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I regret breaking up with my ex. What should I do?

239 Answers
Last Updated: 04/20/2023 at 10:17am
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Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
March 26th, 2017 8:53pm
Tell your ex how you feel and ask if you can spend some time with them. There's nothing wrong with building your relationship back up but if your ex doesn't want to gt back with you then you shouldn't push it.
Anonymous
September 10th, 2016 1:38am
Writing a letter always helps for you or if you consider sharing it with him / others. It is important to let everything out.
Anonymous
July 9th, 2016 7:48pm
if your decision was true for leaving him, then you should know that there is on earth who deserves you more than him .. don't regret it :)
BitterGrapefruit
August 24th, 2018 10:13pm
I'm sorry you feel regretful, it's hard sometimes to let someone go who you've been so close with. I too regret my choices sometimes, and thats normal. Completely normal. Life goes on and you have to remember that you broke up with your ex for a reason and that you shouldn't go back to what made you unhappy. One person shouldn't be able to make you feel uncomfortable and unhappy even when you aren't with them any longer. Everyone deserves the best for themselves and the people around them. And you honestly were being very good with self-care by cutting out a toxic relationship. I'm proud of you
Aware52
October 10th, 2018 8:09am
You were once sure about doing it. Why are you now second guessing your decision. Do not go back on your own words and ideas, you are just missing the good times, that is natural. You had your reasons for breaking up, keep revisiting them and stay true to yourself, these feelings will pass, they are natural. We all second guess our feelings at some point in time, you are just human, do not worry about you're conflicting messages you are getting change can sometimes be scary and your unconscious mind do not like being scared but also your unconscious mind cannot argue as to why you should not be with your ex but it knows that you feel scared stuck worried or lonely and it wants to fix it in the easiest way possible way, going back.
StayPositiveFriend
September 12th, 2016 1:50pm
First ask yourself if you really regret it or are just feeling lonely. The change from "in a relationship" to "single" can be quite jarring. You go from sharing your life and intimacy to being alone and this is rarely a pleasant transition. Trying to get back together again is not a good idea in this case because its likely that some time later you will end up at the same conclusion and break their heart again. Best to move past this, spend time with friends and family to avoid feeling lonely and, when you feel ready for it, try going on a date again. Bonus tip: being single is a great time to rediscover yourself, who you are as a person instead of who you are as one half of the relationship. This can really help when starting a new relationship in the future because 1 thing to avoid is starting a relationship and comparing your new partner to the old with everything they do.
Easylistener
January 31st, 2018 8:20pm
well it's a tough one. Regret is often short lived, so ride it out until you're sure it's a mistake. We often make decisions and regret them, but they are often for the best. Give yourself some time to get over the feeling and see then how you feel. You broke up for a reason.. remember that.
colorfulUnicorn23
November 14th, 2018 9:53am
Regret over s break up is very normal, You need to ask yourself a few questions. 1. What pushed you over the edge to leave? 2. Would you go back to the person at that point of time? 3. What is making you regret that decision? 4. If the same situation occurs again, what would you do? the answers to these questions will tell you how valid your decision was or is and is the reason good enough to go back and if you get a convincing answer to those questions and you feel that the relationship deserves a chance go back! I personally feel that somebody becomes an ex for a reason and no reason is ever going to be good enough to go to a place you left by choice!
paperCrane15
July 15th, 2016 12:22am
Depends on the entire history of your relationship. I think it is better to talk to someone about it.
Anonymous
October 11th, 2016 11:11am
I can really understand that feeling. I think you need to reassess the reasons you broke up with them in the first place and ask yourself if you miss them or the relationship itself.
Godlovesus
September 24th, 2016 5:48pm
Go and talk to that person but do not force him/her to accept you,if they say that they aren't interested or have moved on then you must accept the fact. Go and talk with an open mind.
