Situation · Partners and dating

“My boyfriend is jealous of everyone I talk to”

What could be going on

Jealousy: Fear of losing you to a rival; check whether it's tied to real events or appears regardless.

Abandonment/instability schema: Fits if he expects to be left and reads any attention elsewhere as the start of it.

Mistrust/abuse schema: Could come from past betrayal; check whether he was cheated on or let down before.

Controls a partner's money, friends or movements: Check whether jealousy turns into rules about who you see, where you go or your phone.

Coercive control: If jealousy comes with monitoring, isolation and fear, this pattern of control fits better than insecurity.

Anxious-preoccupied attachment: Fits if he needs constant reassurance and calms down when you check in often.

Questions to carry

  1. After his last jealous moment, what did he ask me to do, or stop doing?
  2. Before I talk to someone new while he is near, what happens in my body?

Also said as

  • he gets jealous if I even mention a male coworker
  • my wife gets suspicious whenever I text a friend
  • why is my partner so possessive
  • girlfriend accuses me of flirting with every waiter
  • my partner gets jealous of my friends and coworkers
  • husband gets upset when I talk to other men

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