201 - How Does Positivity Become Toxic?

When Katie Lloyd's son was diagnosed with a rare, lifethreatning disease, she began to notice that people around her reacting to the news in some unintentionallyinsensitive ways. When we witness someone going through a difficult situation, our first impulse is to say something encouraging: "Chin up!" "The Sun will come out tomorrow".  However, responses such as this can be counterproductive because they lack empathy and understanding.  Instead, perhaps we should simply acknowledge the difficulty and "hold space for each other."  The Dudes agree that this is a topic that we can all learn from. Katie's blog: https://averyrareadventure.com/      This episode is brought to you in part by Catalyst Pharmaceuticals and LEMSAware.com/podcasts.   The LEMS Aware Podcast is not only dedicated to those affected by Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, a rare neuromuscular disorder but to those impacted by adult (late) onset rare disease. Whether you’re a patient or caregiver, rare disease can be isolating. Join us as we hear about the challenges of living with rare disease, share the stories and raise awareness of LEMS to the world. Listen wherever you get your podcasts! https://www.lemsaware.com/podcasts