Tuesday, June 1, 2010

How Do You Mend a Gay Broken Heart



Damn, Damn, Damn it, I did it again! Check me into Heartbreak Hotel. Another failed love, another risk, gain, then horribly tragic loss. When will I learn? Learn what though? To not love at all? I can't stop loving but I can be wiser in how I love the next time and how I maintain that love. Forgive the autobiographical rant but I am in desperate need of blog-therapy and have discovered that there are absolutely no books out there on how to heal a gay broken heart (I Google'd and Amazon'ed) and there is no pill to take away the pain of the knife wedged in my heart. All I do have is time to process what caused the collapse and in the words of a friend, "take it not day by day but hour by hour".

This love lost was the grandest, most beautiful and real love I ever had in my life, challenging me to the best version of me possible. It renewed my faith that a true and mutual love is possible in the Gay world of today with real morals and real fidelity. It even got me believing in the "M word" (marriage) for the first time. He was my rock, my confidant, my protector, my burning love, my privilege to have and to hold every night.

A guru once said the most difficult people in your life teach you the biggest lessons. In love, one can find the biggest teacher and the highest lessons we can learn in this life. If you can hack it. There are never any guarantees or insurance policies to protect you from a broken heart, no matter whom you choose to love.

I have friends that for over 15 years have been single and its not for lack of being virile, valuable or attractive. They'd rather not risk the pain (at least that's my theory). They are content in their safe, self-reliant bubbles, with no one to let you down except yourself. It takes a huge amount of trust to put your heart in the care of another. Yet, I still believe it is worth the ride and to at least have gathered some beautiful memories that to have none at all. To be content in knowing true love at all. Some never have that luxury in their entire lifetimes. Some are lucky if they can get fresh water for the day or keep their bodies nourished and under shelter. Love is indeed the most expensive, highest and rarest luxury on our blue bubble we call home.

The beautiful spell I was under for almost 2 years has been broken and turned into a beautiful lie overnight. Where's my brokeback cowboy that doesn't know how to quit me? Where is the loyalty that lasts a lifetime? I ran into an elderly couple that have been married for 60 years and they revealed the secret to their marriage was rather simple, back then people would work 13-14 hours a day and by the time the husband came home he'd be too tired to gripe or argue. Ah, ain't love grand?

Am I an outdated dinosaur? Is this kind of love a thing of the past in our throwaway and unsustainable society? Or is it something people will strive towards in our next evolutionary step? Food, energy, transportation, love that lasts; less disposability. An Obama-style overhaul is needed because if that oil spill gushing right now into the Gulf of Mexico has taught us anything is that our old ways are "messy and wasteful" to say the least. Maybe love will be more everlasting as we tire of the newer and newer versions of any given product and learn to stick with what we got and simply improve on how we use it. I may not be an Iphone but I can release improved versions of me as quickly as Apple does.

Here are some self-help steps towards healing a broken heart:

STEP 1- THE MIGHTY CRASH

Whether you catch your loved one cheating or they move out on a moment's notice to be in the arms of their new cheap replacement, is insignificant. What is important is to not do anything you will regret later or get arrested for, no matter how badly they deserve it. Like the gay man in South Beach who found his lover in bed with another and shot his lover then himself in the head, it just isn't worth going to jail for them. The sharp pain of the "crash" must be dealt with immediately and in the healthiest way possible which means to get yourself as far away from the one that hurt you as possible and stay away as best you can. Go to your mother's, your best friend's couch, wherever. Plan your strategy on how to deal with this new challenge life has brought you. The lessons from it won't come until about a month or more after the initial crash. After the first week, you instinctively lean on your tried and true loved ones and friends. Daily doses of Xanax or Prozac isn't a bad idea right about now. Let it all out, cry and cry as much as you can. Stay in bed until you can't any longer. Like singer Robyn wails, it will hurt with every heartbeat. After about the 7th day of holding back tears and punching your shower wall you will begin to desperately yearn to move on and stop looking back. It's now time to go to the next step towards recovery.

STEP #2 COPING WITH THE PAIN

Talk to your friends until you don't want to talk about it anymore. You'll be surprised how many people will open up and share their heartbreaks that are so horrible it'll make your's feel like a cake walk. Work past the emotional phase of blaming yourself. It isn't about you, it's about what they needed. No matter how hard you tried, you could have never filled that void. The two of you were not "meant to be" at least any longer than right now.