Anonymous
July 21st, 2016 7:04am
you should confront him how you feel about this relationship and try to fix things if possible by asking him
Phillestertheangel
September 9th, 2016 11:16pm
Don't get back together. If you broke up with them before, it was for a good reason. If you date them again, you will have the same problems.
blackwingss
September 4th, 2016 9:48pm
If you still love your ex and think things can work out this time, I think you should tell him/her. Tell him/her you regret breaking up wit him/her, that you miss him/her and still love him/her (if that's the case). Explain why you thought it was the right thing to do when you broke things off and tell him/her why you've changed your mind. If he/she still feels the same way, I'm sure he/she will forgive you and you two will make up and make things work. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. I wish you the best!
Tsol7Wolfeu
July 29th, 2016 9:05pm
If it was a harsh break-up/unstable relationship - anything involving cheating or constant arguments or any type of abuse or where the two of you were just not happy, I'd say accept and acknowledge your regret and try to move on. What has been done is done and you can't really go back to that moment. If it was a stable relationship, first see if you truly do miss your 'ex' or if you are just yearning for affection/attention. Don't be making a second mistake. If you do miss your 'ex' truly, then confront them about how you feel (calmly and respectively). Do not yell/lash-out or constantly be apologizing. Explain to them about what you miss and how it has been on you. But don't forget to listen to your partner too. Relationships require mutual consent. If they don't want to get back together with you after you have tried talking/persuading them, then it means you should let go. Pretty much, if it was an unstable or unhealthy relationship. Don't go back to it. If it was a stable and healthy relationship. Communicate with each other calmly to hear what you both feel or have to say. I wish you the best of luck for your future days.
YuukiKuran1996
August 12th, 2016 12:17pm
Tell him how you feel . Be honest with him and there might be a chance fot you to get back together good luck ;)
Anonymous
August 13th, 2016 2:46am
If you regret breaking up, express this to your ex. Keeping this to yourself only will torture youself with 'what if's'
believe222
August 25th, 2016 6:36pm
if you want your ex back why don't you try and meet up with your ex and sit down and try and talk it out and see if you guys can get back together .
TobiasNorth
August 3rd, 2016 12:30am
Tell them. The worst that can happen is they don't feel the same, but you remain being friends (or in an extremely worst case scenario, they stop talking to you altogether), but the best case scenario is that they also regret breaking up and want to give your relationship another go. Telling them you want to get back together, even if it doesn't bring the desired result, will make you feel a lot better than keeping it to yourself and living your life wondering 'what if?".
Anonymous
March 31st, 2018 5:05pm
Do you really regret it or because you feel lonely right now and can’t adapt with the sudden change from being in relationship to be single? You are the only one who know the answer. If you really regret it because she/he is a wonderful person and you just realize it now, try to get them back. But if it’s too late, you need to move on
PainisPoetry16
January 6th, 2021 9:28pm
I would first write pro and con lists about the relationship itself and the person you broke up with as well. If the cons outweigh the pros then I would hold my head up, buy a fresh pair of J's, get a slick new haircut, hold my head high and go out with friends, spend time with family. Take a new college course, just stay busy. If there are more pros than cons then I would calmly and clearly try to explain your reasoning for breaking up, and for wanting to get back together. These things can be complicated but if you both care about the relationship it will work out.
Anonymous
March 30th, 2018 6:47pm
That is something you must accept and take responsibility for the choice you made. Even if you regret it.
divinewillpower86
March 3rd, 2018 6:56am
Well talking about past relationships people learn a lot from them. For each one relationship values differ. I guess somewhere your heart has realised that your ex is still your present and the way he/she behaved in the past n still the way they behaving like a gentleman / good girl like no hurt feelings or text messages, you are ready to look for him/her. You can think of trying to communicate with him her by a simple text message n later asking for a short meeting.
sallie04
January 24th, 2021 12:55am
Try to remember why you broke up in the first place. We often look back fondly at the good moments in our lives and gloss over the negatives. Chances are that if you do this, you will know if you are able to live with whatever it was. If you can and your ex partner wants to try again then you can choose to do this. If however you don't think you could get over whatever split you up, you can think about moving on. Sometimes a little distance can help us to see things differently. Give yourself time. We often feel lonely when a relationship ends. It's natural that you will miss the relationship.
