When a relationship breaks up, there are those who decide to spend time alone to heal the wound. However, other people quickly look for a new partner to fill the emotional void they feel. There has not been time to assimilate the heartbreak when they are already creating a new profile on a dating app or looking for the next replacement to turn to.

This is known as liana relationships. It takes its name from the fact of jumping from one to another without leaving a reasonable time of solitude in between with which to assimilate the feelings of sadness and loneliness. It may seem that these people recover quickly and easily from their breakup and that is why they are open to a new relationship, but nothing could be further from the truth.

From the blog Psicontigo they define liana relationships as those in which a person goes from one relationship to another in a short period of time. “After a breakup, the fear of loneliness will push us to look for another partner who is responsible for meeting our emotional needs and shortcomings. In this way, we prevent oneself from being able to heal the wound left by the previous relationship,” they add.

Thus, liana relationships are used to avoid feeling and managing the emptiness that a separation causes. It is a resource that some people resort to to avoid unpleasant emotions such as loneliness or sadness. However, as experts warn, “it is necessary to feel these emotions to process, accept and rebuild after a breakup. This time of mourning and connection with oneself will allow us to close a stage, heal and learn from the relationship that has ended.”

The myth that having a partner is synonymous with success or happiness also comes into play here. “These beliefs can make some people feel less valid or unsuccessful for not being paired and this feeling can lead them to need to be with someone to recover their previous identity and worth,” they warn from Psicontigo, while compiling advice to avoid fall into this pattern.