James Van Der Beek has been overwhelmed by the support he's received since revealing his cancer diagnosis

Speaking to PEOPLE, James shared: "Telling people required a lot of energy.

"I'm an empath. I like to take care of everybody. I'm a provider, and especially at that point, I was trying to be Superman and be all things to all people and be a dad and a provider. And so to have to tell people and my father and my siblings and my kids, it was really tricky."

James made a concerted effort to remain as upbeat as possible while sharing the news.

He explained: "I just kind of went into it with the same attitude that this is curable. I can handle this, but this is what's going on."

The actor has been wowed by the supportive response of his friends and family.

James - who is best known for playing Dawson Leery on the hit TV show 'Dawson's Creek' - said: "It was amazing. I'm never the person who asked for any help - ever. It's not in my DNA. And I thought that was a fine way to be until cancer.

"The way friends showed up was such a beautiful experience - and I would never have otherwise seen how much people care about me."

James has actually received messages of support from all over the world, and he's been overwhelmed by the reaction.

James said: "When people offer words of support and just tell me they're thinking about me, it means the world."