Female jealousy is a rather unpredictable thing, often dangerous, and more often it poses a danger specifically for the ladies themselves. As a rule, it is believed that it is not a loving young lady who is jealous, but a girl striving to be loved. In fact, jealousy is a natural expression of feelings, but often it becomes a catalyst that provokes the destruction of relationships. Psychology defines female jealousy as a negatively highlighted, exaggerated sense of ownership in relation to the chosen one. It is also believed that jealousy is inherent in all people, but it manifests itself purely subjectively. Many people have no control over it.
Features of female jealousy
Jealousy is defined by psychologists as a negatively colored feeling of ownership towards a loved one.
It is not the woman who loves who is jealous, but the one who wants to be loved. This feeling has nothing to do with love. It is expressed differently in men and women. Representatives of the fair half of humanity are jealous more often, but endure experiences more easily. If women perceive male jealousy as the norm, then in men unreasonably jealous passion causes irritation.
Differences between female jealousy and male jealousy:
- A woman’s jealousy is based on the fear of being deprived of a “source of funds.” The feeling of ownership among ladies works like this: “You are my man. And he should spend the money he earns only on me and our children.”
- The aggression of a jealous woman is directed not at her partner, but at a potential rival. There is no need to kill the “goose that lays the golden eggs.” We need to deal with those who coveted this chicken.
- Women's jealousy is aggravated by sexual dissatisfaction, “women's” diseases, infertility, the period of bearing a baby and the first months after its birth.
- There are two categories of jealous women: some watch their lover’s every step, not giving vent to their feelings, withdrawing into themselves. Others, suspecting their partner’s infidelity, throw a tantrum at every opportunity, unable to control themselves.
For many couples, jealousy exists without any love - instead, it has long faded away or did not exist at all.
Obsession.
People are not perfect, but there is a small percentage of women who idealize relationships, marriage and family, but when a man makes a mistake that is not comparable to their idea of an ideal relationship, they begin a debriefing.
As an example, you can take a simple tardiness (you came home five minutes late from work, and a different reality was already pictured in her head), which is also why the wives of their husbands , although they try to keep their “inner bull”. At the moment of a scandal, a woman begins to turn on the “teacher” and dictate rules from which every man will sooner or later want to escape. As a result, the man more often avoids contact with his wife, which is why the jealousy “to the air” intensifies, the moral pressure intensifies... And so on in a circle... Until the divorce. (example: My wife is jealous of the past. What should I do?)
Causes
Men have a hard time experiencing the fact of physical betrayal by their beloved. For women, spiritual betrayal is more important. A woman will tolerate an affair at work or a partner’s fleeting infatuation at a resort more easily than the open admiration of another.
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Prerequisites for the emergence of female jealousy:
- injustice - a woman perceives herself and her partner as a single whole. If another one appears, the man hears reproaches: “How could you! I gave you the best years of my life";
- low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence makes a woman think that her partner can find a replacement for her - a beautiful, smart, successful mistress;
- hurt pride prompts a self-confident lady to take revenge on her chosen one or his passion;
- The fear of losing material well-being, the source of which is the husband, arises among women who sit at home and do not have their own means of subsistence. In this case, aggression is directed at everyone to whom the husband can provide financial assistance;
- indifference and fear of loneliness, which worsens with age.
Jealousy intensifies if the spouse is often absent from home. His wife cannot control him all the time. Video calls come to her aid, with which the jealous woman “gets” her partner during business trips or business meetings. If he didn’t answer, it means he was cheating at that time.
“Jealousy is one part of love and ninety-nine parts of self-love” (François La Rochefoucauld).
Such control degrades a man's self-esteem and makes him look stupid in the eyes of others.
Fears.
Numerous phobias and fears are why women are jealous of men, the most famous, of course, is the fear of betrayal, however, this is what causes jealousy. However, there is a certain paradox: if you often accuse a man of betrayal, he will eventually break the marriage law, and the woman will calm down, because she no longer needs to be afraid that she will be deceived.
