Tips to not give up on the game again?

I stopped playing The Witcher 3 after about 7-8 hours because I found it too difficult, even on the lowest difficulty setting. I struggled to kill enemies, and the parry and attack controls didn’t seem to respond well (I'm playing on PS5). The skill tree felt overwhelming, and I wasn’t sure what to invest in, so the whole experience became frustrating. I gave up. Now, four months later, and after reading half of the book saga, I’ve decided to give it another shot. I just killed the griffin, which is about where I stopped before, when everything started feeling invincible. So far, I’m enjoying it more this time around. I’m trying to make better use of potions, oils, and the glossary, but I’m worried it might get frustrating again as I progress.

Does anyone have advice for making the game more manageable, especially in terms of combat and skill progression? I really want to avoid lowering the difficulty again or giving up like before. Any tips on good builds or strategies for someone struggling with the combat mechanics?