![]() ![]() On a rational level, I know for a fact that ignoring hurt doesn’t make it disappear. In this way, our culture of toxic positivity enables and reinforces magical thinking. The astounding thing, though, is that we live in a society where we often hear the above messages repeated as if it’s the truth. I’ve developed really unhealthy habits around forcing myself to “think positively” to stop my fears from manifesting. My compulsions have included listing things I’m grateful for and repeating positive mantras to “neutralize” my negative thoughts. Toxic positivity can be accompanied by compulsions, too. For me, these thoughts are dangerous: if I don’t address them head-on, they can develop into full-blown obsessions. These are all examples of how magical thinking can manifest as toxic positivity. “I have to be grateful for the blessings in my life. “If I just don’t think about how sad and hurt I am, it’ll go away.” “I have to think positively, or bad things will keep coming to me.” In my case, a lot of my magical thinking is connected to toxic positivity. People with OCD might think that engaging in compulsions - rituals - will soothe the distress caused by these thoughts or stop their thoughts from manifesting. “I have a fear of being hit by a truck, but if I think about it too much, I might manifest it.”.“I dreamed that a hurricane happened, and a few weeks later, a hurricane killed hundreds of people.This must mean that I actually will hurt someone.” “I had a terrible intrusive thought that I hurt someone.You might hold your thumbs and wear the same T-shirt when watching your favorite football team play a match.īut in OCD, magical thinking can go a step beyond and form the basis of an obsession. You might pause to visualize yourself with lots of money right before pulling the lever on a slot machine. Instead, magical thinking is based on the idea that your thoughts alone can change the outcome of an event - even when there’s no clear relation between the two.Įveryone engages in magical thinking from time to time. Magical thinking is an irrational way of thinking - that is, one that isn’t based on evidence. People with OCD are more likely to fall into the trap of magical thinking. OCD themes can relate to nearly anything, from your religion and relationships to your sexual orientation.Īnd yes, toxic positivity can be a part of your OCD symptoms. Pretty much anything can be the subject (or theme) of your OCD. While one person with OCD might have obsessions and compulsions around cleanliness, another might have obsessions and compulsions around fire. Maintaining a positive mindset does not immunize you against harm.Ĭan toxic positivity be an OCD obsession?.It encourages you to hide your true feelings and pretend you’re fine when you’re not.Sometimes, we need help, support, and a sympathetic ear to feel better.We can only address harmful ideas/experiences/systems once we acknowledge them.Negating everything that may be perceived as negative can lead to dismissing valid feedback.Talking about your negative feelings and experiences isn’t “bad” but is often necessary to help you heal.When you talk about a traumatic event you went through, others tell you to move on and stop dwelling on the past.When you point out that a system at work is inefficient, your colleague tells you to stop being negative instead of exploring ways to optimize it. ![]()
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