I'm the creepy ex-boyfriend

[ScreamingNinja]

*SNIP*

Trust me, I am still seething with rage whenever I think about him (her I can't do much about). I'm more than likely going to assault him if I see him up the street and I have no friends around to hold me back.

Apparently I can't advocate violence due to mods not living in the real world. XD SO! Next time you see him give them flowers.

 

[Dastardly]

I'll just bury it away and try to pretend it's not there, but I can't get rid of it because it's the only picture of me in existence truly happy. I'm not wallowing, just being honest.

Actually, you're wallowing a bit. You just don't realize it because you don't have perspective yet. You will, and the more of this you do the more embarrassed you'll be later. I know this because I've done it.

Get rid of the picture. No ceremony, don't make a big deal out of it, just throw it in the trash somewhere you can't get to. Find that file or folder on your computer that you keep telling yourself you've "forgotten" and actually delete/forget it. And then empty the Recycle Bin. Delete the e-mails and saved conversations. If you exchanged any gifts, get rid of those, too.

It's not about being mad at her or not being mad at her. It's about taking the knife out of the wound so it can heal. At this point, you're still stabbing yourself. You're convincing yourself that this was a "one of a kind" thing, and that it's the happiest you'll ever be, and all kinds of other completely false things.

But, again, you don't see that yet, and it's understandable. You haven't made it to the other side yet, so you can't fully see just how big a deal you're making of this. Get to the other side. Cut all ties and walk away.

Get involved in other stuff with other people, even if you're not super excited about any of it. Your emotional side is going to play the grump, so your rational side is going to have to force yourself to do things. Your emotional side is going to try to stay miserable, so your rational side is going to have to ignore that. And, as always, eventually your emotional side will lose interest and find something else to rave about.

It starts with that picture. Don't burn it or anything, but don't hold onto it. You need some distance.