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Anxiety, Depression, Technology, and Me

anxious-tec.blogspot.com

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Re: Anxiety, Depression, Technology, and Me

#21

Post by pxlpshr »

gcheong wrote: post #16

The one thing I've found that has helped me the most is exercise. I wouldn't have believed it myself and most of the evidence I have is just my own subjective experience, but there is one incident that stands out where one day my boss mentioned that my attitude had completely changed for the better at some point. I didn't think it had, but apparently there was enough of a change for him to mention the observation. Of…

I'll third this. However, I've always had a challenge of mixing work (which i do a lot of), and finding time for things like going to a gym, etc. I'm also not one looking to bulk up w/ weights, and when I'm away from work I like meditative things. Using the computer 12+ hours a day is an intense amount of information / brain processing. I think thats why tech people get depressed — they're often mentally exhausted and therefore vulnerable.

Yoga <3 combined with an exercise app I made for the iPhone is working great for me. I'm making this app for myself, and trying to productize it for hackers, life hackers, travelers, etc. It's available on the store now but we've got another few major iterations before it's where we'd like it to be.

Re: Anxiety, Depression, Technology, and Me

#22

Post by ruby_roo »

dusklight wrote: post #19
gcheong wrote: post #16

The one thing I've found that has helped me the most is exercise. I wouldn't have believed it myself and most of the evidence I have is just my own subjective experience, but there is one incident that stands out where one day my boss mentioned that my attitude had completely changed for the better at some point. I didn't think it had, but apparently there was enough of a change for him to mention the observation. Of…

I can second that. You feel more energetic, you need less sleep, you think faster, your memory recall is better. Perhaps more importantly, by exercising regularly you will learn discipline and focus, and my life has benefited so much from having more of that.

If only I had the discipline to keep myself going to the gym. I am always glad that I did, but with that in mind, I don't know why I can't seem to keep it consistent.

What is it that fuels fitness freaks? And where can I get some? Not talking about roids or HGH, here. :)

Re: Anxiety, Depression, Technology, and Me

#23

Post by ruby_roo »

I think most tech nerds can understand and appreciate the place this person is in. I know I do. If you're an INTP, I can almost guarantee that you have this problem.

Although I haven't conquered my own demons here, life becomes much easier when you know know that this is actually very common amongst intelligent people. In other words, this is only natural.

Accepting that the anxiety and depression are natural side effects of being a rabid thinker has actually helped me deal with it better. The anxiety and depression is still there, and I have my moments, but knowing that it is a natural phenomenon gives me a peace I would not have had otherwise.

It's not surprising to me that many programmers and deep thinkers end up practicing some form of Buddhism; getting away from the now is what our egos are trying to do constantly. Feeding your head with information is the geek's way of hiding from the present moment.

It seems as if I am always there; never here. And that is the origin of my depression/anxiety problems.

Re: Anxiety, Depression, Technology, and Me

#24

Post by gcheong »

ruby_roo wrote: post #22
dusklight wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can second that. You feel more energetic, you need less sleep, you think faster, your memory recall is better. Perhaps more importantly, by exercising regularly you will learn discipline and focus, and my life has benefited so much from having more of that.

If only I had the discipline to keep myself going to the gym. I am always glad that I did, but with that in mind, I don't know why I can't seem to keep it consistent. What is it that fuels fitness freaks? And where can I get some? Not talking about roids or HGH, here. :)

It certainly has been a long road for me to get where I could exercise consistently. I had always viewed exercise as something people did to lose weight which was never enough to motivate me to do it consistently. Then I read "Spark" by John Ratey. The idea that one could use exercise specifically to increase and maintain brain health motivated me enough to give it a shot again. It took me a while, but I eventually found a combination of things I could work into my daily schedule (Getting off the train a stop early, quick lunches followed by long walks on the embarcadero or to coit tower, running around the park near where I live and around the block in my neighborhood, etc.). Now that I've made some progress I've become more of a "fitness freak" but I certainly didn't start out that way and it wasn't my goal to become one.

Re: Anxiety, Depression, Technology, and Me

#25

Post by dusklight »

ruby_roo wrote: post #22
dusklight wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can second that. You feel more energetic, you need less sleep, you think faster, your memory recall is better. Perhaps more importantly, by exercising regularly you will learn discipline and focus, and my life has benefited so much from having more of that.

If only I had the discipline to keep myself going to the gym. I am always glad that I did, but with that in mind, I don't know why I can't seem to keep it consistent. What is it that fuels fitness freaks? And where can I get some? Not talking about roids or HGH, here. :)

What helped me a lot was to get a workout partner, someone who is close to your own level of fitness, and doing it for the same reasons. That way some days you will feel lazy, and some days he will feel lazy, but if you don't both feel lazy on the same day you end up going :)

Also weight training is in many ways like programming. You know how when you first started, you didn't really know anything, and it was a frustrating experience? If you have ever tried to teach any of your non-technical friends any programming, you would know what I mean.

But if you are any good at programming, you have been "in the zone" where it feels like your brain is working at more than peak capacity and you just know exactly what algorithm you need, where to write it, what library methods to call, etc. Feels good right? Ever want to give it up?

But you had to get past the newbie frustration phase in order to get there.

