Home • Life Matters • Relationships
From dejected to betrayed, men experience various emotions depending on how a couple separates.
Reviewed by Jessica Jefferson, MA, MS, LMFT Jessica Jefferson is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a certified perinatal mental health professional who is trained to help clients suffering from mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. She graduated with a Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Miami, a Masters in Psychology in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Masters in Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University. Read full bio of Jessica Jefferson
Specialty: Anxiety, Depression, Couples Counseling and Perinatal Mental Health (PPD & PPA)Experience: 8 years
Written by Siddharth Kesiraju, MA, Certification in Relationship Coaching Siddharth holds a certification in Relationship Coaching and a masters degree in communication and journalism from the University of Hyderabad. He has around seven years of experience in various fields of writing and editing. Read full bio of Siddharth Kesiraju
Specialty: Love, Marriage and RelationshipsExperience: 7 years
Edited by Shikha Thakur, MBA Shikha is a writer-turned-editor at MomJunction, with over seven years of experience in the field of content. Having done a certification in Relationship Coaching, her core interest lies in writing articles that guide couples through their courtship to marriage and parenthood. Read full bio of Shikha Thakur
Specialty: Relationships and Baby NamesExperience: 7 years
Fact-checked by N Pravenchandra Singh, MA Praven is an English literature expert. He did his bachelors in English from Delhi University and masters in English from Manipur University. Besides, he holds a certificate in multimedia design and content creation from NIELIT Imphal and presented papers at various national and international conferences. Read full bio of N Pravenchandra Singh
Specialty: Literature and RelationshipsExperience: 2 years
Last Updated on
Image: iStock
How does a man feel when a woman walks away? If you have left your partner, you may want to know if he is depressed or trying to move on or has already moved on. It’s natural to wonder how he is coping with the situation if you care about him.
When you were encountering differences and could not find a mutual path, then a mutual breakup wouldn’t be so hard to cope with. But if the breakup was unexpected or one-sided, it becomes difficult for the man to get over the phase and he may feel forsaken. Let’s go through some scenarios to understand how your man could be feeling after you left him.
In This Article
How Does A Man Feel When A Woman Walks Away?
1. He might be confused
Image: Shutterstock
Breaking up with your man abruptly without any closure could puzzle him. Even if your reasons to break up are convincing, he may be confused and frustrated to understand why there isn’t any chance to mend things.
Did you know?
Many men go through the emotions of grief after a breakup — denial, desperate need for answers, fear, loneliness, sadness, anger, acceptance, and forgiveness.
2. He might get possessive
If you have walked away from your man for another person, then there are chances that he might get possessive and insecure.
It happens when he loves you, and you have had a functional relationship. Seeing you moving on with another person before he could get back on his feet might make him spiral.
3. He might try to get you back
Image: IStock
When you start slipping from his hand, he may try harder to hold you. Some men like to chase and win over their girl. You may find him trying different ways to impress you and earn your trust again. For instance, if he wasn’t financially well, he would work harder to get a good job. If he loves you, he will do anything and fight to have you back in his life.
Point to consider
Self-doubt is one of the common emotions many men go through when a woman leaves them. As a result, they may question their actions, intentions, and the way they treated you.
4. He may admire you even more
Some men realize the importance of their lady love only when they move away from them. Your man may understand your worth only after you broke up with him. He will figure out that you are an independent woman who doesn’t wait for anyone, for which he will admire you a lot. They may also idolize you or your relationship in ways that may not make sense. This can make it hard for them to move on and find another partner because they believe you were “soulmates.”
5. He may feel lonely
Image: Shutterstock
It’s natural for him to miss you and those romantic moments spent with you. But while missing you, he could contemplate and realize many things—he might realize his mistakes, ponder over what went wrong, or does nothing but miss your presence. He might also want to live alone for some time until he finds himself alright.
6. He may send you mixed signals
Sometimes, a man doesn’t understand what to do after a breakup. He will be trying to move on but is still stuck with your memories, feeling desolate and abandoned. He might want to get you back or forget your thoughts. That’s when he may send you mixed signals—sending you ‘miss you’ text, blocking your contact number, sending all your gifts back, or drunk dialing you.
7. He may be scared getting into a new relationship
Image: IStock
A person who loves you finds it difficult to connect with someone else, even after your breakup. He may be scared of getting attached to someone and then breaking up. He might be afraid of finding himself in the same spot where you left him.
8. He might be missing you
Your man might not have realized what it was being with you until you left him. He could be missing the happiness and playfulness in life that he cannot experience with his friends or family. He must have taken you for granted but now understood that he depended on you. After the breakup, he might realize that he needs you.
9. He might be depressed
When your man finds that he is replaceable or has been replaced, he may feel rejected and isolated. He may start to believe that other men are stronger or better than him. It might make him feel inferior. Such thoughts could be ruining his peace, putting him in depression.
An anonymous blogger shares the pain he has been through following the breakup with his girlfriend. He says, “I’m not going to fake anything. It hurts a lot when you envision building a life with someone and it doesn’t happen (i).”
