Yes, the story of depression as a friend resonates as more compassionate to me, too.

I don't like the "battling cancer" metaphor either. With the caveat that I haven't been there, but I have thought about it a lot. Those are still our own cells. I want cancer treatments that support the whole body, rather than attacking "the cancer" (and incidentally everything else). And also societal changes so we're not exposed to so many carcinogens and destructive stress.

And also urgh to "fighting the diagnosis." If we could cure cancer by not believing in it there would be a lot fewer deaths.