Hiya Green,
For me I find the forum helpful for a few reasons.
1 - Accountability. I don't attend face to face meetings so these are the people that I will need to report to if I slip. I mean, of course I don't have to... it's the internet. I could disappear tomorrow. But I've interacted with enough people here that I feel responsible to this community. That little bit of peer pressure when I'm feeling weak is very helpful.
2 - Giving advice causes me to think through my own problems without even realizing it. By reading other people's questions and experiences and formulating my thoughts in response, I've been slowly developing a strong and nuanced philosophy of recovery.
3 - Daily context. I check in here daily, simply because it reminds me of this 'project' that I'm working on. It keeps me in touch with my goal.
Like anything else, you have to use it, it won't do it for you... but at least for me I find it to be a very good method of recovery.