In addition, people's outlook can become so rosy that they ignore dangers or become complacent. Taken to an extreme, however, that definition is not congruent with the messiness of real life. Hedonic theories define well-being as the presence of positive emotion, the relative absence of negative emotion and a sense of life satisfaction. Positive thoughts and emotions can, of course, benefit mental health. “Acknowledging the complexity of life may be an especially fruitful path to psychological well-being,” says psychologist Jonathan M. Attempting to suppress thoughts can backfire and even diminish our sense of contentment. In fact, anger and sadness are an important part of life, and new research shows that experiencing and accepting such emotions are vital to our mental health.
Although positive emotions are worth cultivating, problems arise when people start believing they must be upbeat all the time. Such reactions undoubtedly stem from our culture's overriding bias toward positive thinking. In recent years I have noticed an increase in the number of people who also feel guilty or ashamed about what they perceive to be negativity. In my psychotherapy practice, many of my clients struggle with highly distressing emotions, such as extreme anger, or with suicidal thoughts.
#IM CONTROLLED BY OTHERS NEGATIVE MOODS FULL#
I am a bit unsettled, then, when in the midst of describing his painful experiences, he says, “I'm sorry for being so negative.”Ī crucial goal of therapy is to learn to acknowledge and express a full range of emotions, and here was a client apologizing for doing just that. As a psychotherapist, I strive to be warm, nonjudgmental and encouraging. A client sits before me, seeking help untangling his relationship problems.
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