20 Subtle Signs Of Person Who Still Has Great Big Feelings For You, According To Psychology
Common signs they're still hung up on you even after your relationship is over.
Ridofranz | Canva Just because you're broken up doesn't mean feelings have completely disappeared. And when you're fresh out of a breakup, it's natural to wonder with all of your heart: do they still have big feelings for me?
People handle breakups differently, but some are more likely to stay hung up over their exes than others. Even if they deny it heavily, it's pretty easy to tell when someone might still be in love with you.
Here are subtle signs of a person who still has great big feelings for you:
1. Their current partner sees you as a major threat
This is often a sign they talked about you a lot. They might have even called out your name instead of the new partner's during intimate moments. If they are prickly about you two talking, it could be because they feel you're still number one.
2. They still keep photos of the two of you on their social media
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If they have been single since you broke up, research from The Journal of Marital and Family Therapy explained this is often a sign they are holding a candle for you to come back. If all of their posts involve smarmy love messages involving "missing" someone, it's clear they still love you.
3. They tell you they miss you
This is most often because they might still be in love with you, and this is especially true if all they ever say is how much they miss you, as suggested by a study in The Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
4. They have earned a reputation for talking about how much they hate you
It may seem counterintuitive, but the reason a lot of people talk about how much they "hate" their exes is because they miss them and are trying to convince themselves otherwise. If they hated them, they usually wouldn't mention them because they wanted them to stay in the past.
5. They keep drunk dialing you
As cringe-worthy as this is, it's a pretty obvious indicator that you're still on their mind, a behavior explained by research from the American Psychological Association (APA).
6. They or their friends keep tabs on you
The reason a person might do this is pretty simple: they want you back. An APA study showed that by keeping an eye on you, they are trying to gauge whether they still have a chance.
7. They fume when you begin dating someone new
Some people have a very rough time handling the idea that a person they love has seriously moved on. If they are pouting, raging, or giving your new partner a death stare, it's clear that their feelings are still pretty strong for you.
8. They're hot and cold with you
A person who dumps you and then wants you back is a person who still has feelings for you. Similarly, someone who will try to pursue you, drop you for a week, and then pursue you again may be feeling conflicted about what they should be doing with their love life.
9. They have tried to sabotage your current relationship
They are likely doing it because they are hoping you'll come running back, as suggested by a study in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. A restraining order is a much better idea, though.
10. They keep in contact with your family and friends
This is often done when a person wants to come up with an excuse to stay in your life, even if it's not as a partner.
11. Their emotions toward you are in overdrive
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Whether it's rage, sadness, love, or even inner conflict, showing as many emotions as they are speaks volumes. This is why philosophers say the opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference.
12. They try to touch you whenever you are together
It's the physical way of saying, "I still care about you."
13. They give you the saddest, most pitiful puppy dog eyes when they see you
It's their way of begging to be forgiven and let back into your life.
14. They come up with excuses to keep relevant to you
Are they trying to hit up your phone for an item left at their house, or trying to show up at your favorite hangouts? Do they suddenly need to get advice from you? It's a sign they still love you, according to a study in The Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.
15. They have been rebounding
The way a lot of people try to get over a relationship is by being in a rebound relationship, backed up by research in the Public Library of Science Journal. If they got involved quickly with someone else, they are still grieving you.
16. They cause other people to try to intervene
This is primarily done because they don't want to hear their friend bemoaning their life without you.
17. Their social media is filled with sad songs talking about lost love
Sadly, some people still haven't figured out how embarrassing this is, even after high school. If they are regularly posting sad love songs, it's because they are still in love with you, according to The Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
18. They have become competitive
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Research in Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences explored the intensity of emotional response to breakups to help show if they are trying to show you how much better life is without you, it's because they still love you and are hurting for you to crawl back.
19. They still wear the clothes you gave them
They have plenty of clothing in their wardrobe, there's no reason for them to be wearing a gift from you unless they are still sweatin' you.
20. They openly said they still have feelings for you
Does it get any more obvious than that?
Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer whose work has been featured in Yahoo, BRIDES, Your Daily Dish, New Theory Magazine, and others.