Therapy?

Bleu Raeder said

A truckload of experience speaking here.

It isn't just someone listening to you, it is someone who can help you with tools to cope with "ongoing issues". At first, therapy seems to be a difficult thing, but with time you come to appreciate the value and you will see changes in your approach to those "ongoing issues". I cannot recommend therapy enough for everyone. (Mostly because we're all carrying something we need help with.)

You can shop around for a therapist too. Better Help is good at that if you're comfortable with remote. Recommendations from personal doctors are usually pretty good, but it is important to find a therapist you're comfortable with.

Click to expand...

We didn't get this far in life without accumulating baggage. Much of which we wrongfully dismiss. Maybe we should all make a list of events that have messed us up, then ask family and friends if they have anything to add. I did that and it was very enlightening.

Things I never dealt with:
1) a car accident in Baltimore. Killed 3 close friends and left another emotionally scarred for life. Never mind the rest of the neighborhood and the families. If we had remained in the old neighborhood I'd likely have been in that car.
2) My graduation advisor botching my graduation audit and costing me 2 more years of undergrad.
3) My first wife's second and third miscarriages at 16 and 18 weeks. The first at 22 weeks changed me forever.

The list goes on but it's time to focus on what is good in life and not the innumerable setbacks.