Is TOXIC POSITIVITY Real? Here are Some Problems Associated with It

by Rajpal Singh Administration Manager at Cheema Medical Complex M

You might not be familiar with the word “Toxic Positivity.” It’s a psychological term that is related to blinding emotions. It can lead to many sufferings and problems. The people with toxic positivity have a rigid mindset of being positive in any situation of life. Yes, it’s true that positive thinking is good for our life and well-being. But life is not a bed of roses; it’s full of difficulties and hurdles. You cannot neglect the painful emotions and incidents. Suppressing the real feelings is not good at all.

Let me introduce a real example of toxic positivity. A lady in my neighborhood gets divorced from her first husband, faces the death of her second husband, deals with the heart problem of her son, but still maintains good social relations with the acquaintance and neighbors- while slowly getting addicted to the cocaine and admitted to a rehabilitation center.

The toxic positivity is like a termite; it gradually deteriorates your inner strength. It is just like fooling yourself to reduce the genuine pain of life. But, ultimately, excessive positivity detaches you from real life and puts you in psychological depression. We are going to discuss the early symptoms of Toxic Positivity that should be recognized at the earliest.

Veiling true feelings and emotions is the most common sign of Toxic Positivity. For example, if your partner says something annoying, you try to suppress your annoyance to save your marriage. It creates embarrassment within you and fills you with frustration.

Avoiding negative feelings is another significant symptom of being extensively positive. It can make you alcoholic. Instead of using substance abuse, you should find the right source to cope with the negative thoughts. Practice meditation or seek the advice of a reliable counselor to diminish negativity.

If you want to show yourself happy to the people in any situation of life, you might be at risk of Toxic Positivity. Our facial appearance and expression depend on how we are feeling internally. It is very natural to look unhappy if you are in an awkward situation in life. Life isn’t perfect and full of ups and downs, so there is no need to manifest to people that you are happy in the worst situation of life. Let your real emotions come out.

Hating the people who are surrounded by the clouds of negative emotions is another noticeable sign of Toxic Positivity. If you feel uncomfortable and irritated with the people who dearth positivity in their life, you need to change yourself. Don’t feel bad and listen to the depressed carefully. If you can’t help them, at least advise them to seek the help of a therapist.

The people experiencing Toxic Positivity start to cut the connection with others in order to deny their truth. They set boundaries around them and prefer to live in a hypothetical world.

If the above signals are perceived on time, you can prevent yourself from the following catastrophic effects of Toxic Positivity:

It Can Leave You Depressed

According to psychologists, people who always try to conceal their negative feelings under the pressure of others have a high probability of developing more sad emotions. When negativity reaches the breakdown point, it can leave the victim in psychogenic depression.

It Can Develop The Feeling Of Suicide

Toxic Positivity can develop feelings of suicide in the victim. It is because a person tries to get fruitful results in a critical environment and eventually fails. They feel difficult to withstand failure and make a suicidal attempt.

It Can Make You Drug Addict

The Toxic-Positivity puts the person in self-doubt and depression. Some victims try to forget their sufferings from alcohol or drugs.

A Final Word:

Toxic positivity is very harmful and can change your life completely. Don’t ignore the real challenges of life and face them courageously. This will really help you to stay away from Toxic Positivity.