Me [18 M] with my ex [18 F] Desperate for help forgetting about her

It's like some twisted obsession where the good sides far outweigh the negatives. I hate her for how she made me feel like an abuser, I hate how I can't forget about her, but I also still love her like no one and nothing else.

I think a big part of moving forward is in forgiveness. You say you hate her for how she made you feel. I'm sure a lot of that resentment is justified. I know I felt/feel the same way about my past too. But you know what? Such feelings don't do you any good in the present and in the future. When a person leaves our life like that, it's almost as if you're still tied to them through some ethereal bond, and there's such bad energy in that bond because of the sadness, the anger, the hate. I believe that learning to accept what happened, and to forgive both the other party AND yourself for the mistakes of your past is the only way to really sever those bonds and be free. Some people like myself find this very difficult. It's also not a one-time thing, it's a process. But we have to learn to abolish hate from our hearts, to be positive, cherish the past for what it was, to learn from it, and move forward with good feelings.

Is there any sort of coping tactic or train of thought I should try, or do you have any other advice, to help me forget about her in a romantic/intimate way?

You were attracted to her physically, I assume she's still an attractive girl to you, so it makes sense that you still might think this way. It's not unnatural. Other than intimately, I think you have to keep stressing to yourself that the relationship wasn't going anywhere, and to remind yourself of the obvious flaws that were there. Remind yourself of the times that you were frustrated beyond belief, and wanted to give up hope - I'm sure they were there. Establish logically how and why it was not a great relationship. You will then understand that yeah, you loved her and you felt good. But hey, if this is how I felt in a non-ideal relationship, then I wonder how fucking awesome a GOOD relationship will be (hint: night and day difference). Then you can view your period now as a period of growth, where you are learning to love yourself again, to grow as an individual, and to prepare yourself for that ideal relationship.

It is thus in viewing this interim time as a time for YOU, that you can begin to focus on yourself and less on her. Do the things you love, spend time with the people who bring you up, pick up a new hobby and develop your skills. Kill it in school (high school/college), volunteer in an organization you believe in, do well at work, progress in life. In this time you will meet new people who will appreciate you for who you are, and you will find yourself focusing less and less on her. Finally, any behaviour of yours that you don't think is ideal: identify it and work on it. This is the time.

Just know that it's very difficult to completely block a thought out of your mind. You will occasionally feel those thoughts come to you. Just know this: your negative thoughts are like vultures flying over a field - they will always be flying about looking to pick at you. The trick is to not let them build a nest. Understand that what happened happened. There is no good or bad in this situation, it just is what it is. Your happiness and well being lies solely on how you think of your situation. So when you feel the bad thoughts coming, put a smile on. Put on a song you love and brings about good feelings. Do something you love, and remember that you are in charge of your feelings.

Stay strong OP, you've got this.

/r/relationships Thread