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In Washington, scientists have found an unexpected way to recover from a break-up: dwelling on it.

Repeatedly reflecting on a break-up or discussing it with friends or even research experts actually speeds up emotional recovery, new research suggests "Breakups are ubiquitous - most adults have experienced at least one- and are typically very distressing," said Grace Larson from Northwestern University.

After studying divorce and breakups for years using longitudinal , multi-method designs, Larson and her then-adviser David Sbarra of the University of Arizona wanted to study weather these research techniques on their own were affecting participants . "At first glance, it might seem like repeatedly reminding participants that they had just broken up - and asking them to describe the break-up over and over - might delay recovery," she said.

In their study, the researchers found that asking the participants to reflect on their relationships helped them "build a stronger sense of who they were as single people," Larson said. The study was published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.