No matter who you are or what the situation is, heartbreak is one of the worst feelings ever. Regardless if it has to do with a lover, a friend, or the death of a relative, we all experience it. Like many people in this world, heartbreak has affected me in so many different ways and my coping mechanisms have varied. You can either confront it in a positive or negative outlook but no matter which way, it is difficult.

The first time I dealt with heartbreak, I had no idea how to cope. I was confused, shocked, upset, and disappointed. I thought to myself, 'why did this have to happen to me?

I did absolutely nothing wrong,'. You see, the first step in dealing with heartbreak is understanding that you are not alone. At one point in everyone's life, they experience heartache. It is absolutely inevitable. Heartbreak can feel extremely isolating but one thing is for sure, you are definitely not the only person experiencing it.

To quote the musical artist Jewel, "Hearts are broken every day,". Recognizing that you are not alone in your struggle will help along with the process of healing.

Healing is the most difficult part of heartbreak, especially when someone is in college. I stress that it is very important to find a healthy activity that you are passionate about in order to distract yourself. When they say out of sight, out of mind, they mean it. When you occupy yourself with calming activities, you will feel better.

My healthy activities include running, finishing school work, and spending time with friends. Whenever I put myself in situations where I am doing these things, I find that I am not thinking about the heartache I am experiencing.

Another major factor when it comes to healing is acknowledging the feelings you have and dealing with them. Sometimes when bad things happen to people, they go to things in order to relieve their pain. Some people eat, others do drugs, party, or engage in very risky behaviors.

As our society has become more materialistic, it has become apparent to me that people need to find unhealthy things in order to deal with their pain. I used to do unhealthy things when I was heartbroken. But as I have matured, I have learned that the only way to deal with pain is to experience it fully.

Sometimes you just need to sit in the shower, blast some depressing music of your choice, and cry. Yes, distractions can help temporarily, however, nothing is going to help more than just crying it out and dealing with it head-on. No food, drug, or risky activity will make you feel better. The only thing that heals heartbreak is time. You cannot rush the healing process.

Every situation of heartbreak is different. I wish I could help everyone with their struggles because I understand first hand what it is like. The one major thing I wish for people to pick up from this article is that you cannot rush healing and that no pain is permanent. You must hold your head high and be resilient. Bad things happen, but they are there to make you stronger.