Rebound Sex Is An Official Cure For Getting Over Your Ex

Put down that tub of ice cream, switch off Adele’s 21 album and get ye to your nearest bar STAT, cos according to new research, getting under someone new really is the best way to get over an ex.

A New York study of 77 people found that peeps who got into a new relationship quickly after a break-up felt better about themselves and as a result moved on faster than those who stayed single.

Around a third of those surveyed ‘fessed to having had rebound sex, while 16% admitted to having sex for revenge.  Of those who had sex shortly after a breakup, 54% said they did it with an ex, 21% hooked up with a friend or acquaintance and a fifth did it with the ex they’d just split up with… though we’re not really sure that counts.

Individuals on the rebound use sex to cope with feelings of distress, anger, insecurity, and self-doubt.

The reason for jumping between the sheets with a new beau? Researchers at Psychology Today concluded “that rebound sex serves a variety of functions for people who’ve experienced the involuntary ending of a relationship. Individuals on the rebound use sex to cope with feelings of distress, anger, insecurity, and self-doubt. They’re particularly likely to do so when they expressed a strong commitment to the now-extinct relationship.”

But rebound sex does come with a warning. “It’s not for everyone,” says Shawna Scott from Sex Siopa, “but sometimes it’s just the trick for some people to help get over a bad break-up. It can help to distract and give an extra boost of self confidence that might have been lost during or just prior to the breakup.”

• Break-up
• Dating
• love
• Relationships
• Sex