation, because she had a purpose to fulfill and keep her going. When she did sit and get sad, she didn't have long to do so, because her mind and activities kept her preoccupied.

It may seem like your heartache will never go away, but it will. Time does heal wounds. To help speed up the recovery make sure to engage yourself in uplifting activities. Remember that you are not alone. You're not the first or the last person to experience heartache. And, realize that you are a person of worth. Try giving to others in need, volunteering your time and service to those less fortunate. You will realize what true joy is and how blessed you are to be where you are.