Struggling to let go after a strong emotional attachment

I’m not really sure what I’m looking for here, maybe advice or people who’ve been through something similar.

I got emotionally attached to a girl a few months ago. It was never an official relationship, but we shared strong moments and got quite close in a short period of time. It felt intense and real to me, and I was genuinely happy during that phase — probably the first time I felt that kind of connection.

After a serious conversation where she told me things were going too fast and that she wasn’t ready, things started to change. We still stayed in contact and kept seeing each other, but over time she began feeling a bit of discomfort around me, and we slowly drifted apart.

Around the same time, I was going through a rough mental period for different reasons, including this situation. I started needing to be alone for a while, but without really realizing it, I also kind of pushed her away / isolated her a bit, which I think she took badly. Things became emotionally tense between us, with a lot of heavy conversations, and we eventually ended up in a “no contact” situation.

I reached out recently just to properly close things, and it ended on a respectful note. She said that thinking about everything makes her anxious and emotionally overwhelmed. But she also said she needs time and distance, and also mentioned that she had hoped we could both take space for a while and maybe find a better way to reconnect later.

On my side, I still have strong feelings for her. I miss her a lot, and I struggle with the fact that she doesn’t seem to feel the same attachment or sense of loss. I also tend to overthink everything (social media, small signs, etc.), which makes it harder to move on.

It’s been a few months now, and we’ll likely go through a long period without seeing or talking to each other. Part of me still hopes we might reconnect one day, but another part feels like I should accept that it’s probably over.

• Is it normal to still feel this attached after something like this?
• Does distance actually help in situations like this, or do feelings just fade on their own?
• And how do you start letting go when your feelings are still strong, but the other person has already emotionally stepped away?

Any advice or similar experiences would really help.