Matthew J. Dempsey's video: Gay Therapy: Toxic Positivity

Positive thinking helps us accept and process our normal feelings more effectively. Toxic positivity, however, tries to have us outthink and avoid what we’re feeling altogether. And listen I get it - sadness, fear, loneliness, insecurity, anger, and hurt are not fun. The feelings themselves are uncomfortable, but what really makes us desperate to cancel our own emotions is because we live in a hyper-rational culture that conditioned us to believe we’re broken if we have feelings that seem to contradict what we know to be true. 🏳️‍🌈🖤🤎🏳️‍⚧️ Especially for us queer folx who already grew up feeling broken, anything that triggers that bs narrative can be particularly overwhelming if not retraumatizing. Watch this video and tell me what you think about toxic positivity!