Healthy negative emotions as healthy alternatives to the emotional problems

Healthy alternatives to emotional problems are known as `healthy negative emotions'. This term is used for two good reasons. First, such emotions have a negative tone and this is their realistic aspect. Remember we are talking about emotions in the context of life's adversities. It is realistic to feel a negative emotion about a negative event. Second, such emotions are healthy in that they are associated with a different set of behaviours and ways of thinking than are emotional problems. I discuss this in greater detail later in this chapter. For now, here is the list of healthy negative emotions:2

concern (rather than anxiety)

sadness (rather than depression)

remorse (rather than guilt)

disappointment (rather than shame)

sorrow (rather than hurt)

healthy anger (rather than unhealthy anger)

healthy jealousy (rather than unhealthy jealousy)

healthy envy (rather than unhealthy envy).