10. He might feel guilty
You left him because he didn’t seem serious about your relationship. He even didn’t express his interest in getting married. Also, you sensed zero efforts from his side to maintain the relationship. He realized all of it only after you broke up. Now, he may be ready to accept his faults and might want to change himself to be with you.
11. He may play smart
Image: Shutterstock
If your man had a narcissistic personality, he wouldn’t show his true feelings. He could act smart and express he wasn’t interested in you, or the breakup didn’t matter much to him. It is a sign of not accepting the situation completely.
12. He could have moved on
If there was no love from his side or you both wanted to part away, he could move on easily. He may either be happy being single or have found a new partner. It shows he accepted the situation and is content with his present.
A youtuber from Lithuania realized he needed to focus on himself and move on after being dumped by his ex-girlfriend. He says, “Anyways, after she left me, I knew that I had to change as I was in a bad place emotionally and had an existential crisis. So I decided to get into self-improvement (ii).”
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why would someone walk away from someone they love?
There are multiple reasons why someone may feel the need to walk away. Some may no longer feel cared for or respected, they may find their partner not concerned about any future with them, while some could be constantly criticized or abused, their opinions no longer matter. In some cases, when the partner is attracted to someone else, they prefer to walk away.
2. Does walking away from a relationship work?
If your relationship is experiencing hiccups, then you need not walk away. Instead, you can give and take space, miss each other, and identify your true feelings. However, if your relationship has taken serious turns, and you see no light at the end of the tunnel, walking away could save you from a toxic future.
3. How does the length of the relationship affect a man’s reaction to a woman walking away?
If a man has been in a long-term relationship, he may have invested significant time, energy, and emotions into it. In such cases, the woman walking away can lead to heightened feelings of grief. However, individual emotional responses and coping mechanisms may vary regardless of gender.
4. Is it common for a man to try to win a woman back after she walks away?
It is common for a man to try to win a woman back after she walks away in certain circ*mstances. When a man has genuine feelings for a woman, and she walks away due to unresolved issues or conflicts, he might attempt all possible methods to reconcile with her.
5. How might a man’s age or life stage affect his reaction to a woman walking away?
Although individual differences and circ*mstances play a significant role, younger men may have less life experience and emotional maturity. They might be more prone to intense emotional reactions compared to middle-aged and older men, who tend to respond more maturely.
Walking away from a man could be for various reasons, which can be favorable or unfavorable. The reactions and emotions vary based on the relationship and the reason for its end. If you felt insecure or unhappy being with him, then your decision to break up was right. So, move on for a better future. Though it could be difficult for you to forget those moments, it is wise to leave them behind.
Infographic: What To Do If There Is Hope For Reconciliation?
If you have walked away and he does not show signs of returning, move on. However, if you see a glimmer of hope and want to give things a second chance from the bottom of your heart, you may think of ways of reconciling and patch-up plans. This infographic can be your guide to getting back together with your partner. Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
Key Pointers
- A sudden breakup with no closure may confuse and irritate the man.
- The man may attempt to win you back out of possessiveness or he may have already moved on.
- Sometimes the man may feel lonely and miss you or exhibit conflicting behavior.
- Alternatively, the man may experience depression, guilt, or fear when beginning a new relationship.
Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team
Personal Experience: Source
MomJunction articles include first-hand experiences to provide you with better insights through real-life narratives. Here are the sources of personal accounts referenced in this article.
i. My girlfriend just left me;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_X4aMSQQfk
ii. It’s been 2 years since my ex-girlfriend left me: what I learned;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDqVyfuHRoI
Was this article helpful?
Community Experiences
Join the conversation and become a part of our nurturing community! Share your stories, experiences, and insights to connect with fellow parents. Let our readers know your take on this topic. Read our Comment Policy to know about the guidelines.
Jessica JeffersonMA, MS, LMFT
Jessica Jefferson is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a certified perinatal mental health professional who is trained to help clients suffering from mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. She graduated with a Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Miami, a Masters in Psychology in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Masters in Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University.
Read full bio of Jessica Jefferson
Siddharth KesirajuMA, Certification in Relationship Coaching
Siddharth holds a certification in Relationship Coaching and a masters degree in communication and journalism from the University of Hyderabad. He has around seven years of experience in various fields of writing and editing.
Read full bio of Siddharth Kesiraju
Shikha ThakurMBA
Shikha is a writer-turned-editor at MomJunction, with over seven years of experience in the field of content. Having done a certification in Relationship Coaching, her core interest lies in writing articles that guide couples through their courtship to marriage and parenthood.
Read full bio of Shikha Thakur
N Pravenchandra SinghMA
Praven is an English literature expert. He did his bachelors in English from Delhi University and masters in English from Manipur University. Besides, he holds a certificate in multimedia design and content creation from NIELIT Imphal and presented papers at various national and international conferences.
Read full bio of N Pravenchandra Singh
