Jealousy in relationships is a common emotional response. This can happen to anyone, including a couple. Jealousy can stem from strong feelings of love and worry for a spouse.
On the other hand, unhealthy and excessive jealousy can be destructive to relationships. An excess of jealousy can lead to relationship strain and conflict, which can result in partners becoming emotionally distant from one another, a decline in happiness and wellbeing, or even the breakup of the relationship.
Signs of jealousy
Jealousy in a relationship manifests in several different ways, such as:
Obsessive behavior
When you're jealous, you spend a lot of time and energy watching your partner. Constantly monitor your partner's phone or social media for indicators of infidelity or suspicious behavior.
Criticize
Jealousy frequently causes you to quickly criticize your partner. You will look for minor inconsistencies or flaws as proof that their partner is disloyal or untrustworthy.
Looking for mistakes
People who are jealous often find fault. Additionally, you'll tend to overstate small mistakes or extrapolate unfavorable conclusions from minor situations.
Blame
Jealousy sometimes leads to blaming behavior. You may believe that your partner is the direct source of your envy, without acknowledging your own role in dealing with the emotion.
Feeling disbelief
Jealousy makes you skeptical of your partner, even if there is no strong proof of infidelity. You are fascinated by the possibility that your partner is not honest or faithful.
Being overprotective or suspicious
Jealousy might cause you to overprotect your partner and be distrustful of any social connections you have. You may be suspicious of everyone close to your partner and consider them possible dangers.
Easily become angry
Jealousy is frequently followed by rapid anger. You are also quickly upset or angered about anything involving your relationship.
Verbal harassment
In extreme cases, jealousy can lead to verbally abusive behavior towards a partner. You may use hurtful or threatening comments to intimidate your partner.
How to deal with jealousy in relationships
Recognizing jealousy early on and knowing how to cope with it is important in developing a successful relationship. Here are some suggested strategies:
Take a deep breath
Take a deep breath every time you feel jealous. This helps calm the nervous system and provides an opportunity to calm down before committing impulsive actions.
Accept feelings of jealousy
It's important to acknowledge your feelings of jealousy so that they don't control your thoughts and actions. Constantly imagining worst-case scenarios will only increase anxiety and stress.
Consider the impact of your actions
Before acting on feelings of jealousy, consider whether doing so will benefit or make the situation worse.
Accept uncertainty
Recognizing that there are no guarantees in a relationship is a key step toward conquering jealousy. Accepting uncertainty can help you release your demand for control and learn to trust the relationship process.
Set boundaries
Setting boundaries in your relationship can bring you and your spouse peace and security. This includes having open discussions about expectations, needs, and boundaries in the relationship.
Remembering trust
Trust is the foundation of a strong relationship. While previous experiences can influence how you see trust, it's important not to continuously blame them and use them to explain your jealousy.
By implementing these suggestions and incorporating your partner, you may strengthen and improve your relationship. However, if jealousy interferes with your daily life and harms your relationships, you should consult a psychologist or psychiatrist.
With the correct help and coaching, you may learn to control jealousy and build healthier, more harmonious relationships.If you have other questions related to emotional problems, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.
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- dr. Alvidiani Agustina Damanik
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Sarah Sheppard (2023). How to Spot and Cope With Feelings of Jealousy. Available from: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-jealousy-5190471
Ann Pietrangelo (2020). Is Impulsive Behavior a Disorder?. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/impulsive-behavior
Katie Stiles (2022). How Jealousy Can Destroy a Relationship (And How to Not Let That Happen). Available from: https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-poisonous-effect-of-jealousy-on-your-relationship
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