Here's an excerpt from the online book "Psychological Self-Help" by Clayton E. Tucker-Ladd, Ph.D., which I have recently discovered and which is discussed in the Sharing Self Help Ideas forum on Psych Central. I post this because I am in agreement with a lot in this book!

"You are, thus far, pretty much on your own to take care of your life. No system or basic institution, such as family, church, school, friends, or health/psychological caretakers, has taken on the task of helping you learn to cope with the minor or serious troubles that will come your way (denial is easier and, thus, self-help isn't a big money maker). A lot of your welfare depends on luck--being born middle class... or being raised in a psychologically healthy family... or being given healthy genes... or being endowed with the ability to learn coping skills on your own. To become effective at coping, you need to practice thinking of self-help as being applicable to all parts of your life, i.e. helpful all the time with serious problems, minor concerns, and self-improvements of all kinds."