Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
Hazelden Publishing
Toxic Positivity: When Being Too Positive Becomes a Negative
Toxic Positivity: When Being Too Positive Becomes a Negative
Toxic Positivity: When Being Too Positive Becomes a Negative
Thursday 28th April 2022
Tracey Cleantis explores toxic positivity and offers advice on balancing real grief with authentic optimism on 'Recovery Road'.
10 minutes
Inspiring
Empowering
Informative
Hopeful
Encouraging
About this podcast
Author:
Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
Overview:
Categories:
Sobriety Toolkit
Creative Recovery Journeys
Mindfulness & Emotional Wellbeing
Navigating Challenges in Recovery
Healing Relationships
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Episodes:
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Get the buttons here!The Hidden Dangers of Toxic Positivity: Tracey Cleantis on Embracing Real Emotions
Toxic positivity offers an unhealthy and false sense of reality. We need to learn how to be okay with not being okay all the time.
Is it possible to be too positive? Tracey Cleantis thinks so, and she’s here to explain why. In this episode of 'Recovery Road', Cleantis dives into her book 'The Next Happy: Let Go of the Life You Planned and Find a New Way Forward'. She shares her personal journey of balancing genuine grief with authentic positivity, offering a refreshing take on an often misunderstood topic.
While positivity can be a powerful tool, Cleantis warns that overdoing it can lead to something called toxic positivity. This is when the relentless pursuit of a positive mindset masks real emotions, creating an unhealthy and false sense of reality. Cleantis emphasizes the importance of feeling all our emotions, especially the tough ones. This is particularly crucial in early recovery when many are just beginning to navigate their feelings without substances.
In this episode, she discusses the pitfalls of minimizing or rationalizing pain and pretending everything is fine when it’s not. Such behaviors can lead to denial and long-term damage. Instead, Cleantis provides practical advice on how to accept sadness, let go of unworkable dreams, and set realistic goals. Her message is clear: it’s okay to feel grief and sadness. These emotions need to be acknowledged and worked through for true healing to occur.
Cleantis shares her own experiences, giving listeners permission to express even the messy and uncomfortable feelings. She dismantles the delusion that sheer willpower can make all dreams come true, advocating instead for authentic optimism rooted in reality. This episode is a must-listen for anyone in recovery who struggles with the pressure to maintain a positive facade.
By the end of the episode, you'll have a better understanding of how to balance real grief with genuine positivity, making space for all your emotions in a healthy way. Tune in to learn how to embrace your true feelings and find authentic optimism even in times of loss.