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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Jealousy ruining our relationship

41 replies

Angelcakelover · 30/12/2024 09:45

Please no one be too harsh but I have to admit... I'm one of those women who gets jealous far too easily. I wouldn't say I get jealous just at the thought of him speaking to another woman, but I get jealous of most of his female friends. Sometimes if he mentions a woman in conversation my ears prick up a bit. He's friends with quite a few women, but some of them are only casual friendships and he rarely ever meets up with a woman one on one.

Jealousy has been a problem for a while, but it's got worse since having a baby together. I find myself feeling vulnerable and insecure more than I should. Now, I'm very confident my DP wouldn't cheat on me. But I couldn't say with confidence that he would never fall out of love with me and fall in love with someone else. I'm already having counselling and while it's helped me with some issues in my past, it hasn't helped so much with the jealousy. For anyone that's been through it, how do you get control of it? I so badly want to be a chilled out woman who doesn't care at all. One of my friends doesn't care if her boyfriend hangs out with women one on one, it's no big deal to her at all. I envy her! I guess I want to know how i can get to that point where it doesn't worry me anymore?

OP posts:
Shiningout · 30/12/2024 10:03

I think you have to try and frame it as you being jealous won't change if he is the type of guy to ever cheat or not. So it's almost a waste of emotion and energy feeling jealous as if he is going to cheat he will cheat regardless of if you're laid back or not!

And if you let your jealousy make you controlling then that'll just damage your relationship anyway.

My partner doesn't really have female friends apart from mates girlfriends or wives tbf so I understand meeting a woman 1-1 would likely make me feel uncomfortable but ultimately as long as there are no warning signs or inappropriate behaviour you have to trust your partner.

Mrsttcno1 · 30/12/2024 11:02

Therapy and working on yourself is your biggest help here. There are so many people in the world and yeah sometimes we meet some that we like or prefer, the key to being secure in your relationship is first being secure in yourself. Be confident in what you bring to the table, be confident in the kind of person you are, and yes still sometimes it won’t go your way but unless you truly love & have faith in yourself you’re never going to be able to believe that your partner truly loves & has faith in you.

Shrinkingrose · 30/12/2024 11:14

Key is getting therapy, I understand you’re in counselling but it isn’t helping with the jealousy and insecurity.

and not making it his problem. This is important. I see so much on here of trust your gut nonsense, or women making it their partners problem, ie I feel this way so you can’t have female friends or see this woman etc, you need to recognise it’s a you problem. And you should be the one to deal with it.

Bettyboo111 · 30/12/2024 11:21

This can be extremely frustrating for the partner and ultimately you can make yourself ill. Out-of-control jealousy is abusive.

Angelcakelover · 30/12/2024 12:05

Mrsttcno1 · 30/12/2024 11:02

Therapy and working on yourself is your biggest help here. There are so many people in the world and yeah sometimes we meet some that we like or prefer, the key to being secure in your relationship is first being secure in yourself. Be confident in what you bring to the table, be confident in the kind of person you are, and yes still sometimes it won’t go your way but unless you truly love & have faith in yourself you’re never going to be able to believe that your partner truly loves & has faith in you.

I think you've hit the nail on the head here. I often think I don't bring that much to the table. DP is friends with people who are smarter, more talented and kinder than me, so I naturally start comparing myself to them. I wonder if he could find someone else who ticks more of his boxes than I do. And I don't know how to stop feeling this way. I know I need to start building myself up more but all I can see are my faults all of the time. It's frustrating for sure! But to him, my jealousy just seems like a lack of trust and he gets offended. I suppose he needs to know it's more about me than him.

OP posts:
Angelcakelover · 30/12/2024 12:10

Shiningout · 30/12/2024 10:03

I think you have to try and frame it as you being jealous won't change if he is the type of guy to ever cheat or not. So it's almost a waste of emotion and energy feeling jealous as if he is going to cheat he will cheat regardless of if you're laid back or not!

And if you let your jealousy make you controlling then that'll just damage your relationship anyway.

