Many people believe that the experiences one has during their lifetime is what allows them to evolve as a person. It gives them insight into themselves, which brings about the opportunity for growth and change. Although these experiences are important to go through, they are usually not pleasant and can instead be quite upsetting, especially when it comes to the people we are close to. 

Heartbreak can reveal itself in many different ways, from a breakup to a fall out with a friend, it can appear with little to no warning. Due to its sudden and intense nature, it can be difficult to properly understand and cope with these events. Especially for high schoolers who may not have all of the neccessary tools and skills needed to deal with these problems in a healthy and constructive way.

Something that had deeply affected senior Lex Hill was becoming estranged from a former close friend. This event had deeply affected how they looked at the world.

“My best friend of 6 years abandoned me without warning. We were very very close and hung out almost every weekend,” Hill said. “I was going through a really rough time in my life and I hoped she would support me but instead she distanced herself from me untill one day she just stopped talking to me at school and texting me.”

Junior Alex Buerk was also deeply hurt by the actions of one of his friends. He details how his unhealthy way of coping stopped him from being able to get emotional closure.

“Initially, I just slept all the feelings off, and eventually forgot about it for the most part, so I never fully processed all of those emotions.” Buerk said. “I do think I have mostly moved past it, but I do think back every once in a while and am still pretty hurt that she did what she did.”

Junior Macy Sand, who broke up with a person who she now considers a close friend, shows how one can move on from these experiences, even though it may be painful.

“It affected me pretty badly mentally, obviously I was hurt and I was struggling a lot,” Sand said. “But I’m doing really good now and I’m not really hurt by it anymore. I’m definitely on good terms with the person involved, he’s one of my best friends now.”

Sand elaborates and shares how she personally had coped with her own heartache, one of the many methods suggested to cope in a healthy way.  

“I would read a lot, I also coped by writing poetry about my feelings,” Sand said. “I love writing, and writing poetry is an easy way to get all my feelings out and I was able to get some weights off of my shoulders.”

Buerk explains how important it is to properly talk to people to keep such events from occurring. 

“Communication is one of the most important things in any relationship, romantic or not, so if there is ever a rough patch, the first thing to do is calmly have a conversation and communicate about the issue.” Buerk said. “When I felt hurt by [my friend], my immediate reaction was to say something, and then almost completely ghost her. I hadn’t properly communicated anything, and that was probably my biggest issue.”

Sand provides some advice for those struggling, having already gone through something similar. 

“Feel your feelings and your emotions, if you’re going through heartbreak, feel those emotions. It’s okay to be in pain, ignoring and distracting yourself from those emotions and feelings is never okay and it’s super unhealthy.” Sand said. “I ignored those feelings and it just made me feel worse and it took longer for me to get over it.” 

Hill empathizes with those who have been through a heartbreaking experience but encourages them to keep moving forward with their lives.  

“It hurts a lot but it will get better. Don’t let it consume your life, try to move on.” Hill said.