Depression
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I suffer from severe depression, yet my job is as a programmer. It can be a difficult disability in a trying profession. Anyone else struggle with this? Any tips?
No simple answer, but here are some tips:
- Realizing that I am just a tiny tiny speck (both in terms of space and time) in this great magnitude of creation, and not worrying about anything other than the immediate needs, (perhaps easier said than done).
- Finding out what you like the most, and pursuing it. There are two aspects - (i) My interest, and (ii) My profession. If there is a mismatch between the two, can be one of the causes of depression, which means: 'I am not loving and enjoying my job'. Seeking a profession of your interest (however low paying it is) may help; because over time, things will change for the better, simply because the interest lies there.
- Distracting yourself periodically, by visiting this site[^] every now and then. :-)
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I suffer from severe depression, yet my job is as a programmer. It can be a difficult disability in a trying profession. Anyone else struggle with this? Any tips?
"Depression" has become a catch-all default term for so many emotional, and cognitive, states, syndromes, conditions, etc., that I find it in many ways a less than valuable term. fyi: I was once in this life a qualified, credentialed, psychiatric social-worker. And, yes, I have struggled with depression, myself. Depression can be the result/reaction-to specific trauma, loss, injury, illness. Depression can be a biologically rooted syndrome with a genetic component. Deep endogenous depression is a frightening phenomenon whose manifestations can resemble a very serious disease, and can result in death (shock treatment of some form is still the treatment of choice for this ... although today's electro-convulsive therapy has no resemblance to the old stereotypes). Neurotic depression, often related to negative patterns of cognition (self-talk), can be chronic, and can be effectively treated with cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT). And, while, in our "brave new digital world," we no longer find it fashionable to think in terms of anomie (Durkheim), or angst (Kierkegaard, Freud), I believe those terms are valuable to describe a depression characterized by a sense of meaningless, and an often accompanying "numbness" in terms of our sensory experience of the world, and our body. Whether one describes that as an inherently "spiritual" condition (as Hermann Hesse did: morbio inferiore), or a kind of almost external force acting upon you (as Winston Churchill did with his "black dog" metaphor), for many people it is a very real phenomenon. While I am disturbed to see vast numbers of people medicated wholesale with anti-depressants (the SSRI's, specifically), there is no doubt there is a significant group of people who can benefit from them, and benefit from them long-term. Age, socio-economic status, health, work, stress-levels, significant life changes, relationships, intimacy, sexuality, family health history: these are all things any good therapist may wish to review with someone who says they are depressed. If you are finding yourself chronically unhappy, having negative thoughts, if you see yourself tending towards isolation, and avoiding social contacts, please do think about consulting a qualified therapist, or counselor ... after a good general physical health check-up where you ask the physician about what they think. cheers, Bill
«Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve m
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The Jiving Anchovie wrote:
yet my job is as a programmer
I'm curious as to why you phrase it like that. I love programming. It allows me to get away from the Real World, to create, to share my creations with others, to test myself, and to learn. That's all good stuff to me. On a potentially unrelated note: do you exercise?
cheers Chris Maunder
Chris Maunder wrote:
I'm curious as to why you phrase it like that.
Cause you still haven't bought me a beer. That's why.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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I suffer from severe depression, yet my job is as a programmer. It can be a difficult disability in a trying profession. Anyone else struggle with this? Any tips?
Make the best use of phases where you're feeling a bit better. Try to establish routines of doing things which help you to stay in a good mood. Try to stick to these when it gets worse. Reward yourself when you succeed in achieving that or any other goals you've set yourself, even if they're small goals. Your goals should be small enough so that you succeed in achieving them much more often than failing to. If you're not exercising, start doing it but start small. Like just going for a walk. When you're back, reward yourself for it. If you don't have a pet consider getting one. If you're not seeing a therapist, go looking for one and be sure to find one with whom you're comfortable with. cheers, Sascha
If the brain were so simple we could understand it, we would be so simple we couldn't. — Lyall Watson
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I suffer from severe depression, yet my job is as a programmer. It can be a difficult disability in a trying profession. Anyone else struggle with this? Any tips?
