What is toxic positivity and how to avoid falling into its trap?
Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2024 8:34 am
We've been told all our lives: Smile! Don't cry! Stay optimistic and positive! Although, according to experts, this isn't always the best or healthiest thing to do. And, as with everything, excesses always end up being bad.
That's why here we'll talk about what toxic positivity is and how this phenomenon can cause more harm than good for mental health. In addition, we'll tell you more about some reflections from psychotherapist Whitney Goodman that could help you with this.
What is toxic positivity?
If we refer to what the academy says, we will see that toxic positivity is the abuse of a happy and optimistic mood even when this is not appropriate and healthy. The main purpose is to suppress negative emotions and feelings that we should naturally feel in certain situations.
As human beings, we experience negative feelings and emotions in adverse situations. Fear, sadness, grief, anger, rage, etc. They are a crucial part of our mental health and emotional balance. Toxic positivity seeks to suppress these feelings by replacing them with an excess of joy, positivity, enthusiasm and happiness.
It is important to differentiate between staying positive or being optimistic and toxic positivity. For example, if your dog dies, it is normal to feel sad, hurt, and even upset. Toxic list of telegram users in korea positivity would try to make you feel happy and joyful, “my dog died, it doesn’t matter, you can always have a new one.” This minimizes the emotion and pain, making it seem like something unimportant.
Risks of being overly optimistic
According to mental health experts like psychotherapist Whitney Goodman, toxic positivity can have adverse effects such as:
Distorting reality
The first risk of excessive positivity is the distortion of reality. By suppressing and replacing emotions, you can change the way you see the situation. It can also cause you to overlook risks, feelings, and even warning signs.
Inability to cope with adverse situations
When you repress your negative emotions, you prevent your mind from preparing to face adverse situations. If you are at risk, you will not know how to react to it because you will be forced not to feel fear, for example, which will make it difficult to face adversity.
Lack of empathy
Another impact of toxic positivity is that it diminishes your ability to feel empathy and convey it. Just as they minimize their own negative emotions, people also seek to minimize those of others, reflecting a narcissistic and uninterested personality.
Depression and psychological disorders
The way in which toxic positivity affects mental health has been studied, with surprising findings. One of them is that repressing negative emotions and feelings can lead to the appearance of psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Mental and emotional exhaustion
Finally, repressing what you feel can lead to emotions being amplified and you experiencing a roller coaster of positive and negative feelings. This can translate into mental, emotional and even physical exhaustion.
That's why here we'll talk about what toxic positivity is and how this phenomenon can cause more harm than good for mental health. In addition, we'll tell you more about some reflections from psychotherapist Whitney Goodman that could help you with this.
What is toxic positivity?
If we refer to what the academy says, we will see that toxic positivity is the abuse of a happy and optimistic mood even when this is not appropriate and healthy. The main purpose is to suppress negative emotions and feelings that we should naturally feel in certain situations.
As human beings, we experience negative feelings and emotions in adverse situations. Fear, sadness, grief, anger, rage, etc. They are a crucial part of our mental health and emotional balance. Toxic positivity seeks to suppress these feelings by replacing them with an excess of joy, positivity, enthusiasm and happiness.
It is important to differentiate between staying positive or being optimistic and toxic positivity. For example, if your dog dies, it is normal to feel sad, hurt, and even upset. Toxic list of telegram users in korea positivity would try to make you feel happy and joyful, “my dog died, it doesn’t matter, you can always have a new one.” This minimizes the emotion and pain, making it seem like something unimportant.
Risks of being overly optimistic
According to mental health experts like psychotherapist Whitney Goodman, toxic positivity can have adverse effects such as:
Distorting reality
The first risk of excessive positivity is the distortion of reality. By suppressing and replacing emotions, you can change the way you see the situation. It can also cause you to overlook risks, feelings, and even warning signs.
Inability to cope with adverse situations
When you repress your negative emotions, you prevent your mind from preparing to face adverse situations. If you are at risk, you will not know how to react to it because you will be forced not to feel fear, for example, which will make it difficult to face adversity.
Lack of empathy
Another impact of toxic positivity is that it diminishes your ability to feel empathy and convey it. Just as they minimize their own negative emotions, people also seek to minimize those of others, reflecting a narcissistic and uninterested personality.
Depression and psychological disorders
The way in which toxic positivity affects mental health has been studied, with surprising findings. One of them is that repressing negative emotions and feelings can lead to the appearance of psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Mental and emotional exhaustion
Finally, repressing what you feel can lead to emotions being amplified and you experiencing a roller coaster of positive and negative feelings. This can translate into mental, emotional and even physical exhaustion.