What is Rebecca Syndrome? The relationship-killing mental illness that stems from childhood trauma

Jealously is a b—h.Psychotherapists warn that Rebecca Syndrome, also known as “retroactive jealously,” is having a scary impact on relationships, as experts notice a rise in inquiries on the condition.In a recent blog post by psychotherapist Toby Ingham, he describes patients with Rebecca Syndrome as those who become “fixated” on their partner’s ex-partner.Psychoanalyst Dr.Darian Leader was inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 Gothic novel “Rebecca” when he coined the condition.

The novel tells the story of a young woman who exhibits behaviors that flag insecurities within herself and the relationship.She develops jealous traits after discovering information about her partner’s exes.According to Ingham, the buzzy psychological term has been gaining in Google search interest since 2018 with people patients self-diagnosing their “obsessional problem.” “Not a good idea,” writes Ingham.Signs of the condition can be pinpointed when a partner becomes jealous of their partner’s exes or previous sexual or romantic relationships.People who suffer from this condition will find themselves comparing their appearance, intelligence, and sexual intimacy to their former lovers.

Rebecca Syndrome can make people insecure, questioning everything about their relationship.The fixation contributes to obsessional neurosis, which “describes a condition where the mind is intruded upon by compulsive words, images, or ideas.These uncontrollable, obsessive thoughts dominate the mind,” Ingham detailed in the online essay.

Ingham admits that retroactive jealousy doesn’t bloom from being in a relationship; it stems from childhood.“While these early problems will be unique to each of us, they may, for example, relate to our having felt overlooked by a parent who preferred one of our siblings to us,” Ingham told MailOnline. “Or perhaps to problems feeling we were unimportant or excluded in our birth family.”The expert added that people tend to projec...