OPINION — The secret late-night texts, inside jokes and thrill of feeling chosen by someone else that contribute to a teenager’s first feelings of love can feel all-consuming.
Yet when those moments suddenly end, teens are left navigating a kind of personal and emotional loss they’ve never felt before, often without words to explain it.
To adults, a teenage breakup can seem temporary or trivial. We know from experience that heartbreak fades and that life moves forward. But teens don’t yet have that perspective. For many, a first breakup is their first encounter with real emotional loss. They don’t know how long the pain will last or whether it will ever ease, which can make the experience feel overwhelming.
