Six rules for being friends with an ex

Perhaps the most interesting collection of findings comes from a in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. If you're concerned that your ex won't like your new beau, then it sounds like you're not ready to reconnect as friends. Overall, the benefits of remaining friends with your ex should constantly outweigh the negatives.

One of the most perplexing realities is what often comes with. It was all good and lovely when i met joelly, she was a good business woman until things become rough for her and her business empire started liquidating. He's turning 45 and discovering that he's not happy with the man he's become.

Six rules for being friends with an ex - You felt this incredible sense of connection, fell in love, maybe moved in together or got married, but for whatever reason your failed to go the distance.

You felt this incredible sense of connection, fell in love, maybe moved in together or got married, but for whatever reason your failed to go the distance. But when a romantic relationship is over, is it possible to remain friends? According to John Aiken, a Sydney-based clinical psychologist and expert, it is, with a lot of maturity and hard work, but there are differing levels of friendship. Take time out If you've recently broken up, you need space to adjust to being single, and time to create a new life before shifting back into being friends. There is a process that needs to be worked through before you can start looking at a friendship. Remaining friends may ease the guilt, but if your ex still has feelings for you they may think you want to rekindle the relationship. Can you stay friends? If it's an amicable separation it's easier to stay friends. However, if it was an ugly break-up that has involved an affair or a betrayal, it is going to be hard to develop or re-establish the friendship. According to Aiken, understanding what you want out of the friendship is important. Are you looking to get back together? Do you feel you still need their emotional support? If you think being friends with the source of your pain will help you through an emotional crisis, you're mistaken. Once you've had an opportunity to heal, it may be possible to be friends, but not before. You could be resisting letting go because you don't want to admit failure, or you're holding on to a glimmer of hope, according to body+soul sex and relationships expert Dr Gabrielle Morrissey. Be aware of signs you're not moving forward, such as having photos of your ex on display, not dating other people and spending too much time with them. You need to be looking forward not backwards to truly heal. Calling each other by pet names, signing off with kisses and using each other for emotional support has to stop. You cannot be each other's confidants as it sends you both back into an intimacy zone, which makes it harder to move on with someone else. Be aware of the amount of contact you have and consciously look for another support person to share your feelings and problems with.

Thank Dr Alexzander for everything you did in my marriage. So how do you stay friends with your ex. If you or your ex discover latent feelings for each other, this is a good sign that it may be too north to start a friendship. It isn't all about NOT doing things—maintaining a friendship with an ex is just like maintaining any other friendship. It means the relationship itself was a supremely mature one, built on mutual respect and closeness. Studies even suggest cyberstalking could lead to actual in-person north.