Why Saying ‘You’re so strong!’ Isn’t Always Helpful

By: Gina Lawson

You don’t feel strong, you feel scared and powerless. But you have no choice; you do what you have to do to get through it. It’s not because you want to, it’s because you have to, and that can be exhausting. I believe most people who are diagnosed would do the exact same thing.

I mean, I guess it can be seen as strength, because sometimes you want to quit, but you keep going. Like the phoenix rising, you gather everything you have and keep moving forward, or start all over again.

Relentless positivity isn’t sustainable, that’s what we call “toxic positivity.” But the other extreme, nihilism, isn’t sustainable either. There’s a middle ground: balance.

Resilience is acknowledging what you feel, the unfairness, the grief, and still finding meaning in it. It’s in the lessons you learn, and in what you can offer others just by being yourself and living your life.