Jealousy, that sometimes devastating feeling, can be overcome through genuine work on oneself or with professional support. Becoming aware of its impact on the couple is the first step — and if it becomes overwhelming, seeing a specialist is a must.
How do you become aware of your jealousy?
The jealous person must first become aware of their impact on the couple, and understand its deep-seated causes. Regaining self-confidence — taking care of yourself, making yourself beautiful, playing sport — allows you to recover an inner security that no amount of seduction can provide as long as insecurity has the upper hand.
How do you occupy your mind to move past your obsessive fears?
Filling your free time helps you move past the obsessive fears tied to jealousy: taking up a sport, joining a club, getting into theatre or painting, taking singing lessons, joining a humanitarian association. So many ways of recovering an identity that does not depend solely on your partner’s gaze.
How do you give the couple room to breathe?
Leaving your spouse a little freedom to go out alone or with friends is essential. One to one, switching off the phones and talking openly about the subjects that bother you makes it possible to find solutions far from everyday tensions. Going out with friends yourself beforehand can also be a way of testing, step by step, your ability to let go — a path that meets that of emotional dependency in a relationship, of which jealousy is often one of the expressions.
When should you consult a professional?
If, despite all the efforts made, the results are not there, making an appointment with a mental health professional remains the best option — for the couple, but also for your own balance.
