Programming While On Medication
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I had also similar issue when i was using Prozac and other SSRI's. Concentration failures , especially when designing a system and coding heavyly creative stuff. I am off the medicines now, my anxiety is for sure returned, but there is a line between our survival instinct and fighting responses which gives us this responsibilities , and whole kind of SSRI's are known causing manic episodes, which causes us to forget or even don't care about responsibilities. So if coding is an art, surely whole antidepression stuff kills the programmer in you.
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Dear Humble Programmer, Please try to avoid all kind of medication. If you have anxiety, do the exercises like walking for at least half an hour. You may also find some YOGA which can solve these problems...that too without medication. Take care.
Ashfaq Maniar, Software Developer.
Absolutely. Avoid medications when ever possible. And never ever take medications that are intended to alter your state of mind! Your mind is the tool you use to make your living. Why would try to alter it with a very blunt instrument like mood altering chemicals. There is absolutely no scientific proof that mental conditions such as anxiety, depression, etc., etc. are CAUSED by chemical "imbalances" in the brain. There IS evidence that altering your mood changes the chemicals in your brain. There are lots of techniques for elevating mood and changing outlook that are far more workable and precise then taking medicines. At best the medicines just mask the symptoms. They don't handle the problem. At worst they can cause all sorts of nasty "side effects". If you've got anxiety problems, there is something that is causing them. Or more likely, someone who is causing them. Identify the actual source of the problem and figure out what you can do about it. Take some causitive action to change the situation. Or avoid the individual or individuals who are triggers for the anxiety. Or if necessary, find a new job. Any of that is easier and better for you then blunting the one thing that is actually vital to your profession. Personnally, I would never trust code that was written by anyone who was on any sort of psychological drug or even pain killer -- even if I was the one who wrote it. Good luck.
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Has anyone experienced problems writing code while on medication of any kind? I take generalized anxiety disorder medication daily and Ambien each night to sleep. I don't think it is the Ambien because I have been taking it for a while and not noticed any difference. I have been on the Lexapro for about 2 months and during that 2 months about 5 of those days working I had a REALLY hard time writing code. It was not that I did not want to write code I just could not get my mind right, the logic did not make sense. To add to how odd this is I find that I don't seem to have as much trouble writing SQL but the VB.NET is just not there. One theory that I have come up with to explain the reason I don't have trouble writing SQL but do with .NET might be because you really don't need to be "creative" to write SQL where as when writing a new system and doing things you have not done you need some creativity. I have read that many artistic people will refuse to take medication like Lexapro because they lose alot of their creativity. Please let me know your thoughts I think that there is probably someone here that might have experienced something similar.
Humble Programmer
The only thing I can use is Ibuprofen. Antihistamines, decongestants, most antibiotics - it is like working with mittens on. I stopped programming for a few years while I dealt with my migraines because anything that helped with my pain eliminated my IQ. It wasn't the creative part it was the logic that disappeared and the ability to hold more then one thought at the time. Yoga, meditation, acupressure and exercise worked better for the pain. They also will help with depression and anxiety. But you have to work at it, I know it is much easier to take a pill sometimes.
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I would suggest that if the medication you are on is affecting your concentration or ability to think clearly, you really need to be returning to your doctor to discuss these with him/her.
Knowledge is knowing that the tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in fruit salad!! Booger Mobile - Camp Quality esCarpade 2010
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That's too much VB.NET, probably not the medication! ;P
Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value. - Albert Einstein Ernest Laurentin
I knew that was coming thought it would have been said sooner. LOL :laugh:
Humble Programmer
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The issue was a few years ago when I was dealing with some changes in my life. Things have improved greatly in the meantime such that I even garnered a large pay increase a couple of years ago.
Windows is a pane.
