As someone who has struggled and is currently struggling from depression, posts like this scare me because I think they are spreading a misunderstanding of what depression is.
The article explains some ideas about why programmers as a whole are under-appreciated.
But having your work be under-appreciated has very very very little to do with being depressed.
I am an engineer, and almost my entire social circle is technical as well. I've found that it's hard for friends to understand just how utterly irrational depression is. Being sad because something bad happened isn't depression. Being tired because you haven't been sleeping well isn't depression. And being un-motivated because you are under-appreciated isn't depression.
Yes, bad things happening, poor sleep, and under-appreciation can trigger or contribute to depression. And I don't doubt that the author is hurting and struggling and needs and deserves our help.
I'm just scared when we oversimplify depression, and try to explain it away. Depression is as nuanced as it is awful.
The article explains some ideas about why programmers as a whole are under-appreciated.
But having your work be under-appreciated has very very very little to do with being depressed.
I am an engineer, and almost my entire social circle is technical as well. I've found that it's hard for friends to understand just how utterly irrational depression is. Being sad because something bad happened isn't depression. Being tired because you haven't been sleeping well isn't depression. And being un-motivated because you are under-appreciated isn't depression.
Yes, bad things happening, poor sleep, and under-appreciation can trigger or contribute to depression. And I don't doubt that the author is hurting and struggling and needs and deserves our help.
I'm just scared when we oversimplify depression, and try to explain it away. Depression is as nuanced as it is awful.