2 Sneaky Ways Jealousy Will Destroy Your Relationship If You're Not Careful

Squash that jealousy bug before it ruins your relationship.

By Dona Murphy
Last updated on Feb 01, 2024

Photo: Bobex-73 / Shutterstock

jealous boyfriend confronting girlfriend

There can be many unhealthy feelings that arise in relationships, like jealousy, so you may be wondering how to save a relationship that’s falling apart. Your emotions can cause you to have thoughts that make you believe that there’s no hope. Jealousy, especially, is a very damaging emotion to you and your partner. Feeling a little jealous in your romantic relationship is normal. It’s one way of showing that we love and value our significant other. Like a lot of things, though, a little jealousy goes a long way...and more is not better.

Here are 2 sneaky ways jealousy destroys your relationship:

1. The "crazy" factor

Acting out on your jealous feelings — with angry outbursts and suspicious, third-degree-type questioning — can make you look psycho-crazy to your partner. The more innocent they are, the worse your behavior makes you look.

Extreme jealousy is ugly and frightening. The lack of trust it expresses can mean death to a relationship. Trust is one of the core supports of a healthy relationship. Without it, things tend to fall hard and fast, and there’s not much left but a greasy smear at the crash site.

Destructive jealousy stems from insecurity and/or the need to control another person. If you’ve expressed your jealousy over a partner or had a partner feel jealous of you, you’ll be able to recognize these familiar patterns.

2. The self-fulfilling prophecy

The other undesirable outcome of this level of distrust is the potential for it to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

If someone is always doubted no matter how "clean" their record, they may feel that it’s futile to try and prove their innocence. And many people then take the attitude, "If I’m going to wear the name and bear the shame, I might as well play the game."

So, what’s the alternative to sneaking, snooping, spying, and downright stalking?

Maybe your suspicions were sparked by some change in behavior or attitude on your partner’s part. Or, the jealous feelings started because you’ve been feeling a bit insecure or sensed a distance between you and your partner.

Either way, communication is the key to finding a solution.

Sometimes, something in the relationship has already gone way wrong (i.e. cheating has occurred or is occurring). Perhaps there’s been a growing apart. You feel the bond between you needs renewing and strengthening.

There is only one way to get to the heart of the matter. You need to stop assuming the worst and stop trying to solve "mysterious clues" on your own. You need to ask questions. From there, you can find the appropriate solution to the problem — if a problem exists.

Here are 4 ways to tame it:

1. Find the facts

Your suspicions about your partner may be due to changes in that person’s behavior. You do need to find out if they’re cheating. If they are, you have a bigger problem than feeling jealous. You need to figure out what to do about your relationship.

You may be spying and obsessing: checking his texts, tracking his social media activity, or following him around. If you are, stop.

You’re demeaning yourself not to mention him and your relationship. And to make matters worse, this type of activity has another downside.

Innocent or guilty, when you’re caught (and you will be), your mate can now make your behavior the issue, not his behavior. And not the actual source of the problem in the relationship (especially if he does turn out to be innocent).

2. Talk it out

A better way to approach this might be to say, "Wow. Sounds like this new girl made an impression on you. I don’t like feeling this way, but it makes me kind of jealous. Are you attracted to her? I mean, seriously attracted?"

Now, asking questions like this puts you in a vulnerable place. But if your spouse is innocent and understands what it is you’re thinking and feeling, he has a chance to respond honestly and reassure you.

If your worst suspicions are confirmed and you do find out that your spouse or boyfriend has strayed, feeling jealous is a secondary problem. The first issue will be deciding what to do about the relationship.

Do you stay or do you go?

3. Set limits

Another aspect of good communication in relationships addresses expectations. It’s up to the two of you to decide and agree on what "limits" you’ll both respect.

How will you handle contact and friendships with the opposite gender? You can agree on appropriate behavior when dealing with other men and women who are friends, co-workers, or even exes.

For some, this could mean that a woman having a working lunch with her male colleague is crossing the line. For others, that would be acceptable. But a man keeping in private text contact with an ex-girlfriend is crossing the line.

No one else can tell you what "should" be acceptable or unacceptable between you and your significant other. The two of you owe it to yourselves and each other to talk about and come to terms with what each of you is comfortable with.

Lay the ground rules on what you will accept within the boundaries of the relationship.

4. Make time for each other

It’s often said that the quality of time spent together is more important than the quantity. But without setting aside some quantity, there’ll be no chance for quality.