I think you are on an excellent track, cms.

I use this place because at any time of the day or night I can come and connect with other people when I am having a hard time. I don't consider it a replacement for IRL communities.

I isolate myself TERRIBLY when I am depressed. As many know, my phone has been shut off due to lack of payment, but the lack of payment is because I just wasn't using the phone and didn't care about having a phone for many months. I simply ignored the bill.

I make a very hard effort to reach out to people, emails to people I am "convinced" don't care about me anymore, etc. It is hard and I often end up feeling rejected. But I know that a lot of that is just the depression coloring my perceptions, so I persevere.

As many others have said, I think the best idea lies in a balance. At times when depression cuts you off from everyone and the whole world, this place can provide the people and community that you need to keep going. It is still important to try to work through the depression and reestablish our outside ties to our friends and community. Sometimes we need first to find some relief for the depression before we are even able to attempt that. This place fills a much needed void in that case.