[Coda]

I wouldn't say "doomed," no.

It's true that it's likely that you're going to face relapses from time to time for the rest of your life. Psychological scars rarely fully heal.

However, progress is real. As you learn more about yourself, about your scars, about what triggers your problems, and most importantly how to deal with it, you will be able to avoid some relapses, to make others less severe, and to deal with the bad ones more productively.

Think about how long you were in therapy before your therapist said you were making progress. Now think about how long it's been since your father's health failed. Yes, it sucks. It sucks HARD. But that's OKAY -- everyone has stressful things they have to deal with, and it's not bad to be hurt by them, especially when it's someone you care about. But the progress you've made in your therapy means that you're going to be able to recover from it faster than you did last time.

And that, really, is the important thing. Yes, you're going to have to deal with it, again and again. But if you're being mindful, if you're learning about yourself, if you're taking the time to be healthy, each time it happens you'll be able to bounce back from it a little better.