Every relationship is different and so is every breakup. But Reddit user BouvaKitten has had a particularly memorable one.
In a candid post on r/pettyrevenge, the woman recalled the time when her former fiancé ended things in an unnecessarily rude and hurtful fashion.
So she decided to get back at him and hit the jerk where it would harm him the most—his clothing collection. Going back to the apartment to get her things, the woman secretly brought a razor and sliced whatever she could find in his wardrobe.
This woman was so hurt by the way her fiancé broke up with her that she decided to take revenge on him
Image credits: Vlada Karpovich (not the actual photo)
And went through his wardrobe with a razor right before moving out
Image credits: Mahrael Boutros (not the actual photo)
Image source: BouvaKitten
Image credits: Lisa Fotios (not the actual photo)
It's easy for us outsiders to say how one should and shouldn't react to a breakup. But as many know, when you're going through one, it's hell. "Your brain is likely to prioritize thinking about your ex-partner in the same way as it signals you to pay attention to physical pain," psychologist Melanie Greenberg, PhD, explains.
In fact, there's a study by cognitive neuroscientists at Columbia University who used fMRI scans to look at brain activity in unmarried people after they'd experienced an unwanted breakup in the previous six months.
Participants looked at pictures of their ex-partners while thinking about their shared experiences. The researchers then compared the scans to when participants looked at pictures of a friend, and when they were exposed to pain via a hot probe on the arm. The scientists discovered that the same parts of the brain lit up when individuals looked at the ex-partner pictures or experienced physical pain, but not when they looked at the friend pictures.
To get over a breakup, Greenberg suggests:
- Try not to look at pictures of your ex-partner, the gifts they gave you, or other sentimental reminders—and try to avoid the places you used to hang out together. All are likely to create dopamine-related cravings and feelings of withdrawal.
- Interrupt cycles of obsessive thinking and rumination. You may want to imagine a big red STOP sign when you start doing it, but don’t sit around moping about your ex. Find distracting activities—like organizing your closet, coloring in a stress-relieving coloring book, or calling a friend.
- Start a new exercise routine. Go running, hike, hit the gym, take a yoga class, or join a team. Exercise will make you feel better about yourself, keep you engaged, and may even bring new people and activities into your life. It can also help you feel more energetic and help combat depression. Exercise also leads to the release of brain chemicals like endogenous opioids that can create feelings of contentment. It may even get your dopamine flowing.
Think about all the bad parts of the past relationship. We tend to idealize lost relationships, but you can compensate for this by deliberately thinking about when he or she acted like a jerk or was oblivious to your needs.
But our emotions are very adept at getting the best of us. According to a survey of 2,000 Americans from all across the country, people give themselves an average of about four days to wallow in sadness immediately after a relationship ends.
For a serious relationship, the healing that comes after typically takes just over six months.
Women are twice more likely than men to have lonely sobbing sessions, and two girls/guys nights out with friends are normal in the process of getting over an ex. And while the majority—65 percent—claim they never contact former exes, considering how ugly this particular breakup was, can we really blame the woman for going to town with her razor?
People who read the story have had a lot of strong reactions it