STEP #3 FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOURSELF AGAIN

Get your "J" on and touch yourself for as long as you can. Like milk, it's good for you. Learn how to love that man in the mirror you see everyday. Hit the gym again, hardcore especially on the most depressing day of them all for single people-SUNDAY (roll your eyes annoyed like). The day of the week that everyone snuggles up in bed with their loved one to catch up on Z's and watch movies, eating like a flunky from the Biggest Loser. While the love birds go at it, you will be getting ripped, gifting you an admiration for your new found muscle tone. Fall back in love with your IPod and make a "Breakup-Forget the Butthole playlist" because these are the times that silence is anything but golden. Being home in the sudden silence is literally deafening. Being out of the house as much as possible is the best medicine right about now. Suck up that good ol' Miami sun and get nature's "happy hormones" in the form of Vitamin D. The flip side of depression is that you get to lose some of that stubborn fat. I call it the "Depression Diet" others like to call it the "Divorce Diet". Either way, make sure you at least get some protein in the form of a smoothie. Getting hospitalized will not bring the deserter back.
Carefully select your new mantra-songs to uplift, forget and empower. Stay away from the tear jerkers. No Whitney, Celine or Barbara Streisand (The Way We Were). Listen to these "Eye of the Tiger" songs over and over until their lessons are fully ingrained in your psyche and like Stella you slowly regain your "groove". During this phase, you must write down and list all the things the EX didn't or couldn't do to make you happy (You know what they are). It's essential to go through this step so you can identify the right candidate the next time one comes a'knocking. The true test to see if you are beginning to get over the worm is if you can come up with more things that didnt make you happy than did. There IS a reason for this break, you just didn't want to see it as fast as they did. Your reward is that you will be well on your way to officially be over the he\she\it that hurt you in the first place. After the dust has settled, you will identify all the things you forgave that weren't making you happy and quickly realize they really did you a favor.

Relationships are stepping stones until you climb up to your highest love. There are a few rare unicorns out there that are lucky enough to find it on their first try but for the majority of us, it's a lifelong process.

Suicide prevention tip #1
 Never, ever, ever think the person you are currently in love with is the only and last person you can ever be with no matter how much you love them because if for any reason they leave your life, you won't be able to live without them. There are billions of other people on this planet to fall in love with....or at least millions out of those billions...okay, at least a few hundred thousand.

Here's my break-up playlist (feel free to steal away):

Love is Gone by David Guetta

Dont trust the ho- by 3OH!3

Alone by Maya (lyrics begin at 2:25)
Bulletproof by LaRoux
I've Got Soul by The Killers
According to You by Orianthi
With Every Heartbeat by Robyn
Keep on rising by Ian Carey
Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger
If I Were a Boy (remix only) by Beyonce'

Leave, get out by Jojo
Only When I Lose Myself by Depeche Mode

Suicide prevention tip #2
Do not under any circumstance listen to Sarah McLachlan or Enya and you are absolutely forbidden from downloading The Crying Game by Boy George.

STEP 4- THE RITUAL OF LETTING GO



If you are still feeling sorry for yourself and can't seem to shake the pain out of your heart and mind, a little telenovela-esque, dramatic ceremony to forget is called for. Gather all flammable items the offender has ever given you (stuffed animals, concert or movie ticket stubs, anniversary or Valentine's day cards, etc) and torch them in a bonfire inside a metallic container. Gather the ashes and take them to the nearest ocean, river or toilet if you live in the sticks. Before you dump the ashes, ritually take in as many deep breaths as the months or years you were together. Visualize all the illusions, broken promises, beautiful words and future plans you may still be carrying get washed away and released along with the ashes as they hit the water. You can keep the fond memories as long as they don't hurt to recall them.



STEP 5- HOLISTIC RETREAT FOR SELF EMPOWERMENT

If you are still being haunted by your heartbreak consider getting out of dodge and attend a holistic retreat for self empowerment via the age old practices of Yoga, Meditation or Buddhism. For those less spiritually inclined, an island getaway for some R&R could be just the trick. Also, it couldn't hurt to volunteer to help the impoverished or those less fortunate. It's a great way to put things into perspective when you see others a lot less fortunate than yourself.

STEP 6- GOOD OLD SCHOOL THERAPY WITH PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION

If any of the above fail then it's time to schedule yourself to see a licensed therapist and some good antidepressants for a short term to finally knock it out of the park. There might be some deeper issues lingering in your psyche that a good therapist might help uncover. Be open to hypno-regression because the problem might just be stemming from a previous lifetime.

Whatever the case, you HAVE to pick up the pieces and put humpty dumpty back together again and believe that the next guy will be better because if he isn't, you'll see it coming...hopefully.

A friend sent me this quote, "When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better". Buddhism teaches you that pain is essential to finding the way to a happy life as it helps us like a mouse in a maze to find our cheese, avoiding the traps or pitfalls along the way. The love once had is gone now and it is what it was. You must trudge forth and regain your faith slowly, bit by bit, on your own. Refuse to give up on the belief that love can transform and push you to do remarkable things. A love so pure that ego isn't a player at all. As Depeche Mode sings, "It's only when I lose myself in someone else that I find myself.". Your heart will prevail. You will prevail. Instead of saying "Poor me-forget about love alltogether!" chant "Om Mani Padme Hum" repeatedly until your heart's pain eventually ebbs.

**These tips above can be applied to a heterosexual broken heart as well. Looks like we're not as different as we thought we were.

19 comments:

gretteljsinger said...

love it... and believe it or not, broken hearts is the same for straights...it sucks!

i can give you some fake gay loving if you want...

Johnny Diaz said...

