Why Getting Back Together With Your Ex May Be Bad for Your Health

If you're caught in an on-again, off-again relationship, a new study says it may be time to break the cycle for good.

"A pattern of breaking up and getting back together with the same partner — what we refer to as 'relationship cycling' — was associated with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety," says study co-author Kale Monk, an assistant professor of human development and family science at the University of Missouri, in an email to TIME.