YouTube Susie Evans calls relationship with Clayton Echard "emotionally taxing."
Susie Evans is opening up about her recent split from “Bachelor” Clayton Echard in a new blog post.
The 29-year-old took to her blog “Susie Was Like” on Monday, November 21, to share the inside details of the split, telling fans the relationship became “emotionally taxing.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Susie Opens up About ‘Emotionally Taxing’ Relationship
Susie and Clayton announced their split in a September 23 Instagram post. The couple released a joint statement telling fans that with “heavy hearts,” they have decided to go their separate ways.
The “Bachelor” alums did not reveal a specific reason for the split, but they did note that they encountered a fair amount of “pain” in their relationship.
“Social media is definitely a highlight reel and much of our experiences together we have kept private as I’m sure most can understand,” they wrote in the caption. “But we will share this — although this last year together has brought us so much joy and so many laughs, there has also been a significant amount of pain. We know no healthy relationship comes without its struggles, but we’ve realized that we were not prepared for the external forces that hindered our ability to not only heal as individuals but also as a couple.”
Susie is now opening up about the painful side of her relationship with Clayton. In her November 21 post titled “Break Up Reflection,” Susie gave fans a glimpse inside her brain as she processed the end of her relationship.
The Virginia native admitted she was “in a pretty low place” toward the end of her and Clayton’s relationship.
“The people around me could see that my sparkle had dulled and I was far from thriving. Sure, I had joyous moments often, but deep down I was struggling and felt misaligned with the best version of me,” she wrote.
“I believe this was because I was trying to make something work that just wasn’t a natural fit,” she continued. “It’s emotionally taxing and not good for the soul. Not to mention, my Google search history was filled with questions like, ‘Can you love someone and not be compatible?’ 😂 I’m really outing myself with that.. But, hey! We are getting vulnerable here.”
Susie Says She Experienced ‘Overwhelming Emotional Pain’ After the Breakup
Susie wrote about the aftermath of the breakup in her Monday blog post. She told fans that she felt “physically sick” at times.
“Suddenly I was experiencing this overwhelming emotional pain and the person I would normally have beside me through the tough stuff is no longer there,” she wrote. “I remember feeling physically sick at times and wondering if it would ever get easier.”
She then went on to write that, over time, she learned how to keep those thoughts at bay.
“The biggest game changer for me was realizing that I had to interrupt those thoughts in their path,” she wrote. “When I started to feel overwhelmed or got the desire to check up on my ex, I would intentionally not engage with those thoughts.”
“Our brain learns what is important to us based on which thoughts we engage with,” she continued. “Understanding this helped me more than any other piece of advice I’ve ever been given during a breakup. As I practiced being intentional with my thoughts/actions, it proved true. Even when those heavy emotions hit, they would go away more quickly than the time before.”
Clayton Shares His Side of the Breakup
Clayton shared his side of the breakup during an October 4 appearance on former “Bachelorette” Kaitlyn Bristow’s podcast “Off the Vine.”
The former tight end admitted that the negativity he received on social media after his season affected his ability to be a secure partner.
“With the backlash from the show, it became very overwhelming, very quickly,” he shared. “And so, what I think ended up happening is I was trying to figure out what my next step was. I started questioning who I was because of all the negativity. I started to believe some of what was being said about me.”
“I couldn’t be that stable, secure man that I needed to be to really be able to give my all in a relationship,” he added.
Clayton revealed that he struggled with self-identity after coming off the show, which caused a strain on his relationship with Susie.
“I was telling Susie, ‘Once I get past these things… then I’ll be able to love you, but just give me three more months,'” he told Kaitlyn. “I just couldn’t heal in the time that I thought was going to heal.”
“We both saw each other hurting and there was so much love,” he continued. “I was like, ‘I want to fight so hard for this relationship, but I feel like the more I fight, the more I tear her down.'”
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