If we recall primitive times, a woman’s jealousy reflected the fear of losing a male, on whom her life, offspring and the fact of the satiety of all family members directly depended. In our century, nothing threatens women; rather, having a husband in the form of money, a place to live, and the absence of loneliness has a significant priority. Yes, girls are afraid of being lonely, so they stick to even the most careless men.
Signs
A jealous person is selfish and insecure. He is trying to subjugate his partner, to control him. People who cheat on their partners or constantly think about it are prone to jealousy. A jealous woman imposes a feeling of guilt on a man and plays on his responsibilities as the head of the family. If a couple has children, they find themselves in the center of battles, because manipulating children is a weak woman’s trump card.
More than 9,000 people have gotten rid of their psychological problems using this technique.
The main sign of a jealous woman is 24/7 monitoring of her partner’s actions.
Physiological signs
A woman who is jealous but tries to hide it is easy to identify by external signs.
“Symptoms” of female jealousy:
- blush on the cheeks;
- cardiopalmus;
- shortness of breath;
- increased sweating;
- rage and resentment in the eyes;
- increase in pupil size;
- biting lips or biting nails.
If you notice these signs in a woman, do not ask directly whether she is jealous or not. With your question you will provoke a scandal. Remember the situation that led to the appearance of “symptoms”, justify your actions.
Psychological signs
If physiological signs help determine a woman’s current state, then observing her behavior will tell you whether she is jealous of you in principle.
Psychological signs of a jealous woman include:
- constant vigilance - the desire to know where and with whom the partner spends time. This is manifested in regular phone calls, including video calls, secret reading of SMS, monitoring pages on social networks;
- a game of imagination - left at home alone, the wife deceives herself, drawing pictures of her husband’s infidelity in her head. The richer the imagination, the more real these pictures become. She complains of constant headaches and high blood pressure, which are caused by her excited state;
- accusations - she focuses on the man’s shortcomings, attributes to him “all mortal sins,” without ceasing to reproach him for betrayal;
- scandals out of the blue - a showdown can be provoked by a TV program on the topic of treason or a film with a similar plot. The conversation immediately turns to the husband and his new passion. Moreover, children become unwitting witnesses to scandals. They hear mom insult dad, raise her voice, and see how worried she is. A daughter or son begins to distrust the father they loved just yesterday, and at an older age they openly express protest.
A jealous wife can suddenly drop by her husband’s work, meet him “by chance” from the office, or dial him via video call during important negotiations. This is madness, but she considers her actions justified.
"Half Organism"
A high-frequency cause of jealousy in women: the unintentional creation of a world called “We.” 70% experience this during their first love, when an apathetic state sets in if their loved one is not around. Comparable to energy boost.
At the moment when both partners are nearby, the woman becomes inspired (she starts cooking, doing housework), becomes overly cheerful and resourceful. At the moment when the partners are apart, she seems to fall into hibernation, does nothing, like a discharged smartphone - it does not function, which causes thoughts to come to mind:
- Nobody needs me;
- He's with someone else now;
- He left, which means he doesn’t love...
The same thing is observed in newborn babies, who “strain themselves” from crying if the mother leaves for a couple of minutes, which is why children who have endured “motherless” loneliness from 0 to 4 years old grow up as detached individuals, unable to interact healthily with people and be in a social environment without an “extra shoulder”, they begin an early search for love (from 12 to 18 years old) and get burned - hence the subconscious is replenished with psychological trauma.
Wife's jealousy over past relationships
Before marriage, partners in the vast majority of cases already had experience in a serious relationship. In addition, the number of remarriages increases every year.
According to statistics, after a divorce, 68% of men marry again, of which 73% consider their remarriage happier than the previous one. For women, the numbers are not so comforting - 27% of divorced women officially marry again. 56% of them are happy with their second spouse.
