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Discussing Grief, Loss, and the “Cult of Positivity” on the Mental Illness Happy Hour

Hey everyone – my conversation with Paul Gilmartin, host of The Mental Illness Happy Hour, is available now!

Listen to the show.

 

The licensed therapist shares about the well-meaning but misguided “cult of positivity” after tragedies, emotional dissonance, grief support, having difficult conversations and how she dealt with the sudden death of her partner 10 years ago.

“…this idea that appreciating what you’ve got is the antidote for the pain of what you’re missing, that is a central fallacy. Think about the Thanksgiving season where people are like, “Enforce gratitude.” Gratitude and grief don’t cancel each other out. They exist side by side. We are complex beings. Our hearts and our minds made the whole complexity.”

Host Paul Gilmartin opens the show with letters from audience members. My portion begins around the 17 minute mark.

Listen to the show.

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