The dissident contingent within the Church belittled confession after Vatican 2 and persuaded a fair number of people that it was no longer necessary.
Not true.
Frequent confession is a good idea—maybe once a month, or whenever one commits a serious sin. But the requirement of an annual “Easter confession” remains on the books. That means that everyone really should confess AT LEAST once a year during the long Easter season, from Ash Wednesday to Ascension Day.
Confession does not drag us down, it is Christ lifting us up unto Himself. I really think that there are priests who have a gift for it. I recall one priest whose sermons were completely boring, who was totally inspired when it came to confession. And I like calling it “confession” instead of “sacrament of reconciliation.”