1. You like to spend time alone.
You like to be by yourself most of the time because you’re still trying to figure a lot things out; you, your life, your friends, your emotions, your purpose and sometimes distractions or being around a large group of people can really confuse you and give you anxiety.
2. You’re scared of attachment.
You settled for the comfort of being by yourself, you don’t approach people unless they do and you’re always very careful and guarded because you think people will eventually leave.
3. You crave love but you won’t go searching for it.
You miss having a companion, you miss having a partner but you also know that you can’t give your heart to someone else when it’s broken and you’re still working on mending it.
4. The smallest thing can provoke you.
It’s like you’re looking for an excuse to get mad or find a reason to vent, one little thing can erupt the volcano inside you because you’ve probably been carrying it around for a while waiting for a reason to let it all out.
5. You’re afraid of giving love.
You have a lot of love stored in your heart but you’re afraid of giving it to the wrong person again, you’re afraid of taking a chance because if one more person takes your love for granted, you might just give up on it.
6. You feel that you need to run away.
When you’re hurting, you’re easily overwhelmed or stressed out and you don’t always know how to deal with more than you can handle, which is why you always feel the urge to just run away and unwind somewhere far without any duties or responsibilities.
7. You cry for no reason.
It could hit you in the middle of a meeting or when you’re out with your friends, you just can’t control it but you understand where it’s coming from.
8. You can’t remember the last time you were truly happy.
Happiness is now foreign to you, it feels like it’s been so long since you’ve felt truly happy or really smiled from your heart. All you can remember is your pain.
9. You stopped making an effort with people.
Sometimes when you’re still healing, you really forget that there’s a world that exists outside because you’re so focused on what’s happening inside. You can go weeks without talking to your friends or family and forget important occasions.
10. You know that it’s a tough journey but it will end.
You know that it’s going to be a bumpy ride, you’ll struggle to enjoy the simple things in life but you know that it’s all part of the equation because healing takes time and soon you will find the strength to heal and overcome the pain you’re going through. 
Rania Naim is a poet and the author of the book All The Words I Should Have Said.
