Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
It can be tempting to tell our family and friends who are feeling down to just "be positive" and "look on the bright side." However, one expert says that these phrases could actually do more harm to their mental health.
Toronto-based psychotherapist Sarah Ahmed says such phrases are part of "toxic positivity," which is defined as the belief that people should maintain a positive mindset no matter how difficult a situation is.
"What it does is it actually invalidates and minimizes the range of emotions that human beings, very naturally, experience," Ahmed told CTV's Your Morning on Monday.
Ahmed says toxic positivity can be a way to avoid dealing with the range of negative emotions that come from a distressing event, which can lead to further negative mental health effects.
"When you're avoiding your emotions, you're actually causing more harm and this harm can show up physically for many of us in the in the way of hypertension, headaches, chronic pain, increased stress, of course, and also a greater risk of mortality," she said.
It can be difficult to avoid toxic positivity. On Instagram, for example, hashtags such as #goodvibesonly and #staypositive have tens of millions of posts. Ahmed says brands have also tried to capitalize on toxic positivity as well, given that these hashtags and phrases often get printed on products.
"The way it's marketed is that it makes us believe and feel as though gaining these products or purchasing these products will somehow help us on our journey to happiness. And that's why it's so popular," Ahmed explained.
Ahmed says there are things we can do to avoid having a toxically positive mindset. She suggests journaling in order to better process feelings, as well as being mindful of the kind of social media content that we consume.
"I think it's safe to say acknowledge and address that we don't always have to be positive about everything," she said. "Some situations are distressful, so (be) very honest with yourself in a very compassionate manner."
"Look on the bright side" and "be positive."
These are some of the most common toxic phrases that get thrown around. Instead, Ahmed suggests saying, "I'm here to support you in ways that you need."
"Everything happens for a reason."
"It's one we hear very often and I'm also guilty of it and I remember hearing as well growing up," said Ahmed.
As an alternative, Ahmed suggests saying "Sometimes, things happen to us and they're very difficult and we can't really make sense of them. And it just sucks and that's okay."
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.