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Discussion on: Depression & Anxiety in programming

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Harold Combs

Yep. Anxiety checking-in.

If so, what are some ways that you've found help you when you're having a tough day?

Boiling it down:

  • Meds
  • Structure
  • Friends

Let's start with friends. Anxiety gives you this distorted view of reality...you see things as hyper-important that....aren't. You need people you trust who you can be your literal "reality check" similar to the way John Nash would ask, "Do you see that person standing there?" in A Beautiful Mind.

Second is structure. My particular bend on things is driven around the unknown...I get hyper-anxious when things just fly at me. Let's take a typical day at the office: I can come in at 8 or at 10. Both are acceptable. If I come in at 10, I guarantee I'm an anxious wreck because I have to start "sprinting" to keep up with the events flying at me: email, social interactions, work meetings.

Contrast: Eight o'clock. Open floorplan is quiet. I can deal with backlog email and set-up my structure for the day. Much easier to accept that sort of day.

Last...beyond a certain point, it's clinical. You can throw all the friends and structure at it you want; it won't help. You'll need to chemically balance your brain, with a doctor's supervision.

In my experience, therapy can give you some tools to deal with it, but even my last therapist was like, "We need something to get you past this hump you keep sliding down." He was quite correct, and the last 3 years have been better than the preceding 30.