I remember vividly when my college girlfriend and I broke up (I was a week shy of turning 18 and she was a few months shy of turning 19). I was way too conflicted and immature to be open in the way your boyfriend has been. And my girlfriend, to her credit, reached out in the way you have. I couldn't cope and simply withdrew. It was a few years before we renewed our friendship and we remain very close friends 30 (!) years later.

I have a couple of pieces of advice for you. First, I hope you'll take the time to attend to your own feelings about the experience you've been through. And then when you're ready, start dating again.

Regarding which of my books you should read, I think you might benefit from reading What If Someone I Know Is Gay? It's got all the basics that you need in order to have an understanding of gay people and issues. For your ex-boyfriend, I also recommend Making Gay History, so he can have a broader understanding of himself and how we got to this moment in time when gay people can live their lives openly and anticipate a life that has as much potential for happiness as anyone else.

There are also some novels that might give you further insight into what your ex is going through and how you might be supportive, but rather than make recommendations what I'd like to do is put your question to the people who read my blog. Many of my readers are closer to you in age than I am and will likely have some helpful ideas.

All best, Eric

In a subsequent e-mail, "Heartbroken" acknowledged that she was indeed heartbroken, but that she was afraid of being selfish and didn't "want to wallow in self pity." She went on to say: "I've almost been ignoring my own feelings because I figured they pale in comparison to how hard this entire process has been for him, but I am heartbroken right now." She was also concerned that she would become a "bitter and cruel" person.

I responded with the following:

How could you not be heartbroken? How could you not be angry? You have just been through a major emotional trauma. And no matter how much you may be concerned about what your ex-boyfriend is going through, you've got a full plate of your own. For one thing, you must be wondering why he didn't tell you sooner. And if he'd had a sense that he was gay all along, why did he go out with you in the first place?

There is much to be said for doing a little wallowing. I don't think of it as selfish. And I don't think of it as self pity. It's part of what you need to go through to get past this initial period of shock and upset. As my own therapist has said in the past, you can't go around these experiences you have to go through them and experience them. Of course we learn from these experiences, as well, but that's only in hindsight (and it's of no comfort to know this in the moment--I generally hate when anyone says to me that whatever awful thing I'm going through is "a learning experience").

From the little I know about you I can guarantee that you won't become a bitter and cruel person. But if you want to avoid becoming a depressed person, I suggest that you find a counselor to talk to at school. It will really help you to have someone you can confide in. At a moment like this it's very important to have someone to talk to. And from my own experience I can tell you that talking to a professional counselor will help you get through this experience more easily and completely.

You can't just turn off you emotions and pretend you're not heartbroken. And focusing on helping your ex through his current upset of dealing with the fact he's gay is not a great idea. I suggest that you suggest to him that he see a counselor as well. You can't be his recently ex-girlfriend and his therapist at the same time.