The stages of recovery (and you can be stuck in one stage then move on to the next then jump back to the first stage, etc......).
1. Anger - you broke up and you're pissed and mad. Screw them.
2. Shock - relationship ends, you're in disbelief think maybe in a week they'll call and everything will be ok again. Did we really end it this time?
3. Fear - "Oh no! - did we really break up for good?" It's been a few weeks and you haven't heard from them you do a 360 and start wondering what the ex is doing - why hasn't he/she called by now?
4. Obsession - what are they doing, where are they, how could they end it or (if you ended it) - is this the right thing? What if I screwed up? What if no one else loves me or comes along. You go into fatal attraction mode obsessing and thinking way too much. Everything reminds you of your ex.
5. You suddenly want back what you had. This is the danger zone here - you might suddenly call them, want to send emails or letters, etc. You can lose your marbles during this particular stage and think you'll do anything to get them back. This is where you have to stop yourself at all costs. This stage is the longest......you hate them-it's over, you miss them more than life and want them back - you yo-yo and obsess and drive yourself bonkers
.6. Light at the end of the tunnel. After stage 5 and 5-6 months has passed you suddenly start laughing again and then catch yourself going for more than an hour without thinking about your ex.
7. You no longer have obsessive desires to contact your ex - you actually start thinking "What the hell did I ever see in them?". You start feeling better and your friends welcome you back to reality.
8. You know if you ran into your ex you wouldn't shake at the knees and become irrational - you'd either avoid them or say "Hi, I'd love to chat but I've gotta be somewhere in five minutes - SEE YA!".
9. You can go out for margaritas and enjoy looking at the opposite sex!
10. You can look back at photos of your ex and not think twice - instead you pack up their memories, store them away and think of other things you need to do instead of sit crying over them.