On the one hand, I think there are definitely people out there for whom fandom fills this kind of therapeutic function. Fandom is a community, after all, and it's quite an accepting one, so troubled individuals can often take comfort there.
On the other hand, though, I hate that virtually all articles about fandom and fan fiction use an angle that makes it look as if all participants are socially maladjusted. Now, I understand that healthy, well-adjusted people writing fanfic don't make for a very interesting news story, but...still. The vast majority of us are *not* recovering addicts, etc. using fan fiction to "work through our childhood issues" -- we're just ordinary people who find it a fun hobby.
