When toxic positivity becomes gaslighting

We are often told to “just think positive.” But suppressing or denying negative emotions when life gets tough doesn’t make them disappear; it can intensify them and exacerbate inflammation.

Instead, acknowledging difficult emotions through realistic but encouraging self-talk can help you achieve improved resilience and navigate health challenges without denying them.

When toxic positivity becomes gaslighting

Toxic positivity can also constitute *gaslighting,* making people question their own experience when they express legitimate concerns.

Many autoimmune patients report being gaslit by healthcare providers who dismissed their symptoms because lab tests appeared normal.

This invalidation compounds both emotional and physical stress.

Mindfulness Works Better Than Forced Positivity

Instead of resisting negativity or escaping it through unhealthy coping, psychologists recommend observing your emotional experience without judgment rather than forcing it to change.

Mindfulness allows you to acknowledge pain, fatigue, or frustration while still moving forward, rather than fighting those feelings and draining already-dwindling energy reserves.

Healthy Positivity Requires Daily Practice

However, this also doesn’t mean going all in on a never-ending pity party, which is definitely pro-inflammatory.

Instead, the goal is to develop healthy positivity through consistent practice, which activates neuroplasticity, your brain’s ability to form new neural pathways.

By becoming your own coach and maintaining healthy self-talk and perspective amid genuine challenges, you rewire how you naturally respond to stress.

This practice can release anti-inflammatory chemicals that support immune modulation and help you meaningfully support the management of chronic illness.

For many, myself included, prayer and spiritual practice are a natural part of this practice by offering a daily rhythm of surrender, gratitude, and renewed perspective that supports both emotional resilience and physical healing.

Contact RedRiver Health and Wellness to work with a functional medicine doctor who understands how emotional resilience and medical care work together to support autoimmune health.