My mindset was wrong and I am working on it

As those who have read my previous posts may know, I've had some very difficult mental health issues with my prostate cancer diagnosis and that these have likely been aggravated by mood swings caused by being on ADT for three months so far.

I sought mental help from a therapist and we have been working for the past few weeks on my negative self-image, my anger and sadness issues surrounding having prostate cancer, and my unhealthy way of dealing with it via things such as drug use.

I chose a therapist who is very blunt and straightforward and she outright asked me "What do you plan to accomplish by being bitter, angry and sad for what may be 10, 15 or 20 more years of life?" The answer, of course, is nothing.

She did not sugarcoat things. The challenges will be great, there will be setbacks, and, especially during my remaining hormone therapy, I will likely still suffer from feelings of sadness, loss and depression. But she also pointed out that I have a support network of friends and family, both online and in "real life," who are willing to help me and that, just because I've always felt I'm in "control," doesn't mean I'm weak if, when I need it, I start to accept help from others.

So, I feel humbled but also gratitude to those who have reached out. I learned that grief is a concentric circle. I may be in the center of it right now, but those who care about me are also part of the circle. For the first time, I feel I have some legitimate hope. Thanks for reading.