Brad SchipkeFounder of Broken To Unbreakable

Why trauma makes you scared of good things

26 Jul 2026 · 1 min

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In this concise monologue, Brad Schipke explains how trauma can cause people to associate positive emotions with negative outcomes, leading them to avoid or fear good experiences. He describes a "limbo" state where survivors focus solely on processing negative memories, neglecting the positive side of their emotional spectrum. Schipke argues that true healing requires processing both ends: confronting the painful past while also deliberately working through the positive emotions that have become tainted. He advises listeners to identify which positive feelings trigger negative associations and to actively re‑process them, enabling the return of peace and the ability to enjoy life’s good moments.

Chapters

In the past, when you felt positive emotion, bad things happened. So you start to associate good things with bad outcomes. So you have to process that trauma there in order to unlock those positive emotions. But once you do, all of those positive emotions return. You feel peace. You're able just to enjoy life again. Trauma survivors need to process both ends of the spectrum. They need to process the negative side, but they also need to process the positive side because there can be this weird kind of limbo space when people are only focusing on the negative and only processing the negative and not installing or processing on the positive side where they get to this tolerable level of pain, and they never experience the positive emotion they want to experience. So make sure you're looking at both sides of the equation, not just the past, but also ask yourself, what positive emotions do I have negative associations with so I can process those and feel the good things in life and not just have to focus on the negative?