When Is It Healthy To Get Back With An Ex?

It's official: Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are back together. The couple first split in 2013, but have been inseparable for the last few months.

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“Miley is beyond happy to be engaged to Liam again,” a source tells People. “It might seem sudden, but they have been very close for the past few months.”

According to the source, the couple wanted to keep things out of the spotlight while they “figured things out,” but they’re both “much more mature” this time around. Cyrus and Hemsworth have already moved in together and are figuring out where they’ll be settling down.

But - is getting back together with a serious ex a good idea?

Experts aren’t so sure, especially since Hemsworth and Cyrus had reportedly broken up a few times before they got engaged the first time.

“Frequent breaking up and getting back together is a sign of deeper issues related to love and relationships for both people involved,” Manhattan-based clinical psychologist Joseph Cilona tells Yahoo Health. “These kinds of issues do not typically resolve themselves and usually tend to cycle and repeat.”

As a result, they can lead to a lot of wasted time, heartache, and emotional roller coasters.

But psychologist Paul Coleman, author of Finding Peace When Your Heart Is in Pieces, tells Yahoo Health that the couple’s two years apart may actually work in their favor. “A lot can happen in two years — a lot of personal growth and overcoming resentments,” he says.

However, their situation is rare. “When there has been a clean break that has continued for many months, it is not that common to reconnect,” Coleman says. “What is more common is the on-again-off-again pattern. That pattern is not associated with long-term success.”

Coleman says it’s hard to know whether it’s a good idea to reconnect in a situation like this, since it depends on the couple and their motivations. “If there is an honest recognition of what mistakes were made and a true willingness for each to make changes, then the attempt to reconnect can lead to personal growth — which is one function of a healthy relationship,” he says. However, if a couple gets back together because they’re afraid of not finding anyone better or are scared about financial or lifestyle changes, it’s not likely to work out.

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Couples who were in a serious relationship and were living together probably split up for significant reasons, Coleman points out, and they will still need to overcome those issues in the future.

A couple will also need to prove that they’re devoted to each other, he says. “Devotion implies sacrifice. You must be willing to not have your way at times, make sacrifices, and not resent it, but see it as worthwhile for the long-term success of the relationship.”