There are many reasons why relationships end, but it doesn't mean the feelings for that person always end, especially if it was true love. It is completely normal to love an ex still after the relationship is over. For many people, it can be hard to move on from real love.
When an ex wants you back but won't admit it, they will constantly seek your attention and validation. If they have a greater ego, they might be holding on to past pain. If your ex wants you back, they will ask for your advice and attention, and will try to give you their attention in return.
Because the truth is, during no contact with your ex, they will start to miss you no matter what. What they do with that feeling is dependent on their personality. If you were dating an incredibly stubborn person, it might take months before your ex gives in and reaches out.
Is your ex persistently reaching out, asking for help, or just generally trying to maintain contact? According to Page, this is a good indicator that they're not over you. "They may be over you in terms of the romantic relationship," he adds, "but still need and want all the things you can give them."
“There is no standard time period in which a person needs to 'get over' their ex,” Caraballo states. “In many instances, people feel those love-like feelings for quite some time after a breakup. This can vary widely depending on the person, their circumstances and personal history.
Genuine love is profound—it does not come and go every now and then; it is something that is likely to last over time. This does not mean that love cannot fade away, but even when it does, it leaves some scars, or rather potential feelings that can flourish if and when the environment is conducive.
As much as it is physical, love is mainly psychological – we find it hard to let go of some things. Especially when those things are people who were once incredibly important to us.
Exes may return in some cases. Since couples break up for various reasons, the circumstances of a breakup may impact the potential for reconnection. A recent study showed that 44% of Americans have gotten back together with one of their exes after breaking up with them.
The results showed just 15% of people actually won their ex back, while 14% got back together just to break up again, and 70% never reconnected at all.
Regardless of the question, the answer is yes. Your ex does miss you. And if not, they likely will start sooner or later. But you've got to respect their decision to break up and walk away for that to happen, especially if they asked for space or decided to pull the plug.
Generally speaking, some dumpers regret their decision to break up only weeks after the incident. Other dumpers need years to feel that way. And some never even arrive at the final stage of dumpers remorse. Instead, they move on to someone else — be it a rebound or not.
Common Questions About Breakup Regret
Sometimes, yes, exes regret breaking up. There's no guarantee that a particular ex has any regrets, but it's definitely possible. Although there are times when a breakup is mutual, it doesn't mean both parties feel fully confident that the breakup is a good thing, either.
Your ex might share sad posts on social media.
You'll hear from mutual friends that he talks about how unhappy he is or that he's pitying himself. If you still see him occasionally, you might notice that he's picked up bad habits that you broke him of—this can mean that he's given up trying to improve things.
Someone can miss you but not actually want to get back together. They may think you're great, claim to be crazy about you, or miss the things that ensured they got their needs met, but they don't miss you that much.
Use the no contact rule
Does no contact make him miss you? Yes! One of the best ways to use silence after a breakup is to cut off all means of communication. That includes going silent on social media after a breakup.
He'll wonder if you miss him at all.
Questions like “Was I ever important to them?” or “Did our relationship mean anything to her?” might be torturing him, and he may begin to miss you even more. He might even go so far as to think you're already seeing someone else if he can't get in touch or see you on social media.
Evidence suggests that maintaining lingering feelings is the most commonly cited reason for getting back with an ex-partner (Dailey et al., 2011). Love, it seems, doesn't stop when a breakup happens, and it can spur people to get back together.
According to experts, it's totally possible to fall back in love with someone you used to date, and the reason why makes sense. "Once you love someone, unless your respect for them is destroyed, you can always love them again," Susan Trombetti, matchmaker and CEO of Exclusive Matchmaking, tells Elite Daily.
Here's why ignoring your ex is powerful: it gives you space to explore your own emotions and heal from the pain of heartbreak. Naming, acknowledging, and accepting your feelings. Noticing and naming emotions gives us a chance to step back and make a choice about what we want to do with them.