My Story: See Different Ways Nigerians React To Heartbreak

Heartbreak is a metaphor popularly used to describe the intense emotional pain one feels after a love adventure with someone comes to an end.

Individuals react differently to the pain that comes with a heartbreak.

While some take to the heavy consumption of alcohol, some others find relief in hanging out with friends and talking about the heartbreak.

In this vox pop by Chiadikaobi Ihuoma, some Nigerians shared with VANTAGE NEWS, how they react to heartbreaks.

A Lagos resident who wishes to be simply identified as Emmanuela stated that she cries till she doesn’t feel like shedding tears anymore.

She said, “I just cry till I don’t feel like crying anymore.” She said. “Basically, I just feel it out. I allow myself feel everything, the sadness, the hurt, everything till it gets better,” she added.

Reacting to the question, an Ibadan resident, Deborah, said, “Listening to Juice Wrld songs, drinking more than my head could carry, and having my bath multiple times so that no one would notice me cry in the bathroom.”

Esther said, “I cry and get extremely busy so that I won’t have to always remember or think about him.”

“I just drink different brands of alcohol till I pass out,” an Aba resident, Bobby said.

Reacting, Elochukwu said, “I simply drink and eat a lot when it happens.”

Echezona said, “Juice Wrld’s sad songs does it for me. I play them at all times and the lyrics have a way of healing me.”

Some of the respondents said that they just allow time to heal them, adding that there’s nothing they do that can truly help them at that time.

“My dear, nothing at all, time will heal it,” Sarat said.

Reiterating Sarat’s view, Okwudili said, “Personally, I have suffered a lot of heartbreaks. There was one I thought I was going to die but see me now, still alive and happy. I did not do anything in particular. I just allowed time to pass and I got over it.”

A group of persons in response stated that they do not give their hearts out by loving so much as a way of avoiding the emotional trauma that comes with a heartbreak.

Chiamaka, said, “I don’t give out my heart so much that I will break down if the relationship crashes.”

“When I was much younger I got heartbroken many times because I easily gave out my heart to boys but now I’m grown, wiser and much more exposed. I avoid heartbreak by not giving out all of me in a relationship,” Aisha said.

Another group of individuals said that heartbreak draws them closer to God.

“Each time I suffer a heartbreak, I find solace in God. I pray more than I used to and I cry unto God,” Lilian said.

Kehinde simply stated, “I pray to God.”