Everyone assumes that women take breakups a lot harder than men do.
Images of women breaking out the tissue box and pigging out on ice cream come to mind. Meanwhile, we picture men going about their regular business, going out for drinks with the guys or puttering on the golf course.
Research, however, tells a whole different story.
Findings reveal that men are more adversely affected by breakups than women are. In fact, following breakups, men are more likely to suffer from negative health outcomes, including smoking and drinking problems.
Why is this so?
Women, as it turns out, generally have a much wider social network on which to lean on following a breakup, thus putting them in a better position to reach out to others for support.
What's more, the stereotype about men being more prone to keeping their feelings bottled up generslly holds true.
It's harder for men to cope because in situations that call for emotional support from other people, they normally look to their wives. While women are predisposed to open up to their friends, family members, and kids, men have the tendency to keep their cards close to their chests.
So, when there's no wife or girlfriend to turn to, feelings ranging from sadness and regret to anger and utter frustration soon fester in these men.
Obviously, we know there are always exceptions. Women can also be left devastated following a breakup, and there are likely men out there who throw parties after it's been said and done. A lot depends on how much each person values the relationship -- and each other.
But the numbers don't lie. As counterintuitive as it may seem, men are generally the ones hurt most when a relationship bites the dust. So the next time you see a guy who's relationship just ended, don't be so quick to assume he's happy with the end result.
What are your experiences as far as breakups?
Images of women breaking out the tissue box and pigging out on ice cream come to mind. Meanwhile, we picture men going about their regular business, going out for drinks with the guys or puttering on the golf course.
Research, however, tells a whole different story.
Findings reveal that men are more adversely affected by breakups than women are. In fact, following breakups, men are more likely to suffer from negative health outcomes, including smoking and drinking problems.
Why is this so?
Women, as it turns out, generally have a much wider social network on which to lean on following a breakup, thus putting them in a better position to reach out to others for support.
What's more, the stereotype about men being more prone to keeping their feelings bottled up generslly holds true.
It's harder for men to cope because in situations that call for emotional support from other people, they normally look to their wives. While women are predisposed to open up to their friends, family members, and kids, men have the tendency to keep their cards close to their chests.
So, when there's no wife or girlfriend to turn to, feelings ranging from sadness and regret to anger and utter frustration soon fester in these men.
Obviously, we know there are always exceptions. Women can also be left devastated following a breakup, and there are likely men out there who throw parties after it's been said and done. A lot depends on how much each person values the relationship -- and each other.
But the numbers don't lie. As counterintuitive as it may seem, men are generally the ones hurt most when a relationship bites the dust. So the next time you see a guy who's relationship just ended, don't be so quick to assume he's happy with the end result.
What are your experiences as far as breakups?
Comments