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Dating After A Break Up - Just How Long Should You Wait?

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Article - (1 June 2012) 2 Comments - (Newest, 4 June 2012)
A male Canada, Frank B Kermit writes:

Dating After Breaking Up?

The Sooner The Better

By Frank Kermit, Relationships

“How much time should I wait before I start dating again?” is a common question that I get asked from someone that has just recently gotten dumped, and still suffering a broken heart. I always tell them the same thing: none. The sooner you start getting out there, the better. The shock, and startling surprise from people sets in, and then a calm comes over them when the realization also sets in that they are free to do what they want.

If you are going to break up with someone, you had better mean it. You had better be sure that you do not want a future with that person, and that you are ready to hear about your soon to be ex partner having a new life with someone else.

Losing your temper, or feeling too overwhelmed are not solid excuses for a break up. If you break up after every fight, and then get back together after every cooling off period, all you are doing is turning a repeating behavior pattern into a solid habit that is going to take effect even after you get more serious in the future if you somehow end up living with, married or having children with that person.

On again, off again relationships are notorious for intermediate flings and love affairs that “don’t count” as cheating because the partners were “on a break” at the time. The problem with this pattern is that, although it may start as a legitimate attempt to break up, or a mistake in letting anger gets the best of you, it can easily turn into a means of casually breaking off your primary relationship, not because there is anything wrong with it, but because you need an excuse to try to date someone new without it technically being cheating. One of the worst potential consequences is that this kind of repeating behavior pattern is hard to break even when you finally end up in a great relationship with someone totally new, as your old standard behavior pattern is to break up instead of fix the problem head on. Long-term relationship success is not for quitters.

Some break ups turn out to be nothing more than emotionally abusive tactics employed by manipulative toxic people. These manipulators usually target emotionally vulnerable people who have inherit deep rooted fears of abandonment, and a manipulator will time a dramatic break up to lay siege on a vulnerable person’s need for security at the worst possible time, in order to put that victim into a state of hyper-panic. This places the victim in a zone where the emotions are so overwhelming that the victim then agrees to just about anything as a means to sooth their anxiety. The manipulator’s tactic is complete when the manipulator comes back just before the traumatic effects start to subside in the victim. This allows for the manipulator to capitalize on enforcing the victim’s attachment to staying with the abuser at all costs to stave off deep emotional hardships. For this reason, when someone breaks up with you, and assuming this is a routine occurrence, the BEST ADVICE in such a break up dynamic is YOU NEVER TAKE THE BREAK UP ARTIST BACK.

Dating other people right away is a reminder that your ex partner is just one of many people you can potentially connect with. It is not about how attracted you are to your new date…it is about getting back into the habit of realizing your ex is not the only person out there.

So the next time you are thinking about temporarily breaking up with your partner as a tactic to “keep’em on their toes”, you may want to re-think that strategy. All you are doing is giving someone that has been waiting for you to step out of the picture long enough, to make a move and make your ex, his or her new partner…And rightfully so. Breaking up with someone is not “a tactic”. It is a choice you make, and be sure that you can live with the consequences of saying goodbye.

In my personal philosophy, everyone has the right to seek out a soul mate without interference. When you break up with someone, your ex has that right to seek out someone new that could be his or her next soul mate. Getting in their way is simply unethical.

One very key understanding to dating after a break up, is that you are ONLY suppose to “date” and not get into serious relationships right away. It is normal to be a little emotionally vulnerable after a nasty break up, and seeking comfort in someone new is very OK. As long as you understand, and the person you are dating is also made to understand, that due to your recent break up, getting into a serious commitment is not permissible at this time. Date each new person no more than once a week, and date as many people as you can.

One last dating tip: In the event that the person who left you does come back begging to reconcile, and in the event you want to give that person a chance, the only way to make it work for the long term is that you only date your ex again once a week to start off, and have your ex earn your trust, commitment and TIME all over again. They have to start at the bottom all over again just like any one new you are dating. If you simply pick up where you left off, all you are encouraging is for your re-partner to break up with you again and again when the fancy strikes. That is not love. That is just loopy.

Frank Kermit is a relationship coach, best selling author and educator, columnist for The West End Times Newspaper and also appears regularly on 800 AM CJAD’s Passion radio program. Come out and meet Frank in person at Frank’s weekly relationship workshops offered every Saturday night from 7pm to 9pm. Frank can be reached through frank@franktalks.com

View related questions: a break, affair, emotionally abusive, get back together, period, soulmate

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A male reader, Frank B Kermit Canada +, writes (4 June 2012):

Frank B Kermit is verified as being by the original poster of the question

Frank B Kermit agony aunthttp://www.franktalks.com/break-ups/

Hi ShellyCG,

Thanks for the wonderful review.

Above is a link that has other articles and radio appearances I made talking about the same subject that you may find helpful...all for free.

-Frank

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A female reader, shellycg United Kingdom +, writes (3 June 2012):

shellycg agony auntA B S O L U T E L Y BRILLIANT, ive just broken up with someone who we have had a very on off relationship and i think this time he is actually seeing someone else, but it could be a man or a woman , he has been the one to break it off everytime and always when i needed him the most, hes put me through so much heart ache - made me feel like it was me with the problem - i feel such an idiot for putting so much into relationship and for believing his lies... thank you again... your an angel thats made me feel much better.x

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