
Attachment doesn't disappear instantly when a relationship ends.
Places, songs, routines, photographs, and ordinary activities can continue triggering memories and emotional responses.
The brain can miss familiarity and attachment even when someone intellectually understands why the relationship ended.
Emotional recovery also isn't perfectly linear; a difficult day can appear after several good ones.
Missing a former partner tells you that an attachment existed—not automatically that the relationship should be restarted.
© American Psychological Association