If a man was married, his new passion arises about his ex - whether they communicate or not, how often they see each other, whether he helps her financially. The situation gets worse if there are children from the first marriage. After all, by prohibiting or limiting communication with them, she risks ruining the relationship with her husband. The woman is tormented by the thought that at the first opportunity he will return to his ex-wife.
If you don’t want to give up and are ready to really, and not in words, fight for your full and happy life, you may be interested in this article .
Dangerous facts that justify a wife's jealousy of her ex:
- A man often compares your behavior and actions with the actions of his ex-wife. However, the comparison is not in your favor.
- At joint events, he devotes more time to her than to others, including you.
- You notice your husband's attempts to stay alone with her.
- A man constantly offers to help his ex-wife.
Even with a mutual decision to separate, former partners cannot automatically become strangers and erase each other from their lives. There are common children, friends, work. Therefore, in order to harmonize a new relationship, it is important to learn to trust your spouse. If you are uncomfortable with his communication with his ex, you need to immediately talk honestly about it, and not suppress the feeling of jealousy that arises. He may have to limit communication with his ex-wife to maintain peace and tranquility in your family.
Mistress's Jealousy
The mistress has a difficult lot - she waits, hopes, adores, submits and... is insanely jealous. If, when meeting an interesting man, the fact that he is married comes up, then it is better to limit communication to this. If the lady, despite this, has lost her head over a new acquaintance, she must overcome the feeling of jealousy and immediately come to terms with the idea that he will not leave the family.
Unjealous lovers are as rare as Amur tigers. Women are possessive by nature. The lover's jealousy arises already upon meeting. Don't torment yourself with vain hopes. If you cannot refuse to communicate with a married man, then there is no point in being jealous of his wife - after all, men do not date women worse than their wives, which means you are better for him.
Advice to your lover on how to get rid of jealousy:
- Imagine yourself in your wife’s place, don’t envy her. She is a victim, not a rival. Her husband constantly deceives, citing urgent and important matters, and these matters are you for him. For a man, she is gray everyday life, and you are a bright holiday. Enjoy your role.
- If you know your loved one’s family, then at joint parties, be the “prom queen” and make him jealous, forgetting about your betrothed.
- If you are annoyed by the sight of a happy family, do not provoke new meetings in such a company.
- When a wife knows about the existence of a mistress, she is torn by jealousy a thousand times more than her rival. You shouldn’t expect a man to make a decision about choosing one person. Convince yourself that you are not a mistress, but another woman. And he loves you, he cannot live without you. Abstract yourself from your jealousy.
- Forbid him to talk about domestic problems in your presence. Negativity should be left at the door. Don't show jealousy. Enjoy your life. Let a man feel comfortable and warm in your company.
A man continues to live with his family not out of great love for his wife and children, but because it is more convenient for him. He has two families at the same time. What he does not receive in one, he makes up for in the other. This is a kind of attempt to create an “ideal family”. For a man, a mistress is a pleasant conversationalist, a close friend and adviser.
Low self-esteem.
Trying to figure out why the wives of their husbands are jealous , many psychologists referred specifically to reduced self-esteem, as a result of which the “martyr” felt as if defeated in a game that had not yet begun. Hence manic neurosis, accompanied by a feeling of loss, depression and apathy (comparable to an Olympiad participant who claims first place and receives last).
The main difference from the previous type of self-esteem is the obsession with thoughts like: “Luck cannot smile on me,” “This well-to-do handsome man will never look at me,” “I will definitely be used and abandoned,” and other thoughts of a jealous woman, indicating weakness in temperament.
Ladies tend to pretend to be a victim, without intent and without seeing the full picture of their behavior. They get married early, considering the stamp in the passport as a tool confirming their full rights and legal ability to manipulate and own their husband. At the slightest sign of interest in another lady, claims, tears, and hysterics begin. This method allows you to disarm a loving man; he obediently begins to make excuses, regret and prove his love.
You cannot blame her for this manipulation, because it contributes to the rapid settlement of her psycho-emotional state due to the gradual accumulation of confidence that you really find her attractive, valuable and are fully aware of the right choice of your spouse.
