Self-worth after breakup is the evaluation a person makes of themselves after a romantic breakup. Many people experience a significant drop, especially when the breakup was unexpected or initiated by the other party. Recovery varies according to attachment style, internal resources, and social support.
Concept origin
Baumeister RF, Wotman SR. (1992). Breaking hearts: The two sides of unrequited love. Guilford Press. · Sbarra DA, Coan JA. (2014).分手后你经历了什么?分手后的自我评估. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106(2), 233-249.
How it manifests
- ▸ Thoughts of "I am not enough"
- ▸ Hypervigilance to own defects
- ▸ Difficulty recognizing oneself as valuable outside the relationship
Therapeutic approach
CBT works on restructuring core beliefs about one's own value. Self-compassion (Neff) offers an alternative to the self-criticism that usually intensifies post-breakup. Narrative therapy helps separate the identity of "being partner of" from the broader self.
Related concepts
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