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Are you feeling jealous of your significant other? If the answer's yes, you're probably at risk of alcoholism, according to a new study.

"We all experience feelings of jealousy to some degree; many people are in relationships that are less than ideal, and use alcohol for different reasons," lead author Dr. Angelo DiBello said in a news release. "Romantic jealousy is a shared human experience, but very little work has looked at how it is related to alcohol use, misuse and associated problems. This research helps to highlight the associations between these factors and show how our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors are related in potentially harmful ways."

The latest study involved 277 people from a large southern university who answered questions about how dependent their self-esteem is on their romantic relationship, the satisfaction, commitment and closeness in their relationship, their jealousy and their alcohol use.

"Given how common experiencing jealousy and being in romantic relationships are, this work helps to explain difference associations that may negatively impact an individual's drinking," DiBello explained.

"I think it is important to understand the role romantic jealousy plays in the larger context of problem behaviors. Ultimately, I hope to use findings like these to support the development of prevention and intervention efforts among individuals who may struggle with alcohol, self-esteem and relationship issues," he explained.

The latest findings were published in the journal Addictive Behaviors.