Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: How can I help people defeat depression?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 57 posts

Re: Ask HN: How can I help people defeat depression?

#41

Post by imd23 »

greyostrich wrote: post #27
imd23 wrote: post #3

I have had a one but long period of depression in the past where everything was dark. Dark as hell. Retrospectively I can say, by far the thigs that help the most are just someone listening. Listening the other who needs it and in a 10% maybe help them by reframing them and put in perspective their view. It is a really difficult job. Second something that helped me a lot was CBT online by using Lantern, it helps you…

How much did the best gym cost? I was previously looking at one $150/month, but that's obviously too much for someone with no income.

Well it doesn't matter how much it cost but how makes you feel. You will spot it instantly.mine is like equinox on the US. It cost 150 too. It was the best desviación I made as well as upgrading my workspace.

Re: Ask HN: How can I help people defeat depression?

#42

Post by imd23 »

mrmaximus wrote: post #38

You specifically asked how you could use your technology skills to help people. First though, there are two kinds (at least) of depression. One is the normal kind where you feel blue when things go wrong in life. This is normal and it should fade. There is another kind related to an incorrectly functioning brain. For this medication is needed to help correct that problem. When a malfunctioning brain combines with thi…

Define normal please? I am sorry but as someone who tried mesa of all kind. They don't help. It is a big lie. And please get informed before giving medical advice. Research how mesa are created and follow the money.

Re: Ask HN: How can I help people defeat depression?

#43

Post by greyostrich »

imd23 wrote: post #41
greyostrich wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How much did the best gym cost? I was previously looking at one $150/month, but that's obviously too much for someone with no income.

Well it doesn't matter how much it cost but how makes you feel. You will spot it instantly.mine is like equinox on the US. It cost 150 too. It was the best desviación I made as well as upgrading my workspace.

Equinox is the one I was looking at.

Re: Ask HN: How can I help people defeat depression?

#44

Post by contingencies »

milankragujevic wrote: post #33
contingencies wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Drugs have a very dark side and can definitely hurt, I would not think it's a balanced, modern, medical perspective recommend these without serious consideration!

Can confirm, after gaining 30 KG in a year from medications, BUT it's worse off of them. Not having money in the family, not having for basic things that my peers have, not being able to find work... I feel trapped in my situation and everybody says wait till you're 18 (17 since January), but every day is torture and like a year to me, waiting a year AND then trying to find a job is painful. And not to mention I'm no…

From your website you are obviously a talented kid. Not sure where you are but sounds like getting out of your immediate environment may something to try more of. Without large expenses, have you tried solo pursuits in nature away from others like walking/hiking, nature photography, cycling, kayaking? Second hand bikes or kayaks are usually very cheap, many phones now have great cameras. Honestly a bit of exercise really helps with mood and outlook. Also sometimes just starting a project (eg. photography) and recording your progress can be immensely satisfying.

Re: Ask HN: How can I help people defeat depression?

#45

Post by imd23 »

greyostrich wrote: post #43
imd23 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well it doesn't matter how much it cost but how makes you feel. You will spot it instantly.mine is like equinox on the US. It cost 150 too. It was the best desviación I made as well as upgrading my workspace.

Equinox is the one I was looking at.

Go. It's your life. I go every day.

Re: Ask HN: How can I help people defeat depression?

#46

Post by beerbaron23 »

greyostrich wrote: post #28
beerbaron23 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's pretty much the story over here...

Right now I'm just re-studying CS (history, OS, networks, databases, algorithms, etc.). Hopefully it helps, and it reminds me why I like CS. A lack of job means living with my parents, having no ownership, being treated like a child, no future, etc. I did have a contract before, but it was terribly underpaid and career killing, since no one wants to invest into you. I currently have another interview scheduled for a…

When you get into this situation it just snowballs and the main factor when you do actually get an interview for a good job they ask you why you been out of work so long.

When it comes time to choose the employee for the job, no matter how well you did in that interview they will be thinking if he is the right choice: "how come he can't find work? we must be missing a red flag on this person that other employers are noticing. Let's choose the 2nd best as a more secure option so that we don't look like idiots."

I too was suckered into an underpaying tech job startup where I was promised of quick advancement. Instead I got taken advantage of and have yet to recover from this mistake.

