Breakups are the absolute worst.

They're the loss of the life you imagined.

They're the derailment of the future you were supposed to have together.

They make moving, breathing, and eating seem impossible, or maybe like someone wound you up too many times to count and you might fall apart if you have to start moving.

What can science tell us about how long this yuck will last?

I've said this before and I'll say it again: Stay away from your ex. No one ever got over a lost love by scrolling through their ex's Instagram feed. In fact, some research from 2012 points to the fact that staying Facebook friends with an ex can limit self-growth.

No one posts about their worst characteristics on social media. You are left watching an idealized image of your former partner living their best life.

Attachment theory operates under the assumption that the relationship you have with your parents or caregivers when you are younger forms the template for how you will act with romantic partners later in life.

For example, if your parents did what they said they would do when they said they would do it, you are more likely to have a secure attachment. Not only will you have more trust in other people, but you also have more security in yourself.

Secure attachment makes you feel worthy of love and of being........

© Psychology Today