WHEN JEALOUSY GOES TOO FAR

We all know what it’s like to see someone with something we wish we had, or to experience a small stab of envy when you hear about a friend’s promotion or new car. But romantic jealousy? That’s something else. And morbid jealousy? That’s a whole different ball game.

- By YASMINA FLOYER

First the good news: romantic jealousy is a completely normal emotion. It can occur at any point in a relationship, for many different reasons. Those early days often feel vivid and exciting, but they can also come with a sense of uncertainty. It’s completely natural for insecurities to arise during this time, and with them, feelings of jealousy may also surface.

It’s not just new relationships that are vulnerable to these feelings, though. Even in long-term relationships, changes – such as having a baby or undergoing medical treatment – can trigger shifts in personal identity that may feel destabilising. These changes can stir up insecurities, which in turn may contribute to feelings of jealousy.

While jealousy is never a pleasant emotion, it can be instructive, and for many, it passes fairly quickly. However, for some people, jealousy can become much more intense, turning into what is known as morbid jealousy. In these cases, jealousy doesn’t just fade – it becomes all-consuming, taking over a person’s emotional world.

To better understand this, I spoke with Dr Sophie Mort, a clinical psychologist, UK mental health expert for Headspace, and Sunday Times bestselling author of Unstuck: Five Steps to Break Bad Habits and Get Out of Your Own Way (Simon & Schuster Ltd, £10.99). Dr Mort explains that morbid jealousy, sometimes referred to as pathological jealousy or Othello Syndrome (after the Shakespearean character who tragically smothered his wife out of jealousy), is very different from the fleeting moments of insecurity most of us experience.