The struggle continues...

Re: Ask HN: How can I help people defeat depression?

#47

Post by beerbaron23 »

milankragujevic wrote: post #34

I think that people aren't depressed by a chemical imbalance but instead that is the result of their situation. And I think helping people by improving their quality of life might help them feel better. That's my case, but there might be people who have everything yet feel empty, in that case love, family, support and medications can help. Just don't be afraid to ask for different meds if the side effects you don't l…

I think it can be both or a combination of them. For me it was defiantly a chemical imbalance. One day my mind decided to bail with no real reason and I finally understood how depressed people just can't start a spark of motivation without the feeling of oncoming paralyzing dread.

Re: Ask HN: How can I help people defeat depression?

#48

Post by mrkgnao »

pizza wrote: post #7
combatentropy wrote: post #5

I wonder if some kind of chatbot therapist would help. It would have to be somehow preloaded with actual good things to say. Maybe you could get real therapists to volunteer various answers. It's not ideal, but many people are in desperate situations. Not everyone can afford $100 an hour for a therapist. And there's something to be said for someone who just listens. I remember hearing a story decades ago about a man…

There was an early chatbot that did something less sophisticated than this, called ELIZA. It mostly repeated back what the user typed in a question form, but the typing of thoughts was cathartic enough for people to use it for long sessions

"Take a break!"

Re: Ask HN: How can I help people defeat depression?

#49

Post by rantaccount »

beerbaron23 wrote: post #46
greyostrich wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right now I'm just re-studying CS (history, OS, networks, databases, algorithms, etc.). Hopefully it helps, and it reminds me why I like CS. A lack of job means living with my parents, having no ownership, being treated like a child, no future, etc. I did have a contract before, but it was terribly underpaid and career killing, since no one wants to invest into you. I currently have another interview scheduled for a…

When you get into this situation it just snowballs and the main factor when you do actually get an interview for a good job they ask you why you been out of work so long. When it comes time to choose the employee for the job, no matter how well you did in that interview they will be thinking if he is the right choice: "how come he can't find work? we must be missing a red flag on this person that other employers are…

Heh, I'm in a similar situation. I've been out of work for over 6 months. I've been unable to find anything in my city, and now employers are starting to question why I can't find work.

Truth is every nearly all tech jobs where I live pay very poorly and are mostly dead-end development agency type gigs.

I don't have any money to relocate, nor do I have any money to commute for interviews elsewhere. Plus, it's very rare to find employers willing to help with such things.

Another problem is that I was suckered into a dead-end development job since I left school so I haven't really got much "professional" experience with modern technologies. That kind of annoys me because I've been coding for 10 years and I've been keeping up with things in personal projects, but apparently that doesn't count.

Oh, and I have anxiety and autism so my personal is toxic for most agile development roles. That's probably why I was let go.

I've basically lost everything now. My house, car and now that I'm back with my parents I'm living hour away from my girlfriend which I don't have any real way to see. I suppose in some ways it's liberating to no longer have to worry about losing the things I care about.

I never drank a day in my life until now, but lately I drink every day just to help me through. People say alcohol does't work, but that's not true. I'd recommend it to anyone in my situation.

I'll keep trying to find something, I'm a fighter at heart, but I'm not holding out much hope anymore.

I'm not sure how much long things can carry on like this.

Best of luck, I hope everything works out for you man.

Re: Ask HN: How can I help people defeat depression?

#50

Post by ClammDeck »

From my own experience: Listen and keep in mind that all the emotions of a depressed person are their reality. Emotions are far more powerful than most people expect and can change the view on everything. What helped me most was meditation... Instead of being scared and running away from what was going on it helped me focusing on and studying my own depression. The process was to not identify myself too much, learning that there's a me and bunch load of emotions i couldn't handle. Don't push to hard, a depression takes its time. Listen, talk, take them on a walk. but don't expect them to be fine just after a few weeks. Find a good psychologist who can help the person to understand the mechanics of a depression, it's source and how it develops, and how it shows off. Again studying and understanding yourself was to me the most helpful thing. Sports helped in the very end to get back on track and preventing some fallbacks.
Post reply on HN