Important! If this illness is not treated, you can expect a side effect in the form of constant jealousy of your fictitious mistress, since your spouse will need an “additive” in the form of the same words and tenderness to calm down. You'll just start to get bored with it.
Girl's jealousy towards boyfriend
Girls at the beginning of a relationship tend to idealize their boyfriend. Even the thought of the existence of a rival is not allowed. But as soon as she catches a glance addressed to another, or sees him flirting with a friend, trust disappears instantly. The reason for jealousy at the beginning of a relationship is the immaturity of the partners, their unpreparedness for serious changes in life. A girl's active, groundless jealousy of a guy can offend him.
There is no need to limit his personal space on the second day after meeting. This will lead to separation. But you shouldn’t endure constant trips to the left. Trust and respect should reign in a couple. In order not to provoke the guy, the girl herself must remain faithful to her chosen one.
If there are suspicions of a young man’s infidelity, you need to overcome yourself so as not to start a showdown right away. Female jealousy of a friend is quite common, especially if the friend does not have a permanent boyfriend. You should make sure that his betrayal is not a figment of your imagination, but a reality.
At the same time, you don’t need to turn a blind eye to a guy’s infidelity, otherwise it will happen again and again.
More than 9,000 people have gotten rid of their psychological problems using this technique.
Love or mistrust?
Despite the fact that jealousy goes hand in hand with love, these concepts are by no means synonymous. So how to distinguish love from mistrust? For clarity, consider the behavior of two married couples in everyday and everyday situations.
Mistrust is one of the reasons for jealousy
Example #1: At a party
- The couple attends a party. The wife starts a casual conversation with one of the male guests (about the weather, the hero of the occasion, etc.). The husband also finds someone to talk to or joins the unobtrusive conversation, maintaining a friendly tone and picking up on his wife’s jokes.
- The same situation: the wife starts a conversation with the man, but the husband intervenes quite abruptly in their communication. In some cases, the conflict may begin on the spot, but most often the wife will face a dissatisfied look and a scandal upon returning home.
Example No. 2. Meeting from work
- The husband returns from work at the same time, but suddenly he is late without warning. His wife called him and found out what the reason was and when to heat up dinner.
- The same situation: the spouse is late from work. His wife calls him at work and asks the boss what time he left his workplace. Asks his colleagues if he communicated with anyone during the working day. Upon returning home, the husband will face a scandal and a reprimand about selfishness.
Example No. 3. Personal space
- Spouses enjoy spending time together: going to the cinema, attending social events or joint classes. If their interests diverge, then everyone calmly goes about their business alone or in the company of friends.
- The spouses are forced to spend all their free time together, as one of them believes that this is an example of an ideal relationship. Any party's own interests and tastes are suppressed; meetings with friends in cafes and trips to football with friends are perceived as betrayal.
It is obvious that the behavior of the first couple is filled with love and trust, while the actions of the spouses of the second lack any common sense. The reasons for jealousy in all situations are far-fetched and are not determined by anything other than the desire of one of the spouses to completely capture the attention and freedom of the other.
Jealousy of a mother towards her son
For a mother, a son is the most important and dear person. She put her love and tenderness into him all her life. When the time comes to let him go into independent life, the mother realizes that she is not ready to do this. She feels abandoned, afraid of losing her loved one. Motherly love makes a woman angry.
5 secrets of the ideal mother-in-law:
- Set yourself up for a positive relationship with your daughter-in-law. For the sake of my son, we must learn to respect her and not criticize her. What will happen next, time will tell.
- Don't overdo it with intimate conversations with your daughter-in-law. Don't try to get her to have a frank conversation about your son. You should not interfere in their family life.
- In raising your grandchildren, offer help, but do not impose. Don't try to take your mom's place. To combat the overwhelming urge to constantly give advice to new parents, take up handicrafts, dancing or Nordic walking. May you develop new interests that are not related to your grandchildren.
