Rebound relationship stages. The mere mention of a rebound relationship can make people cringe. It has had a negative connotation because of the circumstances that surround a rebound relationship. However, going through the different rebound relationship stages is something that more people have experienced than they admit. It’s when you find a new rebound partner to replace your previous relationship.
No matter how your past relationship ended, there are different stages of a rebound that one must go through. Even though the actual timeline and the circumstances of the rebound stages might differ from one relationship to another, there are similarities with each of these stages.
It’s important to know and understand the typical stages of a rebound. This will help you gain a better understanding of how to deal with your emotions, especially if you are still conflicted if you should stay with your current relationship or go back to your previous partner.
What are rebound relationship stages?
If you just came off a long term relationship, getting over your old partner is never easy. Long term relationships mean that you have spent more time together and might have even reached the point where you have planned your future together.
However, somewhere along the way things have changed and your relationship wasn’t like what it used to be. There might have been a betrayal from one of the parties or someone had a change of heart. Regardless of the reason why your past relationship didn’t work out, your feelings are hurt and you could be in denial that it is over.
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The feeling of being on their own can be alien to some people, especially those that were in a long term relationship. You seek the feeling of caring for someone or having someone care for you. You desperately look for a new romantic relationship to fill that void or to aid in the process of self healing.
It’s important to look at the different rebound stages to break down the different elements that make up this relationship. It also gives people who are desperately seeking a new person to be with a chance to reflect on why this type of relationship quickly comes to an end.
The Five Stages of Rebound Relationships
There are five stages of a rebound. Each of these stages will map out the rebound relationship timeline so you can see how it develops – and inevitably ends.
Stage 1: Honeymoon stage
So, you’ve found a rebound partner? The honeymoon stage is when you feel the excitement of dating someone new. This new partner makes you feel good and they seem to complete your life after you’ve been heartbroken. This is a fun stage because this is when you spend time to get to know this person, however it rarely goes deeper beyond physical attraction. It is rare that you establish a deep emotional bond.
This rebound relationship stage typically happens fast and then fades just as quickly. You can liken it to the infatuation period that happens fast and quickly fades. Since you just started dating, you don’t think much about the future and the relationship becomes stagnant. The relationship becomes stagnant and does not develop the same way as a real relationship does.
It does not dawn on you yet but you are blinded to the possible flaws of the person. You are still trying to get over your breakup. The negative effect of this stage of a rebound is that you develop co-dependency. It becomes a negative space because you are not focused on self healing and don’t give yourself time to cope with your emotional baggage.
Step 2: Comparison Stage
If you are in a rebound relationship, you can expect that there is no real emotional attachment involved (at least from your end). It’s also typical that you choose a rebound partner that is also a low hanging fruit. Your standards are low and all you care about in that moment is to find someone who will be willing to spend time with you (or make your ex jealous).
So the obvious next phase when the honeymoon stage is over, and when the physical attraction is gone, is that you enter the comparison stage. Your relationship with the rebound partner changes in an instant because they no longer fill the hole in your life, unlike you expect it to. Again, the reason for this is because there was nothing deep that connected you in the first place. You are once again consumed with feelings of emptiness and you have little interest for your rebound.
You start comparing your new partner with your former relationship. This is because the red flags begin to enter your frame of mind – you start noticing your new partner’s flaws. Rather than seeing this new feeling that they have as an opportunity to work out their emotions, the person who went into a rebound looks at it as that the new person isn’t good enough for them (or not as great as they initially perceived).
They will start comparing the rebound partner to their old lover, citing that the former could not measure up to the standards of the latter. It brews conflicts between the two, which can be difficult to manage because the rebound relationship isn’t built on something stable. You will start to look for qualities and characteristics of your ex and end up in disappointment as your new lover possesses none of them. It might even seem like this new person is a step-down from your previous relationship.
Stage 3: Conflicts stage
The conflicts stage is the next phase in your rebound relationship timeline. As the honeymoon phase draws to a conclusion and the comparisons begin, this is when true problems arise. In fact, the comparison stage opens the door to conflicts.
No person in their right mind appreciates it when they are being compared to another person, more so an ex of their current lover. The people who enter into rebound relationships are those that have mental health problems or emotional baggage of their own. Rather than addressing what went wrong in their past long term relationship, they look outside of themselves so they have someone else to blame. In this case, they make it seem as though the rebound partner and their shortcomings are the reason why a rebound relationship ends.
It would be unfair to dump all the blame on the rebound because they didn’t ask for the relationship in the first place. This is why the rebound relationship timeline is relatively slim as the person you’re involved with is lacking in relationship skills.
Stage 4: Disillusionment Stage
The conflicts stage leads to the next phase towards the end of the rebound relationship time frame: the disillusionment stage.
This is one of the most painful rebound relationship stages because you are confronted with the reality that the relationship was a sham. Although it isn’t the fault of your new partner, you lose the feelings of physical attraction or desire for that person. You discover many realizations such as that you are not over your previous relationship yet or you still have hope that you will eventually get back together. Therefore, the rebound is just a way to pass the time until your wounds can heal or just to distract you from the pain.
At this point, your new partner realizes that they are in a rebound relationship. Rebound relationships feel devastating for them because they realize they were used by you and there was no commitment.
Stage 5: Stay or go? Decision stage
The disillusionment phase is an important step towards gaining clarity as to which direction you want to go. It is important that in the final stage you openly discuss the future of your relationship with your rebound partner.
Should you stay or should you go? These are your only two options available. It’s important to make that distinction because even when you have reached the end of the rebound relationship time frame, your decision will impact how you will move forward.