My partner doesn't really have female friends apart from mates girlfriends or wives tbf so I understand meeting a woman 1-1 would likely make me feel uncomfortable but ultimately as long as there are no warning signs or inappropriate behaviour you have to trust your partner.

It's frustrating because I know it's a wasteful emotion. I know it does me no favours. But it's hard to just switch emotions off. Believe me, I've tried. I almost wish I could be like a robot sometimes and have no feelings, would be so much easier! We've been together for quite a few years but perhaps having a baby knocked my confidence and I'm struggling to get it back. Maybe it's a sign I need to start working on myself, exercise more, learn a new skill.

OP posts:
Angelcakelover · 30/12/2024 17:43

Shrinkingrose · 30/12/2024 11:14

Key is getting therapy, I understand you’re in counselling but it isn’t helping with the jealousy and insecurity.

and not making it his problem. This is important. I see so much on here of trust your gut nonsense, or women making it their partners problem, ie I feel this way so you can’t have female friends or see this woman etc, you need to recognise it’s a you problem. And you should be the one to deal with it.

Yes I agree. I've been having counselling for a while though and I feel whenever I make progress, I fall back again. I'm not sure how to overcome it. I was hoping that there would be a poster who has experienced strong feelings of jealousy before and managed to get it under control.

OP posts:
GreyCarpet · 30/12/2024 20:43

Now, I'm very confident my DP wouldn't cheat on me. But I couldn't say with confidence that he would never fall out of love with me and fall in love with someone else.

No one can say this with confidence, though.

Understanding this, and being OK with it, will go a long way to helping you manage your feelings around it.

ByGreatDenimCat · 30/12/2024 20:54

There’s nothing wrong with you. Jealousy is a natural response to feeling like your primary relationship is threatened. It makes sense that it would be worse after having a baby. You’re now dependent on him in new ways - this relationship matters more than ever.

I don’t think it’s necessarily a ‘you’ problem. It’s a relationship problem and you need his help with it. How is he reassuring you and making you feel safe and secure? It sounds like he doesn’t. When you bring it up, he gets offended and sees your jealousy as lack of trust in him. Get couples therapy. If it works, he’ll understand you better and you'll feel like he’s got your back.

Mrsttcno1 · 30/12/2024 20:56

ByGreatDenimCat · 30/12/2024 20:54

There’s nothing wrong with you. Jealousy is a natural response to feeling like your primary relationship is threatened. It makes sense that it would be worse after having a baby. You’re now dependent on him in new ways - this relationship matters more than ever.

I don’t think it’s necessarily a ‘you’ problem. It’s a relationship problem and you need his help with it. How is he reassuring you and making you feel safe and secure? It sounds like he doesn’t. When you bring it up, he gets offended and sees your jealousy as lack of trust in him. Get couples therapy. If it works, he’ll understand you better and you'll feel like he’s got your back.

See I don’t think this is fair- it’s not a partner’s responsibility to deal with your totally unfounded jealousy.

SallyWD · 30/12/2024 23:27

It does sound like you need therapy.
I don't worry about cheating. In my mind, it's pointless to worry about things that might possibly happen in the future. What a waste of emotions and energy. What's that saying? Worrying doesn't take away tomorrow's troubles. It simply takes away today's peace.
I don't believe my DH will cheat but if he does, well I just feel he'd be making a massive mistake and fucing up his life. If* it ever happens, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I'm certainly not going waste my time getting upset about it now.

Angelcakelover · 31/12/2024 08:16

SallyWD · 30/12/2024 23:27

It does sound like you need therapy.
I don't worry about cheating. In my mind, it's pointless to worry about things that might possibly happen in the future. What a waste of emotions and energy. What's that saying? Worrying doesn't take away tomorrow's troubles. It simply takes away today's peace.
I don't believe my DH will cheat but if he does, well I just feel he'd be making a massive mistake and fucing up his life. If* it ever happens, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I'm certainly not going waste my time getting upset about it now.

Oo I love that quote. I think I could apply that to a lot of things. I don't worry about him cheating, I worry about him leaving me for another woman I suppose. But like you say, there's really no point in worrying about something that may never happen.

