Recently, we heard about a growing issue in relationships today and the issue itself is shocking! Have you heard of 'Rebecca Syndrome'? If you haven't, that's totally fine! I have you covered!
Rebecca syndrome is, in simpler terms, referred to as retroactive jealousy, when someone is overly interested in or obsessed with and jealous of a partner’s past relationships. When this occurs, the individual may feel threatened by their partner's past romantic or sexual history, and it's important to mention that it doesn’t matter how far in the past it happened.
In 2017, 1,000 people from Europe and America participated in a study that showed how often people stalk either their exes or crushes on social media. The survey found that 56.5 percent of single Americans admitted to looking over their ex’s profile, with most admitting to have done it once a month or less. Married people then came in at 65.8 percent and 66.7 percent of those in relationships looked up their ex online from time to time.
Even if those past partners are no longer in the picture, retroactive jealousy can involve obsessive and persistent thoughts, or even compulsive behaviors. Though lots of us are good at hiding that we may have RJ here are some things to look for!
The signs of RJ could present itself as:
- A fixation on a partner's romantic and sexual history
- Obsessively asking their partner about past relationships
- Frequently asking for reassurance about the current relationship
- Intrusive behaviours such as stalking a partner’s ex Being suspicious without any evidence