Actor Atila Pesyani in cancer fight

"You're so brave" or "You're so strong." You might think this is an encouraging thing to say to a friend with a serious illness, and maybe in some cases it is. However, telling someone they are brave and strong might pressure them to act differently than they are feeling. While a person with a serious illness might be strong most days, some days they won't be, and that's OK. This also could make them feel like it's their fault if they are not getting better. For example, if they fought harder and were stronger, then they would be getting better. It's unfair to put this undue pressure on them for something that's out of their control.