OP posts:
pilates · 31/12/2024 08:21

I think you are half way there as you recognise it’s a problem and not right. Good luck and I hope you find help to ease this issue.

Angelcakelover · 31/12/2024 08:30

pilates · 31/12/2024 08:21

I think you are half way there as you recognise it’s a problem and not right. Good luck and I hope you find help to ease this issue.

I've always seen it as a problem, I don't try to excuse my behaviour. But stopping it is another issue entirely. Thank you, though.

OP posts:
GreyCarpet · 31/12/2024 11:49

Angelcakelover · 31/12/2024 08:30

I've always seen it as a problem, I don't try to excuse my behaviour. But stopping it is another issue entirely. Thank you, though.

Feelings are natural. We all have feelings. There are no 'bad'.emotions but sometimes they do become unhelpful. As in your case.

Behaviours can be controlled. You've alluded to behaviours but I've reread your posts akd can't see where you've mentioned any behaviours other than your ears pricking up when a woman's name is mentioned.

What are you actually doing in response to these feelings? Or is it more that the feelings are overwhelming?

Angelcakelover · 31/12/2024 12:59

GreyCarpet · 31/12/2024 11:49

Feelings are natural. We all have feelings. There are no 'bad'.emotions but sometimes they do become unhelpful. As in your case.

Behaviours can be controlled. You've alluded to behaviours but I've reread your posts akd can't see where you've mentioned any behaviours other than your ears pricking up when a woman's name is mentioned.

What are you actually doing in response to these feelings? Or is it more that the feelings are overwhelming?

Edited

I internalise a lot of my jealousy but find myself asking my partner questions about other women, peeking at his phone when he's sat next to me etc. Nothing awful as such, but still not great.

OP posts:
Pumpkinpie1 · 31/12/2024 14:07

He’s your Partner not your husband and you’ve a child together. Do you think that you feel vulnerable financially and emotionally as a result which is making you act out ?

GreyCarpet · 31/12/2024 14:15

OK. Thanks for answering.

At the moment, those things are habits and habits can be broken. If you find yourself peeking or wanting to peek at his phone - stop yourself. Move to a different room or do something completely different to break the pattern. The less you do it, the less you will want to do it.

Take someone who habitually checks their partners phone (I know you've not said thats what you're doing but hear me out). They look but don't find anything. Great. But they start to wonder if their partner is hiding or deleting messages (so the thinking and possibly behaviour escalates) or they tell themselves that it doesn't matter that they're looking because they never see anything anyway. But all the time they're doing that, it reinforces the idea that its necessary.

And that escalation looks like thinking what if they are hiding or deleting messages? What if the one time they don't check the phone is the time they would have found something? So it becomes an ingrained behaviour. That's the behaviour that's reinforced and rewarded by feeling reassured.

If they stopped checking the phone, took responsibility for their feelings and actions and just rose above it, then that is the behaviour that would become reinforced instead.

Whilst peeking isn't the crime of the century, what happens if 'peeking' over his shoulder no longer feels enough? What if you decide that looking through his phone is justified. Just this once..?

You say you question your partner about these women. Reflect on the nature of these. Do you ask how he knows her? Whether or not he thinks she's attractive? Whatever it is, ask yourself how much, if at all, it actually matters.

Eg does it really matter if he once dated her? Does it matter if she's the best friend of an ex he kept in touch with? Does it matter if he thinks she's attractive? Would you want to hear an honest answer? What if it was hurtful? Do you want him to lie to make you feel better? What's the point in that?

What reassurance does the questioning give you? How can you offer that to yourself instead?

The trick is to be really logical.

You can't control what happens in the future. Whether he finds someone else attractive or whether he falls in love with someone else. All you can do is trust what he says (if he's trustworthy) and hope that he continues to choose you for as long as you choose him. And make sure that you invest in yourself socially, professionally and financially so that if your worst fears come true, you'll be OK.

The difference between people who worry and are dominated by feelings of jealousy and those who aren't is that they accept they have no control over the other person but also that they will be OK if it all goes wrong.