- Do not demand constant attention from your son. Don't expect him to devote the same amount of time to you as he did before marriage. Unjustified expectations will lead to disappointment and jealousy towards the daughter-in-law.
- Live separately from your son's family. This way you will not have the desire to constantly control your daughter-in-law.
It’s not for nothing that they say that a smart mother-in-law gains a daughter, a stupid one loses a son. A mother's jealousy should not have devastating consequences for her son's life.
When a child grows up, you need to let him go, no matter how hard it may be. Good friends, a faithful life partner, and an interesting job will help you with this.
Help from folk remedies
At this point, experts note at least 3 ways to treat this disease. Among them are:
- Inpatient treatment, which should be carried out in a specialized medical institution under the supervision of specialists.
- Carrying out treatment using drugs. You need to take medications prescribed by your doctor.
- Impact on the patient of a psychotherapeutic type. The method requires an integrated approach, which may include carrying out the necessary work both as a specialist and independently under his guidance.
Use of various folk remedies in treatment.
- In folk medicine, it is often necessary to treat such a disease with herbal preparations, which can significantly calm a person’s heightened nervous state. To do this, you can use infusions based on valerian root. It is recommended to drink chamomile infusions.
- Psychotherapy from loved ones. It is worth protecting the patient from various factors that lead to exacerbation of the disease. It is necessary to exclude the reasons why he might have another attack of jealousy.
- To treat attacks of jealousy, it is often necessary to use an infusion made from oregano and dried herbs. You can add St. John's wort to it.
- There are recipes that, in addition to the above components, include hawthorn with lilac buds, plantain with hop cones.
- All this should be brewed in half a liter of boiling water at the rate of 30 grams of a mixture of herbs and plants. You should drink the decoction in the morning before meals. The course of treatment should continue for 2 months.
- We should not forget about aromatherapy. Often, aromatic oils can provide a calming effect. It is recommended to leave the aroma lamp on at night, which helps a person to relax and calm his psyche.
Traditional therapy will become effective when a person has the initial stage of the disease. In its later forms, you should immediately consult a doctor; independent treatment will not bring results.
Pathological female jealousy
Pathological jealousy is an incurable disease that can only be suppressed temporarily. In 15-20% of people, it turns into a mental disorder and is very similar in symptoms to a severe form of psychosis.
Pathology manifests itself in the constant search for confirmation of a partner’s infidelity. His evidence of innocence is not accepted.
“A jealous man would wish at heart to be nothing less than a god to the object of his love” (Benjamin Johnson).
A feature of female pathological jealousy is manic surveillance of a man. Secretly checking his phone, social networking sites, email - all this makes his life unbearable.
Dangers lurking in pathological jealousy:
- thinking through a plan of revenge, sometimes with the use of weapons;
- the inability to control emotions leads to constant conflicts and quarrels, sometimes ending in physical or psychological violence;
- during an emotional outburst, a woman accuses her partner of all mortal sins that have nothing to do with reality;
- in an attempt to catch her partner cheating, a jealous woman develops “obsessive and valuable” ideas;
- promotion of delusional ideas leads to schizophrenia;
- According to statistics, 20% of pathological jealous people try to commit suicide, trying to attract the attention of a partner.
Jealous people deny the existence of a problem and consider their reaction to be quite adequate. Sometimes they try to drown out the pain of their partner’s betrayal with alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs. They take it out on loved ones or “eat” a grudge.
The right thing to do would be to see a psychologist. He will help a woman cope with raging emotions, and, if necessary, recommend medications.
How to behave if a woman is jealous
A woman regularly stages scenes of jealousy, not embarrassed by the presence of children or friends. For her, the meaning of life lies in the fight for a man who feels like a “puppet” in her hands.
How to respond to female jealousy:
- during a quarrel, do not deceive a woman - this will worsen the situation. You don’t know what information she has;
- do not pay extra attention to the jealous lady - flowers, kisses, gifts. This may have the opposite effect. In addition, she will have the opportunity to manipulate you in the future;
- treat expressions of feelings with respect, but make it clear that you do not like such a reaction;
- try to communicate less with other ladies.
