In today’s video, I discuss whether retroactive jealousy is a “real thing,” and address common misconceptions about it.







Read or watch below to hear my response to the question: “Is retroactive jealousy a real thing?”



















Zachary Stockill: Whenever you post something online—especially on platforms like YouTube or podcasts—you’re bound to attract trolls and haters.







As the golden rule of the internet goes, “Don’t feed the trolls.” But in today’s video, perhaps against my better judgment, I’m going to break that rule.







I’ll address a criticism that I find not only frustrating but also potentially harmful to anyone dealing with retroactive jealousy.







If you’re struggling with retroactive jealousy, I think today’s video will be worth your time.







My name is Zachary Stockill, and since 2013, I’ve been helping people from around the world overcome retroactive jealousy and rebuild their relationships.







If you’d like to learn more about my work or explore one-on-one coaching, please click here.







If you’re new here, retroactive jealousy refers to intrusive thoughts, obsessive curiosity, or what I call “mental movies” about your partner’s past relationships or sexual history.



















In my view, experiencing even one of these symptoms—or all three—makes you a retroactive jealousy sufferer.







And when you write about retroactive jealousy, when you post about retroactive jealousy, one comment you occasionally get is some variation of this: Retroactive jealousy isn’t really a thing.









This is nonsense. This just means you’re in the wrong relationships. Or this just means your girlfriend is an “insert pejorative here.”











It just means that your boyfriend or husband isn’t the right match… Retroactive jealousy isn’t really a thing; it’s all nonsense.











It just means you should break up and move on.









As I often say, sometimes breaking up is the right choice.







Sometimes, if you take the time to reflect, explore your feelings, think deeply, talk with friends and family, and do some soul-searching, you may realize that your partner doesn’t share your values. If that’s the case, it’s probably time to move on.







However, most people who claim that retroactive jealousy isn’t real have likely never experienced it themselves.







They don’t know what it’s like to go to bed with your partner’s past on your mind, wake up thinking about it, and be tormented by those thoughts multiple times a day.







They don’t understand the mental movies, the curiosity, the compulsive need to know, or the endless questioning.







These people haven’t experienced retroactive jealousy themselves, so their opinions on it should be taken with a grain of salt.







Interestingly, over the years, it’s been almost exclusively men who have made these comments on my YouTube channel and elsewhere.







“Retroactive jealousy isn’t really a thing,” or so some people claim.







Often, it seems like these comments come from guys with issues about women or those caught up in <a href="https://www.retroactivejealousy.