My exh said to me when we were still together that he trusted me not to cheat on him because he knew I was better than that but that, if I did, it would say a lot more about me than it did him. He was right. And the reverse was true when he did eventually cheat on me 😉

I'm sorry if that's a bit muddled but I hope you get what I'm saying.

Angelcakelover · 31/12/2024 14:29

GreyCarpet · 31/12/2024 14:15

OK. Thanks for answering.

At the moment, those things are habits and habits can be broken. If you find yourself peeking or wanting to peek at his phone - stop yourself. Move to a different room or do something completely different to break the pattern. The less you do it, the less you will want to do it.

Take someone who habitually checks their partners phone (I know you've not said thats what you're doing but hear me out). They look but don't find anything. Great. But they start to wonder if their partner is hiding or deleting messages (so the thinking and possibly behaviour escalates) or they tell themselves that it doesn't matter that they're looking because they never see anything anyway. But all the time they're doing that, it reinforces the idea that its necessary.

And that escalation looks like thinking what if they are hiding or deleting messages? What if the one time they don't check the phone is the time they would have found something? So it becomes an ingrained behaviour. That's the behaviour that's reinforced and rewarded by feeling reassured.

If they stopped checking the phone, took responsibility for their feelings and actions and just rose above it, then that is the behaviour that would become reinforced instead.

Whilst peeking isn't the crime of the century, what happens if 'peeking' over his shoulder no longer feels enough? What if you decide that looking through his phone is justified. Just this once..?

You say you question your partner about these women. Reflect on the nature of these. Do you ask how he knows her? Whether or not he thinks she's attractive? Whatever it is, ask yourself how much, if at all, it actually matters.

Eg does it really matter if he once dated her? Does it matter if she's the best friend of an ex he kept in touch with? Does it matter if he thinks she's attractive? Would you want to hear an honest answer? What if it was hurtful? Do you want him to lie to make you feel better? What's the point in that?

What reassurance does the questioning give you? How can you offer that to yourself instead?

The trick is to be really logical.

You can't control what happens in the future. Whether he finds someone else attractive or whether he falls in love with someone else. All you can do is trust what he says (if he's trustworthy) and hope that he continues to choose you for as long as you choose him. And make sure that you invest in yourself socially, professionally and financially so that if your worst fears come true, you'll be OK.

The difference between people who worry and are dominated by feelings of jealousy and those who aren't is that they accept they have no control over the other person but also that they will be OK if it all goes wrong.

My exh said to me when we were still together that he trusted me not to cheat on him because he knew I was better than that but that, if I did, it would say a lot more about me than it did him. He was right. And the reverse was true when he did eventually cheat on me 😉

I'm sorry if that's a bit muddled but I hope you get what I'm saying.

Thank you! You make some fantastic points. I suppose part of the issue is I'm not sure I would be OK if it all went wrong. I'd have so much to lose and it terrifies me. Perhaps it's a sign I need to start looking at my finances and have some savings for some peace of mind. And make more genuine friendships so i wouldnt be completely alone if he were to ever leave.

OP posts:
Angelcakelover · 31/12/2024 14:30

Pumpkinpie1 · 31/12/2024 14:07

He’s your Partner not your husband and you’ve a child together. Do you think that you feel vulnerable financially and emotionally as a result which is making you act out ?

It's definitely part of the reason. If he were to turn around and say he wants me to leave, I'd be in an awful situation. Definitely need to sort out my finances this year for sure.

OP posts:
GreyCarpet · 31/12/2024 14:35

Angelcakelover · 31/12/2024 14:29

Thank you! You make some fantastic points. I suppose part of the issue is I'm not sure I would be OK if it all went wrong. I'd have so much to lose and it terrifies me. Perhaps it's a sign I need to start looking at my finances and have some savings for some peace of mind. And make more genuine friendships so i wouldnt be completely alone if he were to ever leave.

So if that's the root of your jealousy, then you are absolutely right, the thing you need to focus on next is improving your position.

Do you have plans to marry which will give you protection? A career? Presumably you have a good relationship and he's supportive if you've recently had a baby with him so how about discussing some of this with him?

