It's really interesting to me that in many health-related areas, we think we need to stop when we're feeling better. That's the whole thing with antibiotics making superbugs. People stop taking them when they feel better, but when they feel better isn't necessarily when all the bugs are dead. It's the thing with fad diets, too. People eat and do crazy things, but stop when they've lost the weight. And usually put it back on.

You're making an assumption that people who don't go to therapy don't need it. Oh my goodness no. How many people do you interact with on a daily basis that are handling one thing or another in a bizarre self-sabotaging way that could probably be helped with a little guided self-examination?

Also, what's this with NEEDING something in order to make it worthwhile? If we only did what we needed, we wouldn't be doing all that much. The fact is, we all do lots of things we don't need because they make our lives better. I don't need to try out a new haircut every so often, but I do because it makes me feel good. I don't need to walk to work sometimes, but I do because I find that getting some sun during the day helps my mood. I don't need to travel, but I do because I really enjoy it. I don't need coffee, but heaven help you if you try to take it away from me.

And in reality, many of us would probably survive without therapy. I would probably be able to stumble through life. But the fact is, I am much happier and much more balanced with therapy. I do believe there's something chemical/genetic about my depression that I am just plain stuck with, in that I have been having trouble controlling my own sadness since as far back as anyone can recount. But like you, many of the bad things that I read about on this board never happened to me. Sometimes I read this forum, then promptly go into the bathroom and cry, because it makes me so angry and upset. Relatively speaking, my parents did ok. I've had a pretty lucky life. But there is still stuff that I do that I don't understand, that makes life more difficult now. Just because that stuff doesn't have an origin in abuse doesn't make it not worth sorting out so I can pursue happiness.

Everyone goes through some bad stuff, and some people still manage to keep a really healthy perspective about some things. People have been trying to figure out what makes some people respond to a certain life one way, and what makes other respond another way, forever. If you could figure it out, you could bottle it and sell it and retire. But for now, if therapy helps you, then let it help! If it feels like it's not adding much, that's one thing... but if it's good for you, continuing to benefit from it doesn't really say anything bad about you at all.