People are more likely to get back together with a former partner when they feel like their romantic alternatives are not good.
There are times when a breakup can bring clarity about what you want in a partner, and coming back together is a good choice, Tyler Jamison Ph.D said.
However, in most circumstances, once you break up with a partner, your outcomes are better if you move on instead of cycling back to them.
Breaking up and getting back together is related to increased psychological distress, especially when partners create a pattern of breaking up and getting back together over and over again.
The more times you break up and get back together, the less dedicated you are to your partner and the more uncertainty you feel about the relationship’s future.
‘When partners break up and get back together before marriage, it negatively impacts the quality of their marriages (more conflict and uncertainty, less closeness and satisfaction),’ Psychology Today said.
Research participants report that getting back together with their former partners has significant drawbacks (doubt, disappointment, emotional frustration, uncertainty about the status of the relationship, ambivalence, and unbalanced expectations).
However, the same participants also noted some advantages (e.g., improving relationships and increasing partner appreciation).
