When a friend is going through a break up or a hard time it can be hard to know what to say or do. Most people mean well when they say certain things, but it can end up sounding more hurtful than helpful. Here are a few statements that can really miss the mark:
1. “It’s for the best”
2. “Don’t worry, you’ll find someone else”
3. “Just try not to think about it”
4. “He/she wasn’t good enough for you anyway”
5. “Why would you want to stay with someone who did this to you?”
I know these sound good in theory, and most of them are probably true statements. However, they don’t work because our emotions are stronger than our intellect during a breakup. We know something in our head, but don’t feel it in our heart. For example after watching a scary movie I KNOW there isn’t a serial killer in my shower, but I FEEL like there is because now I’m scared. So, I pull back the shower curtain to double check. My emotions win, not my mind.
The same thing happens during a break up. Even if your friend KNOWS the breakup is for the best, they aren’t going to FEEL like it yet. They still feel extremely hurt and upset. It is hard for friends and family to watch someone they love be so sad. Most people want to cheer someone up or just make them feel better. The intentions are good, but only time will help your friend’s heart get on the same page with their brain. Trust me, no one wants to get over this break up faster than your friend, but you can’t fast forward through time unfortunately.
So what can you do when your friend is still in love with someone and has been hurt? Sometimes you just have to let your friend feel sad. Things don’t always have to be “alright”. They mostly need you to listen and give them a hug. Yes, they will need to talk about it, and most of the time they will feel guilty about needing to talk about it so much. Processing their feelings will help them. They also need to cry. It can be hard to watch someone cry, but being there during that time to offer emotional support without giving any suggestions will be valuable to them beyond belief. Your friend can’t be rational at this point. Let them know it is okay for them to be sad and again, give them a hug.
It may be helpful to remind them that it is healthy to balance a break up by feeling sad for awhile and then trying to find a distraction to give the brain and heart a little break. Encourage your friend to vent, and then try to distract them by going out and doing something fun. People going through a hard time need both time to feel the reality of the situation and time to pretend they’re fine and that everything is okay.
Remember, your friend didn’t choose to go through this break up. Most likely it was forced upon them. They still see good qualities in this person, and for an undefined widow of time they will jump to take this person back. It is easier for you to see how this person has hurt your friend and to hold on to that anger. Your friend will be irrational about the negative and want to cling to the positive things they miss about their ex. It is hard to listen to, but realize they will start to get better with time. Like I said earlier, break ups take time to get over. Try to be patient. If you feel they need to talk to a counselor because they are having trouble moving on, then encourage them to go. It does help a lot of people to talk to someone who is a neutral to the situation and a counselor will keep what is said confidential.
The reality is that emotions can take a long time to heal and that is okay. Also know that your friend can move forward and still feel sad at the same time. They may start to move on and still feel “love” for their ex. It is normal to go back and forth for awhile, like 3 steps forward, 2 steps back. Eventually their pain will lessen and finally their brain will kick into gear all those things you’ve been thinking from the beginning. And if you say those phrases above months after the break up, they may finally hit the mark.