I would also like to compliment you very much with your poll. I love what you write about people that have been in therapy and completely agree with it! In my opinion, there is way too few understanding for it in the general population.
Actually, I have been through an extremely hard time myself in which I didn't go to therapy, but was 'my own therapist' as I call it. Since there are a lot of introverts here I wonder if there are people among you(Penelope and the others that read this blog) that deal with big issues in a similar way?

By 'my own therapist' I mean that instead of talking to a therapist or anyone else about my problem, I try to figure it out by myself by withdrawing, thinking and reflecting. I don't stop this untill I've solved it (even it it would take me ten years) because I refuse to live my life in a way less that the best that it can be and I sure as hell don't want an old issue to keep hurting me every time it's triggered.

My experience is that people in general show way more understanding towards people who act out, talk to a therapist or just move on with their lifes as if nothing has happened (how many times haven't I heard that I should 'go talk to someone', 'get help' or 'just go out or go shopping again because that is more fun') than towards people who withdraw and try to deal with their own problem by themselves (as long as it takes untill you solved it, which can be very long if the issue is big).

This lack of understanding however often makes me feel as if I'm the only one who deals with problems this way. Often I've heard that 'I think too much and should look at the positive'(only in times of a big problem, in general I'm very positive). I on the other hand think that it is good to look at was is wrong in your life and to set yourself the goal to not rest before you have dealt with it. That I don't see as 'being negative' but as trying to eliminate the negative from your life so you can make it as perfect as it can be, and as not finding it an option to live you life in a way less than the best that it can be.

That's why I'm happy to hear from you (Penelope) that you find people who go to therapy (in other words, who face the hurtful things in their life and try to solve them instead of denying and 'keep partying')interesting, and that you think being committed to your goals is a positive thing. I get the impression that the general population thinks it's negative to stick to such a goal too long and that you should just let go and party, 'cause else you miss out on so much'.

So, I know it was a very long response :D, but in addition to Penelope's poll I would like to know if there are also people among you that withdraw in times of big problems and are 'their own therapist' instead of talking to someone else (I really mean in times of big issues that other people would go to therapy with). I personally couldn't figure out a problem by talking to someone else and would like to know if there are more people like that.