There is a risk that the rebound cycle continues after this. Therefore, you should be honest with yourself about what you really want. If you want to move on with your life, you need to work on self healing and coping with your emotions from the old relationship before you start looking for a new one. If you do the latter, then you will continue the cycle of unhealthy relationship.
On the other hand, if you want to completely get over your ex, you must focus on doing things that allow you to move to the next phase. For example, you should go out with you friends more or engage in a new hobby (or do something that you haven’t been able to do since you got into your former relationship). Being with other’s company is important so that you don’t dwell on your ex and you can restore your mental health, too.
Once you decide to end the rebound relationship timeline, don’t go looking for a new rebound relationship. Take your time with these relationship stages so you can work through your emotions and thoughts.
You don’t others to walk around carrying your baggage for you. Use this time alone to reflect on what went wrong with your past relationship so you don’t commit the same mistakes if you enter into a new one.
Insight to Rebound Relationship Psychology
There are people who are always in need of a relationship. For this reason, many deal with a breakup by finding someone else to be with. It is part of human nature to seek a partner but the concept of a rebound makes it so that the relationship will ultimately fail.
There are several explanations why someone would rush to find another person to be with when their romantic relationships end. According to experts, these people are afraid to be alone. They experience a sense of validation through relationships. As a result, they feel incomplete on their own. The attention that they get from their partner makes them feel valued and appreciated.
It could also be that they are not over their ex-lover and being with someone new would make them jealous enough to realize they want you back. These people have difficulty dealing with their feelings of heartbreak and they started dating another person to show their previous partner that others find them attractive or desirable as a partner.
It could also boil down to a lack of self esteem. Experts in rebound relationship psychology believe that they only realize their self-worth when they have another person to make them see that. The sad thing is that your new partner will be subjected to emotional damage as a result of your actions. The rebound relationship time frame is small because you are not “present” in the relationship; it is only used as a tool to get over someone.
Your new partner, or the rebound, is in for a nasty surprise if they are unaware of the former relationship and the purpose of getting together with them.
Conclusion
If you are using rebound relationships as a way to truly move on from your previous partner, it is totally fine. Every person has their own way of coping with their feelings and getting over past relationships.
Think of it as an opportunity to start your life anew on a clean slate. Meeting someone new and being in new relationships can do you a lot of good if you are truly ready to move on and put your old relationships behind, along with your emotional baggage.
It is not okay to be in a relationship with a new person if you are aware that it will eventually fail, or that you still want to get back together with your ex. You must be upfront with the rebound partner at the start about your intent so they develop an emotional attachment and end up getting hurt when the rebound relationship stage is over.
Truly understanding Rebound Relationship Stages could mean the difference between great happiness and misery down the line. Find a psychic medium near you today, whether you’re in New York City, Chicago, Utah, Seattle in the US, or somewhere completely different, you can get the expert guidance you deserve. Don’t forget you can also get a psychic email reading at low cost, or try the best online psychic reading sites such as Kasamba, Oranum, PsychicOz, Bitwine, Everclear Psychic and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you know you’re rebounding?
You know you are rebounding when you don’t really like the person but are only using him to distract from the pain, or trying to hurt your ex. In some cases, the interest in the new partner is primarily sexual or physical with no deeper emotional connection. The new relationship is only used as a tool to get over the breakup.
How long does a rebound phase last?
There is no definite timeline as to how long rebound relationships last. It varies based on the parties involved. However, the likelihood of a rebound relationship lasting is very slim since a person engages with a new partner only to hurt or make their exes jealous. It can last from one month to a year.
How soon is too soon to date after a breakup?
It depends on how long the relationship was before the breakup. Some people are able to go on a new date after six months while others wait for years to get over a breakup. The longer the previous relationship, the more time it takes for one to get over that breakup.
What usually happens in a rebound relationship?
A rebound relationship involves an individual who recently had a breakup. S/he gets involved with someone new even though are not fully healed emotionally. They “rebound” shortly after a breakup.
How long until a rebound relationship fails?
Experts agree that many rebound relationships are bound to fail within three months. It commonly takes place once the infatuation period is over and the deep compatibility issues rise to the surface.
What is the success rate of rebound relationships?
There is no definitive statistics and research on rebound relationships. However, according to Marriage.com, the possibility of a rebound relationship failing after three months if 90%. That gives only a 10% success rate for this type of relationship.
Will my ex come back after a rebound?
It depends, especially on the reason for your breakup. Some will come back if they realize that they still want to be with you. However, this has mostly nothing to do with whether you have a rebound or not.
Can you fall in love with a rebound?
It is possible, but it depends on your unique circumstances and your relationship with the person. There are some who are able to develop a deep relationship after.
Do rebound relationships move fast?
Yes. This is a common characteristic of rebound relationships – everything happens at a rapid pace. This also explains why the infatuation quickly dies down and the relationship fails even after a short period of time.
What happens after a rebound relationship ends?
When a rebound relationship fails, it is either because the person wants to pursue their ex again. In most cases, they just move on with their life and find ways to fill the hole that was left behind by their ex.
How do you end a rebound?
You have to be honest with yourself. If you are not happy with your rebound and you don’t think they are good for you, it is best to end it as soon as possible with them. That way, you don’t end up hurting the other person, too.
Do rebounds delay healing?
Rebound relationships do not cause major harm, but they can delay your healing and recovery process. Instead of dealing with the emotions of your breakup, you seek distraction and it prevents you from gaining insight into the real reason why your previous relationship has come to an end., which makes it more likely to commit the same mitakes in future relationships.
