Post-breakup besties: Is it possible to stay friends after a breakup?

To put a long story short: probably not.

However, this answer could change to a very possible "it depends" when you factor in variables like the duration of the relationship, the length of the friendship before dating and the nature of the relationship.

If your bestie-turned-ex was a close friend since childhood and you had a healthy relationship which lasted only a few months then he very well could still feel like your best friend when you end things.

However, if you meet a guy and hit the ground running with a hot and steamy relationship which lasted a year, it might be kind of hard to think of him as another except a past-lover when the relationship crumbles.

But what about all the relationships that fall in between?

If he wasn't your best guy friend since birth, but you were friends before hooking up then it can be hard to let go of your friendship.

Meghan, a close friend of mine, dated a guy for almost 2 years before calling things quits. They were friends for a few months before dating and saw each other every single day while attending the same college.

"After we broke up it was very difficult between us and caused more drama than our entire relationship combined," Meghan said about trying to maintain their friendship. "This was five months ago and I am still recovering."

She said neither of them can imagine not having the other in their life, but she always wonders if things will ever go back to how they used to be.

After their break-up, the pair immediately tried to be close friends, but she said that ended up causing more issues.

"Eventually I had to take a clean break with no contact and we are now working back from that zero percent," she said.

Although it may be difficult to cut things off cold-turkey, Meghan advises waiting before trying to be friends after a break-up.

"I would say give it some time," she said. "Don’t try right away to be friends because things can get complicated quickly. Especially if third parties are involved."

At the end of the day, the hardest part of a break-up is moving on, but more times than not it's completely necessary.

You can talk every now and then, but if you want closure then it's probably best to cut the friendship off. You can always try to build the friendship back up after you both heal a little bit, but trying to immediately transition from exes to besties will only cause unnecessary drama for both of you.

In the meantime, take some time to hang out with your other friends. They'll offer you a much healthier support system. Whatever will be, will be so if you're able to befriend your ex again it'll work out later on down the road.