Forcing gratitude on people, especially people in pain, can be harmful. Nobody should be told to “stay positive” or “just be grateful” when they are going through trauma or real suffering.

To truly help someone:

• We cannot deny their pain.
• We cannot push delusion, denial, or false hope.
• We must face the truth directly.

Stress, fear, trauma — all of it needs to be felt, acknowledged, and understood. Ignoring it only creates chronic issues: physical illness, addiction, and emotional instability.

But once we’ve acknowledged the pain, once we’ve looked at the fear and understood it, then we can redirect our focus. Not to deny reality, but to choose where we place our attention.

We all have the capacity to guide our thinking, to choose more productive, healthy, empowering thoughts. Gratitude is not meant to replace truth, it’s meant to be built on the foundation of truth.