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Anxious tech workers are going to therapy

nytimes.com

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Re: Anxious tech workers are going to therapy

#231

Post by Stronico »

jelliclesfarm wrote: post #211
thrav wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like this notion of tossing things that are unpleasant is pervasive in California, in a way that it wasn’t where I grew up, in Texas. As you say, there is a lot of value in sticking with shit that can be really irritating, and hard. In Texas, they go too far the other way, and tolerate things for longer than they sometimes should. Funny how that tendency maps so well to the foundations of their politics (progr…

Interesting observation. I think it’s true. My take on it: Mostly occurs because California is filled with people who come from somewhere else. It is filled with restless people who are goal oriented and need results to be filled with joy. I think places with more rooted populations find their joy in people and not goals. They are not on the move. There is a certain personality that thinks..I am going to move cities,…

Utah Phillips phrased it as "People back East have a tremendous sense of place, here in the West, we have a tremendous sense of event."

Re: Anxious tech workers are going to therapy

#232

Post by viburnum »

taurath wrote: post #197
viburnum wrote: post #72

Most therapists are well-meaning but have no idea what they’re doing. You’re just paying somebody to be your friend for 50 minutes a week. A competent therapist should help you get results in 6-8 sessions, faster if they really know what they’re doing. If you seeing a therapist and you’re not getting results, you’re wasting your money.

A very cynical take - it seems you're taken from the place where a therapist to many people is like a doctor's visit. Figure out what the problem is, fix it, and then move on. Maybe that works if you only have one problem. Maybe that works if you have nothing fundamental and deep down to get over. Our society doesn't offer many places for people to feel safe truly opening up emotionally. It can take people a very lon…

If it takes your therapist four hours for you to feel comfortable opening up, they are a bad therapist.

Re: Anxious tech workers are going to therapy

#233

Post by TeMPOraL »

> a couple of years ago, clients were coming in mostly because of personal issues, but that now they were reporting anxiety about global trends, like climate change and the rise of dictatorships.

Yup. I'm increasingly considering doing the same. Climate change is really getting into my head these days. How do you deal with feeling there is no future?

Re: Anxious tech workers are going to therapy

#234

Post by SamuelAdams »

tpurves wrote: post #30
vincent-toups wrote: post #4

Everyone should go to therapy. I don't think I've ever met a person who doesn't need to talk things out, from time to time, with a semi-objective, third party. Most of us were raised by imperfect people trying their best who still made a lot of mistakes. Even people who had really prepared parents probably experienced things which might have left us with some unresolved issues. Go see a therapist. Its not a big deal.

Agreed. But therapy often aint cheap. I don’t doubt that tech workers get stressed and seekntherapy. People in other industry also suffer through anxiety and other issues. Probably many (most?) low wage job sectors are even worse for the pressures felt by workers. But tech pays well, so you have the greater privledge there to be able to afford therapy. and so a lot of tech people go to therapy. (As almost anyone coul…

The running joke around my town is that the local bartender sells cheap therapy.

Re: Anxious tech workers are going to therapy

#235

Post by SamuelAdams »

throwawaymlc wrote: post #230

I am finding the day to day experience of being a developer in a team / corporate environment quite taxing on mental health these days. Some issues are: JIRA / agile / whatever methodologies, so many metadata fields in the ticketing system that are all just matters of opinion. So much time spent hoarding and prioritizing "wishlist" items, and discussing which order to do things if, hypothetically, they were to be don…

I hear goat farming is popular.

Re: Anxious tech workers are going to therapy

#236

Post by nabnob »

hiram112 wrote: post #155
rblion wrote: post #87

Seven ayahuasca ceremonies and two bufo ceremonies over the course of 2 years changed my life. I experienced a paradigm shift and healed a lot of repressed trauma, let go of a lot of internal drama. I feel I got to the root of the issue and built a solid foundation upon mindfulness and compassion. Every day I work to train my mind to be one-pointed while keeping my heart open towards all, even those who wish me harm.…

Had you ever tried any of the typical anti-depressants before deciding to use one not developed by Big Pharma? I don't doubt that a lot of these psychedelics, about which almost every person who tries them for depression raves, are effective for some people. But like any strong drug affecting the brain, I'm wary that they could just as easily cause even more anxiety and depression in those already predisposed.

Antidepressants are no more effective than placebo and the "chemical imbalance" theory has very little research to actually support it - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4172306/

Re: Anxious tech workers are going to therapy

#237

Post by agota »

Bootwizard wrote: post #112
chrisnaoumidis wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd love to read it when you've finished it! Approaching it from changing mental models, perspectives and learning new skills is how we view mental health issues management/prevention. If you're interested in this angle, you should try out one of our sessions at Mindset. It'd be really great to hear what you think of them.

I'm not a writer so I'll let you know when it happens. It may be years from now, but I'm steadily working on it! :) I'll check out Mindset, thanks. (I couldn't find it on google, send a link if you don't mind)

You should create a landing page so that people who are interested in the book could subscribe and get updates.

Re: Anxious tech workers are going to therapy

#238

Post by vonmoltke »

tobib wrote: post #223
ipython wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only problem with this point of view is that, effectively, you have painted a sort of target on your back. As you say, not everyone goes to therapy (even though they should). Therefore, there is still a stigma associated with those who do choose to go to therapy. That wouldn't be so bad, except there are consequences to going to therapy. Paperwork and records are generated. There are certain positions where you h…

> That wouldn't be so bad, except there are consequences to going to therapy. Paperwork and records are generated. There are certain positions where you have to disclose any therapy that you've received (see for example Section 21 on the SF-86: https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf86.pdf ) Seeking counseling for depression/anxiety does not fall under any of the questions being asked in this form.

ipython may be recalling the previous S21. S21 got a major update for revision 2016. See revision 2010 for the prior version: https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf86-non508.pdf

Any mental health issue is covered by that question.

Discussion of the change: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2016/11/29/dni-announces-chan...

Re: Anxious tech workers are going to therapy

#239

Post by taurath »

viburnum wrote: post #232
taurath wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A very cynical take - it seems you're taken from the place where a therapist to many people is like a doctor's visit. Figure out what the problem is, fix it, and then move on. Maybe that works if you only have one problem. Maybe that works if you have nothing fundamental and deep down to get over. Our society doesn't offer many places for people to feel safe truly opening up emotionally. It can take people a very lon…

If it takes your therapist four hours for you to feel comfortable opening up, they are a bad therapist.

Some people haven’t opened up to anyone, even themselves in decades.
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