DR. WALLACE: I'm 18, and the guy I was recently dating is 19. We dated for almost a year and had great times together — lots of fun and lots of laughs. I thoroughly believed I loved him and that he felt the very same about me.

Before Easter, however, he gave me the worst possible present. He took me out for lunch and told me that he had met another girl and he was going to be seeing her in the future instead of me. He started to tell me where he met her and other things about her, but I quickly tuned him out, even though he just kept on talking. After a full 10 minutes of him rambling on, I finally told him that I wasn't interested in hearing any more about her. The truth is I was in shock and deep in my own thoughts, so I barely heard a word he said about her, anyway.

I now fully understand that our relationship is history, but I have a miserable feeling knowing that I was dumped by my boyfriend because he found someone else he cares for more than me. This fact stings me to my core. I did not see this coming at all. In fact, looking back, I felt that the final month of our relationship was our best, as I had never felt closer to him — and now everything has come crumbling down.

My mother tells me every day that I will "eventually" get over my lost love. I'd like to know your definition of "eventually" when it comes to teen relationships because I trust you have heard hundreds, if not thousands, of stories of relationships gone wrong. If it took two or three years for me to finally get over being dumped, I guess I could say it "eventually" happened, but several years is a long time to suffer.

I'm hoping your answer will be a certain number of weeks, or perhaps months, but not years. Please give it to me honestly, no matter what. I wish to be prepared in case I'm in for a long haul of sadness and sorrow. — Now the Ex, via email

NOW THE EX: "Eventually" means that it will happen sometime, sooner or later. The true answer is that there is no set time and that the duration of sadness varies greatly from individual to individual. However, the good news is that you can play an active role in moving on by keeping yourself busy and finding good ways to spend the extra free time you now have.

How best to do this? Engage with friends and family, and seek out opportunities to socialize. Consider doing volunteer work, for example, to get out and about. Your self-esteem will rise as you find yourself truly helping others in need.

Your situation also provides an excellent opportunity to share one of my favorite letters I've received on this topic:

DR. WALLACE: Several months ago, my boyfriend and I broke up. He felt that he had lost his freedom and that he wanted to date other girls. His final words were what hurt me the most: "I just got tired of going out with you. I need more spice in my life."

I thought my boyfriend was going to be my future husband, and honestly, I thought he loved me. Sadly, I was overconfident and quite mistaken!

For a while after the split, I thought that it would be impossible to live without him. With the help of my close friends and family, I overcame my depressing news.

I'm now a first-year student at a great college, and I'm enjoying every minute of college life. I'm a very happy young woman and having the time of my life making friends and participating in university activities. I am now a strong individual who can handle any difficult situation. In fact, I look back now on that failed relationship as a badge of honor. I now realize that because I could bounce back from that, I'm not worried looking toward the future. When the right person comes along, things will work out. If my next relationship does not last, I'll cherish those experiences and move on.

I'm writing to you hoping that I will see my letter in print someday, as I feel it might provide encouragement to others who find themselves in a similar situation. Girls, there is life after a breakup!

FBI IS AN INCREDIBLE CAREER

DR. WALLACE: I read your column about the young lady wanting to be an FBI agent after college. Please encourage all young males and females with the desire to go to the FBI website to discover FBI opportunities. I just graduated from FBI Citizens Academy, and I believe the FBI offers some truly incredible career opportunities. — Agent in Waiting, via email

AGENT IN WAITING: Thank you for sharing this useful suggestion. This information can help many young adults who are considering serving in the FBI.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: PublicDomainPictures at Pixabay