The Lion roars (and apparently is a firestarter).
You can't keep a good lion down (just don't light any matches in my home when you visit me in Boston)

Ernesto said...

You're already back from the ashes, and your beautiful post is the best proof.

Adam said...

Thank you Ernesto! y grettel i'll take love from you anytime!!

Carolina_USMLE said...

Awww...I'm so sorry, sweetie...
Before I finished reading I thought the same....hetero and gay broken hearts are exactly the same....
It's hard..I know. I broke a heart not that long ago...and it hurts as it was mine...I'm mending it day by day.
I loved your post!! From the bottom of your heart...
Un abrazoteee...."no hay mal q dure 100 anios ni cuerpo q lo resista"
Cheer up!!!!!!!

Eduardo Guize said...

You're amazing. You get your heart broken but you're still able to come up with this do-it-yourself therapy. And if it's you in that picture, I see step 3 is already dando sus frutos. El se lo pierde.

I thought Celine, Barbra and Enya sould be avoided under any circumstances... LOL If you want another good oldie, try "Basura" de Los Panchos.

Eduardo Guize said...

candela, candela!

Anonymous said...

You never lose by loving……

Heal quickly my friend...I was saddend as i read your words...just kept thinking....

"Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret." Ambrose Bierce

LS

Anonymous said...

Wow... that's awesome advice!... any words for a guy in the closet with a broken heart??? Can't exactly talk to people about it...

Adam said...

well i would start by biting in the bullet and coming out to the closest, dearest person you have in your life. if they are half a human they will be there for you. then again you can always move to the safe bubble cities like LA, NYC, or Miami. Hang in there- :-)

tweety said...

Eric,

I love your how do you mend a broken heart.
mine has been chattered to very small pieces and right now all I can do is lay down, no food and cry.

10 1/2 years of a relationship

Jer said...

This is some very good advice coming from a gay man for gay men. Thank you.

caseyred21 said...

Hi Erik.

Thank you for this wonderful words of wisdom. You are a blessing to many heart broken out there if they take this advice. haha
gosh! I wanna hug you man.

Well, let's keep the faith.

Amen

Miss Joyce said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

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lisa said...

Karim”

Thanks to jai mata sunlight, for helping me bring my ex back...after we had a big misunderstand. She left and all hope for get her back was all lost...because, I discover she was already into a relationship. I love her so much...but there was nothing I could do, to get her back. I really I appreciate, the way she use a very wise method...because I do not need to perform, anything ritual at all. Because, I couldn't have been able to carry out the task. Some other comments…the one I read, there was a part natasha says...she perform some rituals. Then she felt so strong in her, and that was how she was able to get her money back... after the person that owns her was not ready to pay. that means, depend on the problem you have...determines if you'll carry out, rituals or not. For my own, she was very desperate for me...like we never had anything fight before, She was completely healed from it. We'll soon be getting married. I praise jai mata sunlight...for all the goodness she did for me. Hey...readers, you can also help me to praise her... the goddess of ezioguru kingdom. Pls, if you need her help, feel free to contact, Sunlightmata@gmail.com. She is the light of the world, She will give you solutions in whatever problems you are into. Thanks to you jai mata sunlight

pelayo said...

I just want to say thank you to Jai mataji Sunlight
for saving my broken 3yrs relationship, 6months marriage. I once lost my now husband in the hands of a strange woman and she gave me victory to have him back and gave me control over
my family for me not to be afraid of losing him again. Right now, anything I
want, he does. Anywhere I want him to go, he goes without complaining. He's so sweet and calm to me all because of
the help of Jai Mataji Sunlight. Before I contacted mata sunlight, I have
contacted so many dubious spellcasters they kept asking me money ended up threatening
me if I refuse to keep sending them money of which they all were unable to help
me with my request that brought me to them. All they want is your money. And
beloved reading this today, join me and
help me say thank you to the goddess who helped me remove shame and sorrow and
restore my marriage in peace and harmony. And also save your
relationship/marriage If your man is acting strange to you. and you seeing it
that your’re loosing him but there is nothing you can do to make him just come
back and stay. via Sunlightmata@gmail.com to E-mail mother Sunlight. Don't just
email. Pls once you mail, wait for her response and follow her instructions as
she says. And as you do, she will bring him back successfully. And get your miracle that you can’t be able to explain how it happens, but only for you to just be grate as
all that matters., even, she will make he swear to say, he’ll stay and not leave again. So you won’t not to be afraid of loosing him again. But if
you just throw your email thinking she would, I’m sorry to let you know that
she won’t. so pls take note of that before you contact. Thanks to you mother of
love. Priestess of ezioguru. ‎

Christine said...

Wow is good to be back with my ex again, thank you Dr Ekpen for the help, I just want to let you know that is reading this post in case you are having issues with your lover and is leading to divorce and you don’t want the divorce, Dr Ekpen is the answer to your problem. Or you are already divorce and you still want him/her contact Dr Ekpen the spell caster now on (ekpentemple@gmail.com) or whatsapp him on +2347050270218 and you will be clad you did

Anonymous said...


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