Returning to the ex is unhealthy, say scientists

So grit your teeth – and go ahead, in search of new adventures. But first find out why.

After the end of the relationship, any of us will slip a little thought about how to get everything back to normal. And it does not matter who in the pair was a goat, and who was a hysterical. On long (and lonely) evenings, all the insurmountable differences in character begin to seem not so significant, and homemade burgers and joint viewing of TV series, on the contrary, gain more and more merit. And now the hand itself reaches for the smartphone … Scientists rush to warn you against this act, arguing that returning to the former is, at a minimum, harmful to your mental health.

A University of Missouri study reports: “People who renew their relationships with their ex are more likely to suffer from stress, mental disorders and depression.” The experiment involved 545 people in the relationship of both sexes. Scientists measured their level of stress and irritability. And approximately every third parted, and then again converged with the current partner.

It turned out that among this group of people is the highest level of anxiety. One of the study’s co-authors explained it this way. In such an unstable relationship, participants are constantly under stress, which negatively affects their overall mental state and makes them more vulnerable to mental disorders. Of course, when you do not know what awaits you in the evening at home – a romantic dinner or a suitcase near the entrance door – it’s hard not to start worrying.

So I recommend to think carefully: will the relationship change if you start all over again, or will it lead to the same ending? If the intention to try again outweighs yet, then it is better to start reconciliation with a detailed discussion of what and how you need to change. And then take off your clothes.