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Suicide of an Uber engineer: Widow blames job stress

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Re: Suicide of an Uber engineer: Widow blames job stress

#191
post #70
post #4

It's really mind-boggling this happened after less than 6 months at Uber. I wonder what it must be to work there. Sounds absolutely horrifying.

It's not just Uber. There is no shortage of toxic workplaces, sadly.

Libertardians are always capable of worsening anything off a tidy bit, at least ;)

Re: Suicide of an Uber engineer: Widow blames job stress

#192
post #186
post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The decision to commit suicide is rarely made in a rational state of mind. Unlike most decisions, however, this one is permanent.

This is true for suicide due to depression or other mental health issues. However, deciding to commit suicide due to intractable terminal illness is often done in a very rational state of mind. The big difference is that the later is a decision that is/should not be made alone, but with the assistance of your family, friends and or doctor.

Euthanasia is not really relevant to what's being discussed here.

Re: Suicide of an Uber engineer: Widow blames job stress

#194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well said. I've worked at 3 start-ups and at all of them I've worked long, grueling hours with the most recent one I was doing at least 65 hours a week (typically longer especially with a 3+ hour commute). I became severely burned out to the point where I didn't want to look for work or do much of anything. I was depressed and had severe anxiety. I went to the hospital with an anxiety attack so strong that I literall…

This is why I am highly sceptical of start ups, and it would take a helluva a lot for someone to convince me to join another. I prefer big corps, as its possible to control you work load a little more and transfer internally if you get a bad boss.

This issue isn't exclusively about big corps vs startups. There are parts of big established corps where they're growing so fast in new lines of business that it's essentially a startup in terms of the stage of process and systems maturity. There are startups at the other end of the spectrum. I think it has more to do with the leadership than the size or age of the company.

Re: Suicide of an Uber engineer: Widow blames job stress

#195

I think we are missing some information here: "All suggested that he leave his job, but he was adamant that he could not. " The question is why? what conditions need to occur where a man who most likely can get another job easily enough and who has switched jobs before decides that ending his life his a better course of action then switching jobs. They wrote that he eventually saw a psychiatrist, was he prescribed SS…

It's going to be darkly ironic if we are finally able to talk about certain medications' involvement in suicides and violence because Uber is forced to use that data for its own defense.

But I don't care how we talk about it -- we've lost too many good people in this world because we're afraid to talk about well-known and well-documented side effects.

Re: Suicide of an Uber engineer: Widow blames job stress

#196

This was so difficult for me to read. I have struggled with extreme anxiety and chronic depression and brushed up against the thought of there being no way forward or out but suicide. During the closest calls, I was making the most I ever had, living in a nice house, etc. It didn't really matter though. I felt a tightness in my chest and a boiling kettle of acid in my stomach from the second I woke up until the secon…

> I had a Pavlovian response to the sound of email arriving on my phone, to the point where it would be in my nightmares. I went through a rough period last summer where a project I was involved in was a complete disaster. I basically spent 24x7 terrified that a new "emergency" was going to roll in on my phone via email with a stakeholder telling me how this new issue was ruining their life and how disappointed they…

Work emails will never trigger a notification. If there's a genuine emergency, I can be reached over the phone

Re: Suicide of an Uber engineer: Widow blames job stress

#197
post #186
post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The decision to commit suicide is rarely made in a rational state of mind. Unlike most decisions, however, this one is permanent.

This is true for suicide due to depression or other mental health issues. However, deciding to commit suicide due to intractable terminal illness is often done in a very rational state of mind. The big difference is that the later is a decision that is/should not be made alone, but with the assistance of your family, friends and or doctor.

[deleted]

Re: Suicide of an Uber engineer: Widow blames job stress

#198

Please know that if you are feeling hopeless, like you are a failure, and that there is no recovering, there are people who will help you. You are not your job or your accomplishments, you are worth it and there are people who love you and will help you. In the Bay Area, call (415) 781-0500 to talk with someone who can help. http://www.sfsuicide.org/

real depression is disease, nobody on any hotline is going talk you out if it

That's a gross mischaracterization of what hotlines are for, and what they do. Their purpose is to talk you down, and direct you to the resources that can further help you (like seeing a medical practitioner).

Re: Suicide of an Uber engineer: Widow blames job stress

#200
Throwaway as usual:

Just last weekend (Friday), I thought I had reached my breaking point. I could not handle my job, my friends, my parents and my side idea to the point I convinced myself that the only solution to my problems was suicide. I went on to 4chan to ask for help on the quickest solution.

The only reason I'm alive today is because Amazon does not have a quick shipping policy (what I ordered would have taken me over a week to receive). Now I'm taking one day at a time in the hope that I don't reach that situation again.

I truly feel sad for both the Engineer and his family!

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