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Has anyone experienced problems writing code while on medication of any kind? I take generalized anxiety disorder medication daily and Ambien each night to sleep. I don't think it is the Ambien because I have been taking it for a while and not noticed any difference. I have been on the Lexapro for about 2 months and during that 2 months about 5 of those days working I had a REALLY hard time writing code. It was not that I did not want to write code I just could not get my mind right, the logic did not make sense. To add to how odd this is I find that I don't seem to have as much trouble writing SQL but the VB.NET is just not there. One theory that I have come up with to explain the reason I don't have trouble writing SQL but do with .NET might be because you really don't need to be "creative" to write SQL where as when writing a new system and doing things you have not done you need some creativity. I have read that many artistic people will refuse to take medication like Lexapro because they lose alot of their creativity. Please let me know your thoughts I think that there is probably someone here that might have experienced something similar.
Humble Programmer
My psycho put me Lexapro for a while for what she diagnosed as "Existential Depression", the Lexapro did nothing for me, nor to me, nor to or for the condition. After discussions with medicos and trying bigger dose (to no effect) I stopped taking it. As others have advised you must discuss your concerns with whoever prescribed it. It could be that you need to be on a lower dose. Try meditation, it may not fix your anxiety disorder, but you may learn to live with it. Meditation helped me learn to live with my E.D., to the extent that I'm now quite attached to it, I'd miss it if it wasn't there. E.D.'s a variety of Bipolar Disorder, which used to be called Manic-Depression. Anxiety is not a symptom of E.D, or not in my case at least.
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Absolutely. Avoid medications when ever possible. And never ever take medications that are intended to alter your state of mind! Your mind is the tool you use to make your living. Why would try to alter it with a very blunt instrument like mood altering chemicals. There is absolutely no scientific proof that mental conditions such as anxiety, depression, etc., etc. are CAUSED by chemical "imbalances" in the brain. There IS evidence that altering your mood changes the chemicals in your brain. There are lots of techniques for elevating mood and changing outlook that are far more workable and precise then taking medicines. At best the medicines just mask the symptoms. They don't handle the problem. At worst they can cause all sorts of nasty "side effects". If you've got anxiety problems, there is something that is causing them. Or more likely, someone who is causing them. Identify the actual source of the problem and figure out what you can do about it. Take some causitive action to change the situation. Or avoid the individual or individuals who are triggers for the anxiety. Or if necessary, find a new job. Any of that is easier and better for you then blunting the one thing that is actually vital to your profession. Personnally, I would never trust code that was written by anyone who was on any sort of psychological drug or even pain killer -- even if I was the one who wrote it. Good luck.
Your advise is much (much much) better then the medication. Excellent letter (for me an article). I hope everyone reads your letter and benifits from your advise. Keep up the good work, :thumbsup:
Ashfaq Maniar, Software Developer.
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Has anyone experienced problems writing code while on medication of any kind? I take generalized anxiety disorder medication daily and Ambien each night to sleep. I don't think it is the Ambien because I have been taking it for a while and not noticed any difference. I have been on the Lexapro for about 2 months and during that 2 months about 5 of those days working I had a REALLY hard time writing code. It was not that I did not want to write code I just could not get my mind right, the logic did not make sense. To add to how odd this is I find that I don't seem to have as much trouble writing SQL but the VB.NET is just not there. One theory that I have come up with to explain the reason I don't have trouble writing SQL but do with .NET might be because you really don't need to be "creative" to write SQL where as when writing a new system and doing things you have not done you need some creativity. I have read that many artistic people will refuse to take medication like Lexapro because they lose alot of their creativity. Please let me know your thoughts I think that there is probably someone here that might have experienced something similar.
Humble Programmer
I personally find I work much better on a low dose of Lexapro. In my case the relief from depression allows much better concentration. Having said that, too much would be counter-productive for me. The first side effect for me when I get too much is that I start yawning constantly. And it will cut into my effectiveness. So I pay close attention to my mood and not feeling sleepy. As a note, I discussed the issue with more then one doctor. (When I first went on it I was doing tech support for doctors and had very easy free access.) The first rule is to discuss with your doctor side effects. And I mean discuss not just say a few words and expect some magic answer.
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Yep, that's right. My boss started taking some medication in the morning and after two weeks or so she said she really felt "groovy". She coud not work in any activity before noon. Problem stopped when she visited her doctor and changed the medicine
Agreed! A coder is a terrible thing to waste.