Men feel ‘more emotional pain’ following a break-up than women, study says

In many pop culture references, we’re often used to hearing women experiencing grief at the demise of their relationships.

But what happens when men feel the emotional pain much more deeply than we thought?

According to a recent study, that might be a reality.

In a study from the University Of Lancaster, psychologists decided to analyse over 184,000 anonymous people who post on forums about their relationship troubles.

They sought to know which genders experience ‘the most’ sorrow after a break-up, as well as the primary reasons for relationship issues.

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“Most of what we know about relationship problems comes from studies of people in couples therapy, which includes a rather specific subset of people — people who have the time, money, and motive to work on their relationship problems,” said Charlotte Entwistle, the study’s lead author.

Once the results were mapped, the number one problem mentioned was communication.

Nearly one in five people expressed difficulty in discussing problems with their significant others. One in eight people referenced “trust issues.”

The psychologists found that men talked more about the feelings of heartbreak than women.

Women apparently liked to discuss why their relationship came to an end.

“Traditionally, women are more likely to identify relationship problems, consider therapy, and seek therapy than are men,” said Dr. Ryan Boyd, a psychologist for the study.

Boyd also said the “traditional social stigmas against men” for not asking for help or discussing their feelings could be false.

“They seem just as invested in working through rough patches in their relationships as women.”

The researchers further stated that the study took an “accurate picture of relationship problems” people face, which is vital to further understanding “social and psychological issues.”

Check out the complete study here.