Burnout and Depression Among IT Workers?

Cultural Sublimation asks: "All of us working in IT seem to be especially prone to problems like burnout and depression. Could part of the reason be directly related to our professions? Recently, there have been a number of interesting features on Kuro5hin which have focused precisely on this issue. From people claiming that " The Internet Is Driving Me Crazy", to an in-depth two-part series trying to demystify depression, the message is that too much information might be making us sick. What are the experiences of fellow Slashdot readers on this topic?"

Comments

Should Be On Main Page

[mlmitton]

I really wish this had been posted on the main page. IT or not, far too many people refuse to recognize depression as a problem that's treatable. Myself included. I had gone for 15 years with depression I never thought was serious. My girlfriend (no ex-girlfriend, she left me because of depression) forced me into treatment, and the Pdoc was shocked that I was still alive. All that time, being mostly unhappy, and it didn't need to be that way. I was too stubborn to admit it.

Anyway, some resources. If you are taking/thinking about taking meds, I highly recommend http://www.crazymeds.org/ The site isn't run by a doctor, but having checked his information from a number of different sources, he definitely seems to get the information right. Plus, the site is irreverant, which I appreciate.

The first course of therapy for depression is cognitive behavioral therapy. There is a standard book that explains these techniques. Feeling Good, by David Burns. Amazon link here: http://tinyurl.com/7dxos

I've read a lot of books on depression over the past 18 months, and the best, the most informative, I found was The Noonday Demon, by Andrew Solomon. Amazon again: http://tinyurl.com/99neh

Finally, the links in the post were good, and a good start, but I definitely disagree with some of his advice. Everybody is different, so take the time to hear different viewpoints on diagnoses, symptoms, and cures.

If you're wondering, treatment has made me better than I was, but I still have room for improvement. This is important. Depression may never (or it may) be "cured" for you, but in nearly all cases, treatment will decrease its severity. But not necessarily right away. Treatment is a process, and it takes some time to get there. Be patient.