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How To Stop Dreaming About Your Ex?

If you read this, please understand that I do not want false hope. I would just like someone to hear me out.

I broke up with my ex in 2023, it was a rash decision. I’ve spoken about it once or twice on here, but decided that I should put it past me because they made it abundantly clear that they wanted nothing to do with me. I’ve respected their boundaries and left them alone. I’ve tried to move on, but I’m very arrogant in some ways. I’m still clinging onto them and I know I am because I write in a book they bought me for my birthday about them. I write to them, I write about them. I think about them quite a lot and sometimes, just sometimes, I think about what my life would be like if I didn’t break it off with them. I was heart broken for a while, but didn’t really digest that pain? (I bottled it up until it all crashed down a few weeks later and I had to get a form of therapy. I became really self-destructive and insecure in my next relationship). My point is that I’ve tried to move on. I tried getting with someone else, which didn’t work because I was either hating my life or missing my ex. I tried removing everything of theirs. I tried a lot of things but I’m still dreaming about them. I used to have a dream about them every day, and it would be roughly the same thing. I beg for forgiveness, and they forgive me and we get back together. It would happen in different places with different scenarios, but it would be the same thing. After a while, I stopped having those dreams and I stopped remembering what I was dreaming about. Well it just came crashing down recently. It’s been a year and a bit and I want to move on. But every time I feel like I’m getting better, they come into my dreams and either ‘save me’ or forgive me, or just love me. And it hurts so much I fall back into thinking about them and missing them. Eventually I even start trying to fall back into that dream. I can’t seem to catch a break.

Does anyone have ANY advice for this?

Reply 1

Same here with me but except we never dated ah.. i guess u need to just heal and wait until someone finds YOU instead .and also u keep calling she/he them?? Is that their pronouns or are they a girl or a boy

Reply 2

Original post
by Anonymous
Same here with me but except we never dated ah.. i guess u need to just heal and wait until someone finds YOU instead .and also u keep calling she/he them?? Is that their pronouns or are they a girl or a boy


I hope everything goes okay with your person! Are you two still in contact?

My ex is biologically a girl, but when we were together they did express some interest in using all pronouns and changing their name to a unisex name (which they did later on). I don’t know what their pronouns are right now, so out of respect (and a little ambiguity) I use “them”!

Reply 3

Original post
by Anonymous
I hope everything goes okay with your person! Are you two still in contact?
My ex is biologically a girl, but when we were together they did express some interest in using all pronouns and changing their name to a unisex name (which they did later on). I don’t know what their pronouns are right now, so out of respect (and a little ambiguity) I use “them”!


right…

Reply 4

Original post
by Anonymous
right…


Is that a bad thing? They never emphasised what their pronouns were when we were together, so I mainly used they/she and feminine terms. Occasionally I used male terms and they weren’t against it or uncomfortable with it, so it seemed at the time. If I’m being honest, I don’t know what they were most comfortable with because they would keep telling me to “not worry about it”.

Reply 5

There no easy way to control dreams other than perhaps trying to get the things you dream about out of your mind during the day. And even then they tend to pop up when you least expect it. Focus on moving on, new distractions and new love. It’s difficult to get over significant relationships, you just have to take a view that there’s no future in the past and find something else. Otherwise it’s too much futile angst. A counsellor that on your wavelength might be able to help

Reply 6

I understand your pain, I think it might be good to tell them how you feel in a controlled way and see if she wants to get back together, but if she says no then that’s it I think, and you should just let go. You will find someone else.

Reply 7

Original post
by Zarek
There no easy way to control dreams other than perhaps trying to get the things you dream about out of your mind during the day. And even then they tend to pop up when you least expect it. Focus on moving on, new distractions and new love. It’s difficult to get over significant relationships, you just have to take a view that there’s no future in the past and find something else. Otherwise it’s too much futile angst. A counsellor that on your wavelength might be able to help


Thanks! I agree, there are days where I don’t think about them at all and then all of a sudden, they pop into my dreams and it’s so bizarre? I’m looking into finding another counsellor/therapist for the meanwhile. I’ll definitely continue trying to move on and see where that takes me though!

