Jealousy is a complex emotion that involves a real or perceived threat to an interpersonal relationship.
This emotion is often accompanied by resentment, anger, hostility, inadequacy, and bitterness.
Everyone experiences jealousy at some point, but the emotion can become unhealthy and negatively impact their relationships.
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It can also range in intensity.
When its severe, irrational jealousy can lead to distrust,paranoia, abuse, or evenphysical violence.
This article discusses the characteristics ofjealousy, what causes these feelings, and the effects they can have.
It can also manifest in a few different ways.
You may feel suspicious jealousy or reactive jealousy.
Jealousy can lead to other emotions or feelings.
In healthy doses, jealousy can serve as a reminder to cherish or prioritize a relationship.
High degrees of jealousy, however, can impact the overall quality of a relationship.
When youre experiencing jealousy, it can cause changes to your body.
However, it’s also an emotion that can build up over time.
Identifying Jealousy
Recognizing jealousy isn’t always as easy as you might imagine.
It can often disguise itself as other emotions like frustration, insecurity, abandonment, embarrassment, and resentment.
For your own mental health, youll want to find healthy ways to handle your jealousy.
What Causes Jealousy?
Jealousy doesn’t just pop up out of nowhere.
There are various psychological and socioeconomic factors that can contribute to feeling this way.
It’s often triggered by things like deep-seated fears, underlying insecurities, and outside pressures.
Many situations can make you feel jealous.
Jealousy and Mental Health
Certain mental health conditions can also play a role in feelings of jealousy.
Jealousy vs.
Envy
Jealousy and envyare often used interchangeably, but they have different meanings and characteristics.
While distinct, jealousy and envy have some commonalities, which is why they are often confused.
With jealousy, a person might feel insecure about their relationship, while envy might involve insecurity about themselves.
Both involve changing how you view situations and relationships.
Unaddressed abnormal jealousy can lead to distrust, paranoia, or abuse.
This could include fear of losing your partner or fear of failure.
If they are unable to meet your expectations, try not to place blame.
See if you might work together to set more reasonable expectations.
Practice Gratitude
Gratitudecan be a powerful tool for changing your mindset, mood, and emotions.
Remind yourself about all the beautiful things life has given you, says Dr. Gonzalez-Berrios.
Be Open and Honest
Healthy relationships rely on strong communication.
If jealousy arises, Dr. Gonzalez-Berrios suggests having an open and honest conversation about how youre feeling.
Nereida Gonzalez-Berrios, MD
have a go at deal with the misunderstandings with compassion and mutual trust.
Practice Mindfulness
Negative emotions can affect your physical and mental health.
Try practicingmindfulness meditationwhen youre feeling jealousy or another negative emotion, such as anger or resentment.
If jealousy becomes a problem, speaking with a mental health professional can help.
Takeaways
Learning to identify jealousy is a skill.
When you do experience it, try using one of the many coping mechanisms available to you.
Understand, though, that jealousy does not excuse manipulation or abuse.
You may find that theres an underlying problem in the relationship which needs to be addressed.
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