Coping with the distance and the anxiety that comes with it

[JKirkTV]

ive been dating my girlfriend for about 10 months now and we have met 3 times already and will see each other for our 1 year anniversary , even though to some the distance seems more short than others , it still hurts , and me and her struggle to get money to see each other , but we do what we can, my question is , every time we leave each other the pain is worse everytime and i seem to be depressed for much longer each time , is there any methods or things you can fill your head with to make the pain and anxiety more bearable?

[R&R]

Welcome to LFAD. Long distance isn't always easy but it is not meant to put you into a depression when you leave the other person. Yes, being sad right after a visit or missing the other person is understandable. The main thing is you need to remember that you are in charge on your emotions. You can choose to continue on with the sad feelings, how miserable you are, etc or you can focus on the good time you had together and plans for the next time you see each other.

It's also important that you are doing things for you when you are apart. You need to be spending time with friends. If you are still in school, focus on your work. Go out and do things that you like - hiking, biking, etc. You are your own person and you need to remember that. Your SO and your relationship are a part of your life but they are not your life.

Both of my daughters are or have been in an LDR. They are now 20 and 21. I remind them when I was in my first LDR at age 21, it wasn't even considered an LDR. He was local and moved 2 hours away for a job. We didn't have cell phones or computers. We talked on a phone that was attached to the wall and we had to drive to see each other. It was an inconvenience but not a huge deal. It was what it was and you dealt with it without the drama. Take advantage of the technology. Skype dates, snapchat, etc.