I get enough of commenting on a particular recovery topic with a bunch of unrelated anecdotes at al-anon. Here, I prefer to comment on threads that have real-life issues, and then apply recovery ideas to those problems.
I also use the thanks button for all kinds of reasons: it was a helpful post, it was a post that must have been difficult to write, it was a self-realization that must have been difficult to come to, or, I simply don't have time to respond.
If the thanks button is hindering your recovery, then don't use it. The first thing I thought of when I read the first post and the one linked to was "bitch to brag." You're the only one who responded to that post, so you're further along in your recovery?