Reply 8

Original post
by Anonymous
I understand your pain, I think it might be good to tell them how you feel in a controlled way and see if she wants to get back together, but if she says no then that’s it I think, and you should just let go. You will find someone else.


Truthfully, I would love to tell her how I’m feeling or what I’m feeling, or to just hear about what she’s feeling. That’s what I write to her about in the book. I have so many conflicted thoughts and feelings and that book is solid proof of how I’ve gone through a numerous amount of feelings I’ve held for her. The only issue is that when we last spoke, she was very upset with me, or so it seemed because it was over text. She blocked me on a few social media accounts’ and rightfully so, it made me aware that she didn’t want to be contacted by me. I have to stand by that. I realised after a couple of months that she wants nothing to do with me and that I do have to move on.

I’ve tried to move on, and I’ve just been unsuccessful. It sometimes feels like I’ll be stuck on her forever. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time or hurt anyone else because I’m still having dreams about my ex!

Reply 9

Original post
by Anonymous
Truthfully, I would love to tell her how I’m feeling or what I’m feeling, or to just hear about what she’s feeling. That’s what I write to her about in the book. I have so many conflicted thoughts and feelings and that book is solid proof of how I’ve gone through a numerous amount of feelings I’ve held for her. The only issue is that when we last spoke, she was very upset with me, or so it seemed because it was over text. She blocked me on a few social media accounts’ and rightfully so, it made me aware that she didn’t want to be contacted by me. I have to stand by that. I realised after a couple of months that she wants nothing to do with me and that I do have to move on.
I’ve tried to move on, and I’ve just been unsuccessful. It sometimes feels like I’ll be stuck on her forever. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time or hurt anyone else because I’m still having dreams about my ex!

I understand, do what you feel is best, and what your heart wants. You seem like a lovely, sensitive person, so I am sure you will find someone else in the future if that is what you want.

Reply 10

Original post
by Anonymous
Thanks! I agree, there are days where I don’t think about them at all and then all of a sudden, they pop into my dreams and it’s so bizarre? I’m looking into finding another counsellor/therapist for the meanwhile. I’ll definitely continue trying to move on and see where that takes me though!

Good work. With time it does get easier and new and better love arrives

Reply 11

Original post
by Anonymous
I understand, do what you feel is best, and what your heart wants. You seem like a lovely, sensitive person, so I am sure you will find someone else in the future if that is what you want.


Thank you!

Reply 12

Original post
by Zarek
Good work. With time it does get easier and new and better love arrives


I hope so! Thanks!

Reply 13

For me I still think about my ex and its been four years since she broke up with me. You just need to give it time really, and erase anything that reminds you of them. Start doing things you enjoy and focus on yourself, even if that means you have to be selfish in some aspects. Personally I believe that being happy is the number one thing you need to focus on in your life in order to function well. When you start doing things you enjoy, that being your lifestyle, work, and what you do with your friends, you'll notice you wont be thinking of them as much again. Unfortunately the thought of them never really goes away. But one day you'll be outside, maybe looking into the sky, doing something you enjoy, or out with friends, and you'll realise it is getting better. Even as that point its still okay to think about them, but its important to focus on yourself, and eventually, you will start thinking of them less.

I only dated my ex for three months, if you were to ask me two years ago if I would take her back? It would most definitely be a yes. There are days were she haunts my mind but I choose to not let it get to me. Unfortunately you have to fight these thoughts, whether you like it or not. Otherwise you'll continue to sink and stand in the same place and continue this cycle. I don't think I'll 100% get over her, but it doesn't effect me anymore, because I choose not to, and I think thats what is important.

I know that my relationship only lasted 3 months, but all relationships are different and she meant everything. It was my first proper relationship and I think I'm a victim of mens first love theory. But In a way, I'm greatful. I think its a learning curve, as a hurtful as it was to go through, which makes me believe in mens second love theory.

I know my advice might not be the best in the world nor what you want to hear, but its honest.

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