Jenna2499
January 24th, 2021 7:56pm
You should reach out to them, but not right away. You need to give the person space to cool off and process. They are probably very hurt, sad, and angry. Give them at least a few days to think and process, then you may reach out. I suggest calling or Facetiming them because things get lost in translation through texting and Snapchattinyg. There is a chance you hurt them too badly for them to ever forgive you, but there is also a chance that they want you back. Have a mature conversation. Make eye contact, think before you speak, and leave the room if you need to compose yourself. Take deep breaths until you feel calm and level-headed. Ultimately, respect their decision even if it's not the one you wanted them to make. You will heal with time and you can talk to any listener on here.
ArjunAttam
February 8th, 2018 6:37pm
We all do things we regret later. Talk to your ex and if he also wants to patch-up, nothing better than that. But if your ex has already moved on, you should not feel so bad. You are really a great person to understand your mistake and know what you want. You will also find someone who is best for you.
spiritualbalrog
February 13th, 2022 3:52pm
When feeling regret after breaking up with someone, perhaps the first place to start is to explore why there are feelings of regret. When a person has been with someone for a while, having found a balance, they grow comfortable in the relationship. Then something occurs which interrupts the balance. With this interruption, feelings of uncertainty can arise. Uncertainty can often be accompanied by anxiety. in these moments if our awareness drops, we can make decisions which are not well thought out. This same dynamic plays out after a break up. The break up is certainly an interruption which disrupts the balance and comfort which were found in the relationship. Essentially this is a space of growth, and places of growth are usually not comfortable. We are no longer who we were and not yet who we will become. Many times people will make the decision to go back to the ex to try and find the space of comfort again. This is quite often not the best idea. It is easy to forget the reasons we ended the relationship in the first place. When the regret rises, perhaps the first thing to do is pause. This gives time to reflect on possible thoughts of rekindling the relationship. By giving oneself some time, either alone or with a trusted confidant can help to illuminate what is really going on with the feelings of regret. Is it that we are lonely, anxious, unsure of ourselves? If these reasons are at play in the regret then it is probably a good thing to work on those first. Those have more to do with us, than with the ended relationship. As we address those we become emotionally healthier and may not need the relationship. Another factor is grief. A breakup brings many losses. The loss of the relationship, the loss of hopes and dreams which we had about the relationship, and a loss of understanding of ourselves. This grief is very similar to the grief we experience when someone dies. We have to give ourselves time to grieve, and this is hard work. We also have to practice self-compassion and radical kindness with ourselves. This gives us space to work through all of the complicated feelings such as regret, sadness, anger, and loneliness. That which we do not grieve will always come back to haunt us. The grief work also gives us time to become who we are becoming. If we do the grief work, and give ourselves time we may find that we do not really regret the breakup. If after the time, we still find regret, the we can look at the pros and the cons of rekindling the relationship.
Anonymous
August 19th, 2017 5:58am
Talk it out with your ex and see what they think as well. If they want to get back together, see what happens from there.
Moonquake
September 24th, 2017 1:27pm
Well, first you really need to sit down and think about the breakup; I mean, was there a huge dealbreaker that made the breakup inevitable? If you think the relationship has scope for working out, reach out to them and talk things out. Hope for the best
Anonymous
September 2nd, 2017 11:47am
You should talk to them about it, explain to them that you regret what happened, you never know what they might say. They could be feeling the same but if they'd rather move on then surround yourself with friends and family, treat yourself and do things you enjoy to take your mind off the situation. Give yourself time to move on, it won't happen over night.