things to not say to someone going through a tough time:
- other people have it worse
- is that all? let me tell you how I've been through something worse
- you're being whiny and ungrateful
- don't cry, you're strong
- you're dwindling at that? what will happen when life throws worse things at you?
all of these are incredibly invalidating. what a person needs in a moment of vulnerability is empathy and non-judgmental acceptance. they need to feel seen, heard, and like someone's at least trying to understand them.
with continued support, resilience and adaptive behaviors will follow. all we need is to have patience with those suffering from a setback, and to show up when they need us to.