If he gives you the reassurances you ask for then he obviously cares about/loves you. In which case, I'm sure he'd be on board in supporting you to get to a position where you don't need to worry.

Collette78 · 31/12/2024 14:42

Is he open and honest about his communication with the other women or are you getting jealous because he isn’t and so it’s on your radar?

I think if he’s open and honest then you need to try and frame it that way.

But if he’s doing anything to try and make you reactively jealous then he needs to consider that, i.e is he using them as a tool or threat in arguments, is it flirty etc?

Would he consider it an issue if you had multiple male friends that you casually chit chatted to?

Ultimately people may or may not cheat and you can’t preempt that, don’t check phones etc because that crosses a line.

As a couple you need to agree what you consider to be mutually respectful and that works both ways it’s not all on you to adjust your behaviours he needs to be considerate of you as his wife and mother of his child and whether he is providing a sense of security.

VimesandhisCardboardBoots · 31/12/2024 15:19

Angelcakelover · 30/12/2024 12:05

I think you've hit the nail on the head here. I often think I don't bring that much to the table. DP is friends with people who are smarter, more talented and kinder than me, so I naturally start comparing myself to them. I wonder if he could find someone else who ticks more of his boxes than I do. And I don't know how to stop feeling this way. I know I need to start building myself up more but all I can see are my faults all of the time. It's frustrating for sure! But to him, my jealousy just seems like a lack of trust and he gets offended. I suppose he needs to know it's more about me than him.

Why do you think that it's a box ticking exercise though?

I'm not with my DP because she ticks the most boxes for me. I can think of at least 5 female friends who on paper would probably be a better match for me. I'm with her because I fell in love with her, and luckily she did with me.

Obviously when you start dating there are boxes to tick. Are they nice, do they make you laugh, are they likely to be abusive, are they financially stable etc. But that's not what makes you stay with someone.

If it were all about box ticking, then I'd be with my best friend. She's smart, funny, we have shared interests, a similar sense of humour, we can spend days in each others company and not drive each other up the wall. All these things make her a great friend. But I've never felt a single romantic feeling towards her, no matter how many boxes she ticks.

You're feeling jealous because you're comparing yourself to these other women and finding yourself wanting. Maybe you're not as pretty as Brenda, or as funny as Mavis. Maybe you don't share a hobby with him like Elaine does. But none of those things matter, he's not with you for any of your individual qualities. He's with you because the specific mashup of qualities and flaws that make you an individual is a mashup that he could fall in love with. And that's the only box that needs ticking.

Edit: Sorry, one final thought. You're expecting him to leave you because other people are "better". There are plenty of people who have affairs and trade down. People have affairs because they want someone different. Not because they want someone better.

Bettyboo111 · 31/12/2024 15:37

Angelcakelover · 31/12/2024 14:30

It's definitely part of the reason. If he were to turn around and say he wants me to leave, I'd be in an awful situation. Definitely need to sort out my finances this year for sure.

Obviously, your hormones are spiking, but making plans just in case he leaves is not the basis for a committed long-term relationship.
Glancing at his phone and asking about other women, these behaviours can spiral into hypervigilance and monitoring more covertly, eventually spilling out into the open. Improper jealousy can lead you to unfairly suspect and accuse your partner of infidelity. This atmosphere of distrust can damage your marriage and potentially affect your well-being.
We frequently assume that our thoughts reflect reality. Our strong belief in our correctness can feel like validation. However, just because we believe something to be true doesn’t mean it is, and our confidence alone isn’t genuine evidence.
I'd suggest individual counselling.
We live in a mixed society where people interact, and it is possible to communicate with members of the opposite sex or even exes without it being a threat to your relationship.

GreyCarpet · 31/12/2024 17:24

making plans just in case he leaves is not the basis for a committed long-term relationship

Odd comment because it's more about providing security for yourself and good advice for anyone.

After all, not making plans, sticking your head in the sand and hoping for the best isn't a basis for a committed long term relationship because it isn't about that.

And the former is always going to serve you well. The latter means you will always be at the mercy of someone else.

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