I'm from the mid-west U.S. and the weather this time of your is deplorable. I hate this time of the year. The reason I stay here is because of my job. The only time I see the sun is when I drive home in the evening and that's when the skies are not cloudy. I haven't seen the sun all week. Being mid-aged and single, it is easy to have negative thoughts from time to time, especially Friday nights in the middle of winter, but I try and think of something to look forward to. I had the best vacation ever, by myself, in October and plan on doing it again in May. With the holidays just passing and the terrible and nasty weather, it is real easy to be down; in fact it is hard not to be down. So for this weekend, I'll treat myself to one of my favorite meals, get some exercise, do some programming, and dream about May. Hang in there bro, tomorrow will be a better day than today and tomorrow is worth looking forward to.
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"Depression" has become a catch-all default term for so many emotional, and cognitive, states, syndromes, conditions, etc., that I find it in many ways a less than valuable term. fyi: I was once in this life a qualified, credentialed, psychiatric social-worker. And, yes, I have struggled with depression, myself. Depression can be the result/reaction-to specific trauma, loss, injury, illness. Depression can be a biologically rooted syndrome with a genetic component. Deep endogenous depression is a frightening phenomenon whose manifestations can resemble a very serious disease, and can result in death (shock treatment of some form is still the treatment of choice for this ... although today's electro-convulsive therapy has no resemblance to the old stereotypes). Neurotic depression, often related to negative patterns of cognition (self-talk), can be chronic, and can be effectively treated with cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT). And, while, in our "brave new digital world," we no longer find it fashionable to think in terms of anomie (Durkheim), or angst (Kierkegaard, Freud), I believe those terms are valuable to describe a depression characterized by a sense of meaningless, and an often accompanying "numbness" in terms of our sensory experience of the world, and our body. Whether one describes that as an inherently "spiritual" condition (as Hermann Hesse did: morbio inferiore), or a kind of almost external force acting upon you (as Winston Churchill did with his "black dog" metaphor), for many people it is a very real phenomenon. While I am disturbed to see vast numbers of people medicated wholesale with anti-depressants (the SSRI's, specifically), there is no doubt there is a significant group of people who can benefit from them, and benefit from them long-term. Age, socio-economic status, health, work, stress-levels, significant life changes, relationships, intimacy, sexuality, family health history: these are all things any good therapist may wish to review with someone who says they are depressed. If you are finding yourself chronically unhappy, having negative thoughts, if you see yourself tending towards isolation, and avoiding social contacts, please do think about consulting a qualified therapist, or counselor ... after a good general physical health check-up where you ask the physician about what they think. cheers, Bill
«Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve m
Quote:
vast numbers of people medicated wholesale with anti-depressants (the SSRI's, specifically),
Yes! Here in the USA they may just as well put Prozac into our drinking water!
How do we preserve the wisdom men will need, when their violent passions are spent? - The Lost Horizon
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The Jiving Anchovie wrote:
yet my job is as a programmer
I'm curious as to why you phrase it like that. I love programming. It allows me to get away from the Real World, to create, to share my creations with others, to test myself, and to learn. That's all good stuff to me. On a potentially unrelated note: do you exercise?
cheers Chris Maunder
Yeah, while it's typical of people to assume that geeks are somehow one dimensional nerds, a lot of programmers I know are very emotive, empathetic folks.
Regards, Nish
Website: www.voidnish.com Blog: voidnish.wordpress.com
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Chris Maunder wrote:
I'm curious as to why you phrase it like that.
Cause you still haven't bought me a beer. That's why.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
I'm in Sydney next week...
cheers Chris Maunder
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I'm in Sydney next week...
cheers Chris Maunder
Chris Maunder wrote:
I'm in Sydney next week...
Give me a date, a time and a place and I will organise work to be there. Also let me know if it's alcohol or just coffee.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Chris Maunder wrote:
I'm in Sydney next week...
Give me a date, a time and a place and I will organise work to be there. Also let me know if it's alcohol or just coffee.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
It'll be skinny decaf soy gluten free lattes all the way. I know you Mick, and I know what you like.
cheers Chris Maunder