Originally Posted by 
Tins
				 
			I began this thread because talking is vitally important, talking about anything, but especially about something so misunderstood among men. 
I am not enjoying this journey, who would, but there are so many paths far worse than mine. I simply want to encourage men to find out, to be aware, and hopefully to learn from my experience. 
All the treatments have potential side effects ( are they? Seems to me they are just effects, just not the desired ones), which they are mostly good at warning people about. One they didn’t warn me of was the potential for elevated mood disorders. I have suffered from depression for most of my life but I manage, especially after stopping drinking. But the combination of the four different medications I am taking and the hangover from the radiotherapy has really made me hit some new depths. They call it “ passive suicidal ideation “, and I call it having lost the will to live but not having found the will not to. It’s merely going to bed and not wanting to wake up. It’s a real struggle simply to just do the simplest things. Being alone definitely doesn’t help. This is what I was alluding to a couple of posts back. Maybe people need to protect themselves or something. But it’s bloody difficult for me to understand that from where I am. 
They tell me that this will pass. I hope so because I won’t last if it doesn’t. 
Like I said, this is about awareness. If you have family members or friends that are going through something check in with them often. You might just save yourself some serious regret. And who knows, maybe one day it will be YOU that needs some love, some sign that people care. 
Thanks everyone for listening. 
Oh, and tell the medical people what a great job they do. I tell them all the time. It can’t be easy dealing with bloody cancer day in, day out, and not every outcome is a good one. They deserve to be recognised, and they appreciate it when they are. I wouldn’t be here without them.