Same thing with working out, once your body gets used to it and starts getting into gear. Let's say you go 3 times a week for 1 hour each time, I would guess maybe about 6 months .. by then you will start finding yourself "in the zone" and once you start being able to get there consistently, you won't want to stop, and then it just snowballs from there.

Re: Anxiety, Depression, Technology, and Me

#26

Post by dmm »

ruby_roo wrote: post #22
dusklight wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can second that. You feel more energetic, you need less sleep, you think faster, your memory recall is better. Perhaps more importantly, by exercising regularly you will learn discipline and focus, and my life has benefited so much from having more of that.

If only I had the discipline to keep myself going to the gym. I am always glad that I did, but with that in mind, I don't know why I can't seem to keep it consistent. What is it that fuels fitness freaks? And where can I get some? Not talking about roids or HGH, here. :)

The best advice I can offer is to make exercise and physical activity a regular part of your life. The easiest way to keep up with something is to make it a habit.

Get up early and do something every day. Don't spend time with people who impede you. Surround yourself with active people. But don't push yourself too hard. Always get plenty of sleep.

Re: Anxiety, Depression, Technology, and Me

#27

Post by unexpected »

ruby_roo wrote: post #22
dusklight wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can second that. You feel more energetic, you need less sleep, you think faster, your memory recall is better. Perhaps more importantly, by exercising regularly you will learn discipline and focus, and my life has benefited so much from having more of that.

If only I had the discipline to keep myself going to the gym. I am always glad that I did, but with that in mind, I don't know why I can't seem to keep it consistent. What is it that fuels fitness freaks? And where can I get some? Not talking about roids or HGH, here. :)

I trained for a marathon to get me going- It was a personal challenge of sorts, and my friends had placed heavy peer pressure on me, by telling me that there was no way I'd ever be able to do it.

Now, I just see exercise as part of being a complete person. we're supposed to have a sound body in addition to a sound mind. Most techies that I meet don't seem to care for physical fitness. It's the nerd role in reverse. Just as we thought it stupid that athletes never studied, we're pretty stupid if we don't get off our butts and exercise.

My personal philosophy is that we're here for a limited time period- I want to spend that time maximizing my genetic potential as much as possible - in the classroom, with my interactions with other people, and in the gym.

Re: Anxiety, Depression, Technology, and Me

#28

Post by gcheong »

maxawaytoolong wrote: post #17
jawngee wrote: post #2

Great article. I suffer from PTSD, GAD and mild depression. Having been involved in a fairly violent street gang in high school, I had seen a lot of violence and just plain f*cked up stuff. People getting shot in front of me, a lot of situations that forced me to confront my own mortality, etc. It really didn't hit me until about 10 years ago. I was getting off the F train at 23rd street and had an overwhelming feeli…

I developed most of the symptoms of GAD last summer after having a panic attack where I ended up in the hospital. It was weird because I'm in my early 30s and have never had any anxiety symptoms before. I guess I was probably mildly depressed, but no prior history of panic attacks or other GAD symptoms. I believe the panic attack was brought on because I got food poisoning during a time period with a lot of uncertain…

Your primary care physician can probably refer you to someone. It would be a good place to start. "Feeling Good" (Burns) is a good source of CBT information and exercises. I would also recommend "Managing Your Mind" (Butler and Hope). Another approach called "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy" has showed some promise in research. The book "Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life" (Hayes) was written by the person who developed ACT. Another good workbook on the subject is "The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety" (Forsyth and Eifert).

Re: Anxiety, Depression, Technology, and Me

#30

Post by dkarl »

ruby_roo wrote: post #22
dusklight wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can second that. You feel more energetic, you need less sleep, you think faster, your memory recall is better. Perhaps more importantly, by exercising regularly you will learn discipline and focus, and my life has benefited so much from having more of that.

If only I had the discipline to keep myself going to the gym. I am always glad that I did, but with that in mind, I don't know why I can't seem to keep it consistent. What is it that fuels fitness freaks? And where can I get some? Not talking about roids or HGH, here. :)

Consistency doesn't matter. Persistence does. (Of course, what I mean is, "Don't think about consistency. Think about persistence.") Never let past slips become an excuse not to exercise today. Too many people try really hard until they miss a workout, which creates a bit of a letdown, but they keep going, and then they miss another, which discourages them a little bit, and so on, with each missed workout weakening their resolve until they quit altogether.

This is because people only want the long-term goal of fitness, weight loss, happiness, and attractiveness. That's all they think about. They only feel positive feedback when they see their actions as part of a pattern that leads to long-term results. This is logical, but it only works as long as you stay confident and optimistic. Therefore, for many people, it's emotionally tenable.

An easier way is to forget about the long term results (to the extent possible) and focus on the short term. If you want to exercise now, no matter whether it is part of a longer-term pattern of performance leading to life-changing benefit, then it's a lot easier to do it. Your decision doesn't have to run a gauntlet of skepticism about your past and future performance. Concentrate on appreciating the immediate benefits of a single workout: you'll elevate your mood, feel better about yourself, like yourself more, burn some calories, and shake off some rust. If you can't help thinking beyond today, just think that you're strengthening the behavioral and physical foundation for future exercise, which is all you can do today. Let tomorrow's you worry about tomorrow's exercise.

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