Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCharacteristics of Retroactive JealousyCausesImpactCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Characteristics of Retroactive Jealousy
Causes
Impact
Coping
Close
Have you ever felt uncomfortable with your partner’s dating history? Have you ever beenjealousof their previous romantic partners? Have you ever compared yourself to their ex-partners and felt insecure? If so, you may be experiencing retroactive jealousy.
Retroactive jealousy is when you have an unhealthy preoccupation with your partner’s romantic history.
We tapped clinical psychologistSabrina Romanoff, PsyD to help us understand what retroactive jealousy could look like. Below, Dr. Romanoff describes some of the characteristics of retroactive jealousy:
13 Red Flags in Relationships
Causes of Retroactive Jealousy
These are some of the potential causes of retroactive jealousy, according to Dr. Romanoff:
How to Feel Less Paranoid in a Relationship
Impact of Retroactive Jealousy
Jealousy can take a toll on you and your partner. Below, Dr. Romanoff outlines the impact of retroactive jealousy on your mental health and your relationship.
Impact on Your Mental Health
Jealousyis a negative emotion that can take you down a debilitating spiral of unproductive thoughts. Fixating on your partner’s past can affect your ability to enjoy the present with them. You might find yourself feeling stressed and anxious, which is a difficult and uncomfortable state to be in.
Thoughts of retroactive jealousy often tend to be representations of your own worries andinsecurities. When you idealize others, you are essentially elevating them and devaluing yourself. This can be hard on your confidence and self-esteem, affecting how you see yourself in other areas of your life as well.
Impact on Your Relationship
Jealousy can cause you to pick fights with your partner that may be entirely unnecessary if they haven’t done anything wrong.
Jealousy can act like a self-fulfilling prophecy thatsabotages your relationship. By allowing yourself to give in to jealousy, you may engage in behaviors that push your partner away, making your worst fears come true.
Coping With Retroactive Jealousy
Dr. Romanoff suggests some strategies that can help you cope with retroactive jealousy:
40 Questions to Build Intimacy in a Relationship
Keep in Mind
No one is thrilled about their partner’s dating history; however, letting retroactivejealousyescalate can be harmful to your peace of mind and your relationship.
Help! I’m Jealous of My Partner’s Bestie
2 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Murphy AM, Russell G.Rejection sensitivity, jealousy, and the relationship to interpersonal aggression.J Interpers Violence. 2018;33(13):2118-2129. doi:10.1177/0886260515622572
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