I know many women who are of the school of thought that men don’t take breakups as hard as we do. This belief harks back to the notion that women are far more emotional than men. Now, in general, thanks to socialisation and conditioning, we can assume this. However, I’ve observed that men don’t cope that well with breakups; they just hide things better. They also don’t necessarily try to starve themselves or bloat up on Ben & Jerry’s.

I asked several guys how long it had taken them to get over their most recent significant breakup. Except for one, the rest claimed getting over a breakup took significant time, with two claiming they still were trying to get over their breakups more than a year later.

Now, my thinking is that breakups, as a general rule of thumb, are proportionate to the length of the relationship, give or take a month or week here and there.
So based on this idea, it should go something like this:
Length of Relationship, Max Healing Time (italics) Surveyed Guys’ Healing Time (bold)

One Month | One week | One month
Three Months | One Month | Three months
Six Months | Two Months | Five Months
One Year | Three-Six Months | One-Two years!

Now, I appreciate people heal at different paces, but there is something up here. I thought it was just these guys, but when I questioned further and surfed around blogs, this does actually correlate. One of the key factors with these men was that most were not the ones to finish the relationship. Had they been the one to finish things, I wonder how long they would have brooded over the relationship?

What do guys do when they break up?

Some do cry, but it’s generally by themselves or with a female friend or relative they really trust. I know several guys that have good emotional friendships with their male friends, so when the chips are down, they can pour their heart out without fear of judgment. A lot of men pretend [the breakup] isn’t hurting them as much and attempt to rise above it because “big boys don’t cry”. Some said they found it difficult to express how they feel because they don’t come from environments where they can speak freely.

“It’s no wonder it took me so long to get over her; I couldn’t bloody talk about it to anyone, really, so I guess it just dragged out. I think I built her up more in my mind the longer it took me to get over her.”

I do actually believe that not talking about the breakup and wallowing on your own for as long as you like will not enable someone to get over it. It’s impossible to resolve the feelings because you’re in a vicious circle with yourself, and no one is easing you through the hurt. It was very clear that the perception of these women post-breakup became really disproportionate. One guy was damn well near obsessing over her.

Most of the men interviewed tried to shag their way out of hurt.

“I slept with a lot of women in that year after the breakup. I think I thought that it would block it out. I’d wake up the following morning and look at her and think that she’s not [the ex girlfriend]”

“Sleeping with a few women was what helped me get over things. It’s what we do!”

And some of the men broke up “like women”. That’s the crying, moping, hiding away from the world, ranting, self-blaming, going back to try and make it work, pleading, and replaying the relationship repeatedly in their minds as they cling to hope.

“I really think that we’re meant to be together. Even now, after a year. But she doesn’t want it. I don’t think that I will ever be able to love another person like this again.”

I think the key thing to remember here is that when a guy cares about someone, he hurts just as much as a woman would in the same situation. He may just express it in a different way.

He still has to be a ‘man’ and be one of the lads, and unfortunately, other guys don’t come racing around with tea and sympathy. They demand that you turn up for the footie or drag your arse out for beers and stop the ‘whining’. These [less sympathetic men] won’t be keen to listen to their male friend(s) bemoan their breakup and often recommend that getting more drunk or to “just get laid”.

Often the ex-girlfriend will talk to him and he will act as if everything’s hunky dory, which, suffice to say, pisses her off no end, as it appears he doesn’t give a monkey’s. He very often does; he just doesn’t know how to say it or fears how he may look or how she might react.

The great thing about being a woman is that there are generally a few female friends that you can turn to during a breakup who will listen to you say the same stuff over and over again and still be there when you’re ranting and raving. They won’t pass any judgement when you express how you feel as there is an air of empathy and sympathy.

Recommendations for guys going through a breakup

  • Talk to a good female friend or relative. Failing that, talk with a professional, but talk to someone.
  • Don’t keep the breakup to yourself.
  • If you have a male friend who has gone through this, go out for a drink and have a chat. You’d be surprised; he probably won’t mind talking about it!
  • Don’t allow a dented ego to hold you in heartbreak for a disproportionate period. Being compassionate and honest with yourself will make way for healing.
  • Don’t obsess as this is very unhealthy and ultimately doesn’t change a damn thing anyway. The woman on the receiving end of it might also feel like she’s being emotionally blackmailed or harassed/stalked.

Are you a man who’s struggled to cope with the demise of a relationship? Or are you a woman that has an ex that you just can’t shake because he’s unable to let go?

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