Breakups are hard, and our hearts and minds often look for a way to forget about the pain of this breakup. Unfortunately, a rebound relationship is one of the most common things that happen after a breakup.
This is a relationship that occurs very quickly after the ending of another relationship. These relationships can feel very intense and like you’ve finally found love.
Why does a relationship that happens so quickly feel this way? The truth is the reason that rebound relationships feel like love most of the time is very self-oriented. It can be very intoxicating when you start to feel appreciated and worthy again.
Also, most of the time, the individual that has just come out of the breakup hasn’t had time to process any emotions, so they still have those love emotions present in their mind, and this, in turn, can create a euphoric and intoxicating feeling.
But there’s so much more to rebound relationships and the feelings that go with them. So we wanted to take a deeper look to give you every bit of information so that you can understand why that feels like love.
What Does It Feel Like to Be in a Rebound Relationship?
Maybe the first thing we have to look at is how a rebound relationship feels. So often these relationships feel like they are moving very quickly and that each of the individuals in the relationship is too easily committing to future plans.
This is primarily due to the remaining emotional attachments to the past relationship from the individual rebounding. That being said, there are a couple of things that come along in most rebound relationships:
- You may find it hard to reach the other individual on an emotional level.
- There may be a lot of stagnancy in the relationship.
- Committing to plans could be challenging.
Can Rebound Relationships Feel Like Love?
The emotions are still very raw from the previous relationship, so plenty of individuals jump into rebound relationships and feel like they are falling in love. This is quite common and, in fact, probably something that happens in every rebound relationship.
Understanding why you may have these feelings can help determine whether this is real love or a rebound. This is why we thought we would take a look at the root causes of why you may feel like this is love. Here are some of those:
- You recently lost someone you thought was the center of your world. This may leave you feeling lost and alone, and having someone to fill that spot can rekindle those emotions.
- Affection and attention can be very intoxicating. It offers you a sense of self-worth and validation in your life. So having someone new give you that can give you a euphoric feeling.
- No matter what type of relationship, there is always a bunch of very powerful energy right at the beginning. Many people call this the infatuation or the honeymoon phase.
So even though this may be a rebound relationship, that energy is still present, and it can sweep you up, giving you that warm fuzzy feeling that most people tie to love.
How Long Does Infatuation Last in a Rebound Relationship?
In the previous section, we mentioned something called the honeymoon phase. This is often looked at as infatuation. Most of the time, these feelings happen almost instantaneously, but they could also happen after a little bit of time with the new individual.
So how long does this phase actually last? It can last anywhere from a couple of months to a year. This is the time when you can’t spend enough time with this individual. This may almost feel like an obsession.
All relationships, whether they’re rebound or real, tend to have this phase wrapped up in them. With a rebound relationship, though, when this phase is over, the relationship itself tends to take a downward spiral.
This is because what was involved in that phase tends to be residual affections from the previous relationship.
How to Tell If You’re Falling in Love or Rebounding?
Just because it’s a rebound relationship, does that mean that it can’t end in love? Unfortunately, the answer is no, and there are never any definite ones when it comes to love.
So how do you know if you’re falling in love or simply in a rebound relationship? Below we’re going to go over some signs so that you can figure out what is going on with your love life:
Signs of a Rebound:
- You may not actually like the individual as a person.
- The relationship is solely about sexual attraction.
- There are hot and cold reactions to spending time with them.
Signs of Love:
- You feel a strong connection and share the same values.
- You are afraid of getting to know them, but your desire is too strong not to.
- Unlike before, you feel safe in being open and honest about everything.
Are People Happy in Rebound Relationships?
Happiness is a very individualistic concept. So asking whether someone can be happy depends on the person and the relationship itself.
Though most people think that there’s no way possible rebound relationships can last or be successful, fewer than one many have found themselves becoming something for the long haul.
The feelings may be super intense, but if you genuinely like the person and like spending time with them, you are bound to be happy.
Of course, all of this depends on you and the other individual and the effort you put forth in the relationship. Rebound relationships can very easily turn into honest and true love connections.
Final Thoughts on Why Do Rebound Relationships Feel Like Love
Rebound relationships can feel like love because there are leftover emotions from the previous relationship. Also, much like any other relationship, you always have a heightened energy at the beginning of it.
But just because these relationships don’t always last doesn’t mean they aren’t integral to the healing process and the moving on process. So we hope that by looking at this, we’ve kind of helped you understand what rebound relationships are and what they can be.