It’s perfectly normal for your partner to be bothered by the classmate who blatantly flirts with you at every turn.

But do the most minor things send your S.O. into a jealous fit? Do they give you glares whenever you text someone? Do they demand you tell them where you are and who you’re with at all times?

If you’re dating someone who exhibits unwarranted jealous behavior, here’s how to deal with them.

1. Get to the Root of Their Jealousy

Once you figure out where this behavior stems from, it may help you empathize with their situation, and act accordingly from there. For example, if they’ve been cheated on in the past, you’ll understand that they have trust issues, and, hopefully, you can encourage them to get past it. Or, perhaps, one of their parents cheated or left their family at a young age and they’re now scared of being left by you, too. There are many things that can trigger jealous behavior, so before you run out of patience, try to put yourself in their shoes. If there’s really no explanation for their behavior, then just go on to following the steps below (which you should follow regardless).

sad girl pouts with arms crossed at school dance

(Riverdale via The CW)

2. Explain Why They Don’t Need to Worry

If you’ve never done anything that would give your S.O. reason for concern, emphasize that. The annoying classmate brushing by you in a flirty way is no reflection on you. Your S.O. needs to understand that some things are out of your control. Comfort them by listing all the reasons why you don’t want to date anyone but them and why they make you so happy. Remind them that doing something shady will only make you look bad and create drama, and that’s not something you want in your life.

riverdale - betty staring at jughead

(Riverdale via The CW)

3. Explain How Their Jealousy Is Hindering Your Relationship

While you want your S.O. to feel at ease, you need to feel comfortable as well. Explain to them that every time they go into one of their jealous tirades, it stresses you out, and therefore puts a strain on your relationship. You should also explain how them not trusting you brings you to a low point. Make it clear that the more they act like this, the less attracted you are to them. Confidence is key in any relationship, and if your S.O. walks around self-conscious in your romance, you two will never be on the same page and therefore make it very difficult to thrive.

betty-jughead-fighting-the-cw-riverdale-articleH-060318-featured-022219

(Riverdale via The CW)

4. Don’t Give Up Your Privacy

Compromise is the key to any relationship, so whatever you and your S.O. can do to meet halfway and come to a mutual agreement on anything, then great. But at no point should you ever give up all of your freedom. There’s no relationship rule that says your S.O. has the right to go through your phone or keep tabs on your every move. While it’s certainly crucial to adequately communicate with the person you’re dating, you’re also allowed to have (and should have) your own life outside of your relationship. Share what you feel comfortable sharing, do what you feel comfortable doing, but never feel pressured to give up a part of your life to someone when that’s not what you want to do.

Riverdale: Betty laying in bed texting

(Riverdale via The CW)

5. If You Still Feel Violated, Rethink the Relationship

If you’ve done everything in your power to prove there’s no reason for your S.O. to be jealous, yet they still act in a way that makes you uncomfortable, it’s time to reconsider staying with them. If someone doesn’t make you feel like you can be trusted, doesn’t that hurt your feelings? Trust is one of the most important parts of any relationship, and a partner who gets jealous easily is demonstrating that their trust in you is minimal. Even if it’s not based on anything you’ve done, if they still can’t get past this issue, your relationship cannot go on with ease.

Jughead consoling Betty on an episode of Riverdale

(Riverdale via The CW)

Do you feel like you and your S.O. have hit rock bottom? HERE’s how to fix your relationship when things are going downhill.

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