Depression lies

You want to talk about statistics, but include anecdotal statements from anonymous sources, and end with an appeal to emotion.

You want to state that psychiatric medicine is mostly placebo, but don't have any good criticisms to levy against double blind studies of antidepressants with placebos.

Given the point of the article was encouraging/helping individuals who have depression to seek medical help, I'm not sure what the purpose of your comments are. It sounds like you had a bad experience with the mental health community.

Just like people who have a bad experience with any public service, I feel for you. I might even look at whether there are systemic issues in the provision of the service, in this case mental health.

But if your intention is to make people question the efficacy and usefulness of mental health treatment for depressed people, then I feel that you are attacking something that many people have fought hard to get, get attention for and get funded, mental health treatment.

Mental health treatment still has a stigma attached to it, that of some inherent deficiency that contributes to mental issues. Adding the unrealistic idea that depressed individuals are going to be locked up and treated like animals isn't helpful in my opinion.

I'm not saying that your experience, or the experiences you are familiar with, was/were invalid. However, hundreds of thousands of individuals who find psychological or pharmacological treatment for mental illness of benefit, and many more could benefit but go undiagnosed/untreated.

Forgive the disposable account, I am a long-time registered user with high karma but even I think that once in a while there is a topic that requires anonymity (or at least further pseudonymity).

I do not feel I suffer from depression, yet I think of suicide frequently. Frequently as in, once every couple of days to several times a day, for as long as I remember.

Frequently these are just passing thoughts, of how I might do it, or of an opportunity not taken. Other times these are serious considerations and the weighing up of why not to. I don't pause on "why to" as I can answer that instantly every time.

Ultimately I conclude every time that life isn't worth living. It never has been, and never will be. But yet, to experience it is a gift and I should experience as much of it as possible before the end. To experience life is the only reason I can think of to live.

I always remember Camus, I always am mindful of the Myth of Sisyphus.

http://www.iep.utm.edu/camus/

  
  The Myth of Sisyphus (1943) – If there is a single non-fiction work that can be
  considered an essential or fundamental statement of Camus’ philosophy, it is
  this extended essay on the ethics of suicide (eventually translated and repackaged
  for American publication in 1955). For it is here that Camus formally introduces
  and fully articulates his most famous idea, the concept of the Absurd, and his
  equally famous image of life as a Sisyphean struggle. From its provocative
  opening sentence (“There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and
  that is suicide”) to its stirring, paradoxical conclusion (“The struggle itself
  toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus
  happy”), the book has something interesting and challenging on nearly every
  page and is shot through with brilliant aphorisms and insights. In the end, Camus
  rejects suicide: the Absurd must not be evaded either by religion (“philosophical
  suicide”) or by annihilation (“physical suicide”); the task of living should not
  merely be accepted, it must be embraced.
  

The problem I have is that I feel I already know that one day I will be at peace with the ridiculousness of living, and reject the "to experience" argument. One day dying will win the argument, and it only needs to win once.

What do you mean by came from the society ? Do you mean it' reactional to the context ? These are the types of depressions where cognitive therapy can be efficient. You can learn to direct your own thoughts, or avoid self bashing thoughts, that will prevent you from falling back into depressions and take control of your own mental wellbeing and your life.

> "are these very common problems among the HN/tech/startup community?"

These are very common problems among humanity.

It's good that this community is willing to talk about them so openly.

Yes I think it can be done. I haven't done it but if you ctrl-f CBT one user suggests they've had success replacing their negative self talk.