Partners must trust each other. Never lie to your significant other. Even in small things. There is no need to make excuses, since justification indirectly confirms guilt.
Do men love “passionate natures”?3
Passionate women, of course, cannot help but excite men's thoughts. But is it necessary to act as Othello to be loved? How do men react to jealousy on the part of their lady love?
To a certain extent, jealousy can flatter a man’s pride. But in most cases, it acts as a serious irritant. Perhaps, in small doses, jealous behavior can excite and ignite stagnant relationships. With constant problems associated with distrust in the partner’s fidelity, love quickly fades away.
In fact, men experience discomfort and fear when faced with a jealous girl. Their usual image of “the keeper of the hearth” and “the mother of children” does not coincide with a disheveled lady screaming obscenities. In such a situation, they try to end such a relationship as soon as possible and find a calmer and more gentle life partner.
Interestingly, according to statistics, jealousy is the second most popular reason for committing serious crimes. It clouds your mind and makes it impossible to take control of yourself.
Consequences
Jealousy is like poison - in small doses it stimulates love, in large doses it kills it.
Consequences of female jealousy:
- Deterioration of relationships in couples. Accusations, misunderstandings, quarrels, scandals lead to a breakdown in relationships.
- Constant reproaches provoke real betrayal.
- The painful state of “delusion of jealousy” requires medical intervention.
- Aggression directed at a partner and rival can lead to criminal consequences.
- Deterioration of the psychosomatic state of children, psychological trauma caused by a showdown and insults in their presence.
Jealousy is not a character trait, but a peculiar feeling of fear for one’s well-being. To avoid serious consequences, learn to control yourself.
Male jealousy
A jealous man is not responsible for his words and actions, causing physical and psychological trauma to the woman he loves. He considers himself polygamous by nature, but a woman is not allowed to even look in the direction of other men.
“Jealousy is a concern for oneself to enjoy what has been achieved and to retain it” (Benedict Spinoza).
Some men enjoy the feeling of power over their significant other. This is a kind of “domestic tyrant”. You should not tolerate this kind of attitude towards yourself. Sometimes it's better to break up.
You can read more about the feeling of jealousy in men in our article - male jealousy.
Suppressing the desire to change.
Very often the fact of an unconscious predisposition to betrayal, clouded by moral principles, causes jealousy in a woman. She will see in all other women potential lovers of a little “foolishness” on the side, condemn passing ladies for their appearance, not noticing how her own gaze will be fixed on the male genitals, and having noticed, she will deliberately take it to the side.
Basically, this cause of jealousy in women is the result of having suffered betrayal in a previous relationship.
How to get rid of jealousy
You shouldn’t suppress feelings of jealousy, but you need to learn to control its manifestation. Increase your self-esteem, fight your inner fears, trust your partner, share your fears and thoughts with him, do not compare yourself with your rivals.
Respect yourself and your partner. Take care of your love.
Read more about how to deal with jealousy →
Psychological trauma.
Everything comes from childhood: from the use of incorrect methods of education, from failed relationships with peers in kindergarten, school, college, and even from the first love experience gained during the period of personality formation.
As a result, jealousy includes a whole complex of simultaneously accompanied emotional states, which include:
- Fear;
- Sadness;
- Love;
- Resentment;
- Anger;
- Hopelessness;
- Despair.
Preventing jealousy
Study your partner - what attracts him in women, what clothes he likes, what his food preferences are. Don't ignore your man's sexual preferences. If he is interested and comfortable with you, he will not try to look for someone on the side.
Learn to trust your man, listen to his reasons, try to hear what he is trying to convey to you. If you are uncomfortable with the way he behaves around other women, say so directly. Respect a man's personal space. Don't make him a dog on a chain. Otherwise you will lose it.
Find out more about preventing jealousy →
If you don’t want to give up and are ready to really, and not in words, fight for your full and happy life, you may be interested in this article .