One of the keys to surviving a break-up is teaching your brain that pleasure can come from other (safe) places. The endorphins we live on in a relationship can leave us huddled like crack-addicts as we go through withdrawal.

IT's TIME TO LAUGH-AGAIN... And not think about your EX (for at least 2 hours)

Breaking up is NEVER easy but learning some tricks can help you in the long run. The physical withdrawal is real too. It's like being an alcoholic and not getting to the bottle in the next room. So, start here. Sometimes we are too depressed to exercise but that is a great way to get endorhins too. Alcohol is not much of a solution - unfortunately.

There are a lot of "guy" movies on here - so girls, please add some of your fav's as well.

So, stop by the rental store. Here's a list to get your brain enjoying life again.


GREAT BREAK UP MOVIES

Swingers (the perfect guy's break up movie)
Raising Arizona (a comedy that is smart and nuts)
Wedding Crashers (a comedy for buddies that is not totally crazy but is fun)
Old School (a comedy about old guys trying to be where you are.. again)
American Pie (fun fun fun)
National Lampoon's Vacation (absurd road trip comedy)
40 year old Virgin (hey, you think you have troubles? )
A Fish called Wanda (smart and funny with a little drama)
The Departed (guns and drama - not a comedy but a good escape when you are ready)

CLASSICS:

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Escapism at its best -Bolivia!)
Monty Python's Meaning of Life and Holy Grail (Smart comedy and crazy history)
CaddyShack (golf club classic)
Terminator II (action film worth watching)
Risky Business (Tom Cruise when he was normal)
Sixteen Candles (High School is funny)
Ferris Beuller's Day Off (High school is funny again)
Fast Times at Ridgemont HIgh (High School is funny again... )
Fargo (Quirky comedy in North Dakota - you won't be able to look away)
Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood knows your pain - and he's in a great Western)

DRAMA
(for later in the rehab stage - say 2-3+ months)

Godfather (not uplifting - but a dark escape)
Scarface (ditto)
Goodfellas (ditto)

From a girl's perspective, here are some of fav's for mending a broken heart and giving us all some hope:

- The Holiday (Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz. Love Kate, hate Cam, but she's actually pretty OK in this movie).
- Catch and Release (not a great movie, but for some reason it gave me hope and restored my faith in happy endings)
- Waiting to Exhale (Ofcourse!)

And since today its opening this weekend, I'm assuming the Sex and the City movie will be making the list soon.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Saw that two weeks ago, thought it was hilarious and made me feel a ton better. Actually has some true to life points too. I especially like how as time went on he had flashbacks of all the bad things she did to him, while she had flashbacks of all the good things he did for her.

I love The Holiday. For some reason going into it, I had low expectations for it. But it was actually a really nice movie! Too bad my ex's sister gave it to me for Christmas :mad: Kind of a catch-22 there!

Thanks for adding those good ones...

I've tried watching movies but I encounter two problems:
1. Some movies on this list remind me of special moments I had with her (for example if we saw the movie together or something)
2. Seeing other people in love makes me feel more lonely and depressed...

Anyone agree?

DEFINITELY!

That's why I recommend COMEDIES.

Not sure why one would want to see a romantic comedy after a break-up. (But some do... )

I just want to laugh - and pick accordingly.

I'd have to say "Must Love Dogs" was a good one to help, it gives hope to the heartbroken, "The Mirror has Two Faces" absolutely loved this movie!! It's a little older but it also gives hope to people. And another one, "Under the Tusican Sun" main character gets her heart badly broken and you can relate easily how they show the realistic emotions that she goes through.

I think there is a difference b/w men and women is perhaps illustrated in the movies they can use to recover.

Men usually want pure humor and escapism.
Women like to see their relationship played out again - but with a new ending...

The recent "Into the Wild" gave me a month or two of inspiration.

But that movie is sad!! Don't eat plants!

I'm going to vote for Hitch, great movie, funny and gives you some ideas

Oh my oh my
If you are severely heartbroken sex and the city isn't a good choice.
I was NOT prepared for that.
I spent whole of that night in tears- jealous of the character's relationships that work out and how nice the men are, resentful of my stupid relationship and missing my ex.
So yeah- just a warning lol.

I actually prefer getting some of my buddies together, cracking open a case of beer, getting 5 boxes of pizza, and going hardcore on "man" movies:

300
Bad Boys
Bad Boys II
Band of Brothers
Bourne Trilogy (thanks romefalls)
Braveheart
Entourage
Fight Club
Gladiator
Matrix series
Pulp Fiction
Rocky series
Rambo series
Saving Private Ryan
Swordfish

Sneezy! Now that's a party I want to attend... What do you think about the Bourne Trilogy?

Holy crap you're right. How could I forget?!

Added.

Yes! Comedy is great, but not romance ones...

I'm a girl but definitely I don't want to see my relationship in a movie. I even don't want to be in that relationship again... if it was a good one, I wouldn't become like this sad and now mad!

These are funny:

Along came polly
The heartbreak kid
Meet the fockers

Definitely The Holiday.

"Be the leading lady of your own life."

Love it.

But being a shoot-em-up lover, I'm going with Equilibrium (anything with Christian Bale), 300 (of course), Top Gun, and The Saint. Just for starters. Ooo.. and Man on Fire, Romeo Must Die, and The One.

Little Mermaid. :)

As opposed to RUN FORREST, RUN!