They haven't developed a self. They aren't clear about their goals, and haven't invested in a broad support network identified with society, or found a comfortable way to contribute to society through a paying job or volunteer work. Russell says one way to cope is to look back on other past relationships. Look at how long it took to get over past relationships, and how you successfully dealt with previous losses. Overall, Russell says that it just takes time to get over a loss.
Life does go on.