Do Men or Women Cope Best with Relationship Break-ups?

When relationships break-up who is it that breaks-down? You may imagine that its women who cope badly with relationships that fail, after-all it is usually women you see in movies crying their eyes out and incessantly talking about their ex, however this is not so. It is not that women or men feel more than each other do when they break-up; it is that women cope better by being demonstrative. There are several other reasons why women handle break-ups better than men too.

Support

Women tend to have a group of girlfriends readily available to provide them with support after a break-up. Within their group they can rant and rave about their ex, or find a shoulder to cry on. In any case, they get plenty of sympathy, understanding and support.

Men on the other hand do not always have a group of friends they can turn to for support in this way. They probably have friends, but they are less likely to open-up to them and let their troubles tumble out.

Grin and bear it

Studies show that men would often rather pretend they are unaffected by a break-up than reveal their pain. This results in pent-up emotions and repression, an unhealthy response to disengaging from a relationship. They may go out and get drunk while trying to disengage from their emotions, and end-up with a hangover to add to their troubles.

Change

According to Dave Zinczenko from Men’s Health, men dislike change. Having to start all over again and build another relationship is tough. Researchers have found that women often anticipate a break-up, but men do not always see reality when a break-up is on the cards as clearly. This means they can be taken by surprise and are not prepared as well as women are.

When a relationship breakdown comes as a shock it can be harder to comprehend and deal with than when someone knows it is likely to occur. Women tend to think ahead, and may even start discussing their problems and getting advice and support before the relationship comes to a halt. By then they have already gone part way through the process of dealing with their emotions.

Individuals, whether male or female, cope better or worse with relationship break-ups than others. However, it is clear that women seem to have more support available as they communicate more about their feelings, and so are less likely to have to deal with negative emotions alone than most men.