Lots of great stuff here.
For me at least, I think maybe there's something to be said for despair. Desperation, self-loathing—those negative feelings were what drove me to quit. They'd been building a long time, and they didn't go away overnight. In those early days, I don't think it was possible for anyone to offer me a quick fix. I think I just wanted some hope that it would get better. That was probably the most important thing I got out of SR when I stumbled across this place.
Hopelessness led me here. And then all of a sudden there was hope in the form of all these people who had done it, and were telliing me I could do it too, just as Freshstart said. A smiley face hug or "You Rock" emoticon went a long way, too. And I always found Dee's muppet avatars oddly comforting... but I digress.
My point is, sometimes what I needed most was just a reminder that I wasn't alone.