Kudos to the DjangCon Europe organizers for setting this up. I was recently listening to a sermon on Abraham Lincoln (the U.S. President in office during the civil war) who suffered from such crippling depression during his life that there's no way he'd be electable today. Such is the exposure to the details of a persons life in the 21st century, but I feel like that makes it even more important to publicly address m…
Looking after your wellbeing at DjangoCon Europe
31–40 of 46 posts
Re: Looking after your wellbeing at DjangoCon Europe
#32"To complicate matters, most of the people in the industry are young men, a cohort not good at acknowledging their own problems, or understanding other people’s." Does this not seem like oversimplification and rampant stereotyping? I am a "young man" (well, below 30 anyway, though in SV I'm probably a bit long in the tooth), and it hurts to be constantly and systematically belittled in this manner. I have problems, a…
I don't understand why you support your linked article but not Djangocon's statement. They're saying the same things: men have problems too, we shouldn't dismiss them just because they (usually) aren't caused by structural oppression, men are not typically encouraged by society to deal with their problems in a healthy way and it's nice to fix that where we can.
Re: Looking after your wellbeing at DjangoCon Europe
#33Kudos to the DjangCon Europe organizers for setting this up. I was recently listening to a sermon on Abraham Lincoln (the U.S. President in office during the civil war) who suffered from such crippling depression during his life that there's no way he'd be electable today. Such is the exposure to the details of a persons life in the 21st century, but I feel like that makes it even more important to publicly address m…
Yeah, kudos for setting it up... but at DjangoCon? I don't get it. DjangoCons never seemed focused in the first place...
Re: Looking after your wellbeing at DjangoCon Europe
#34Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's unclear whether you're asking a genuine question, or just using a rhetorical one to dismiss the idea altogether. I guess the lack of question mark on the second line points to it being the latter. Consider that if you're already burned out - even if they "just" had to do with bad life prioritize - it's often not like you can just quit whatever you're doing and go on a retreat. You still have that 9-5 job, or wha…
I would say it is a work life balance issue. I am not saying its not a problem, but I am struggling to see it as a mental health issue. The first hit I got on Google doesn't talk about exhaustion or burnout. It does mention depression, which I agree with. http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/an-introduct...
The work life balance issue itself can also just be a symptom of something else entirely.
It's a bit like calling addiction a willpower issue. Yes, the lack of willpower is the direct cause, but the underlying causes can be entirely unrelated (which is why recidivism is a common occurrence if you just dump the "healed" addict back in the same environment he came from).
Burnout is mostly used as a more socially acceptable synonym for some cases of depression, so it's difficult to talk about. Mental health issues are complicated enough as it is. Especially because even those suffering from them often fail to address them for what they are.
Re: Looking after your wellbeing at DjangoCon Europe
#35Burnout and exhaustion are a mental health issues? I though they were more of a problem with prioritizing things in your life. Edit: I have suffered from both of these things myself, and I never considered myself to have mental health problems. In my case it was (still is) a case of taking a step back and re-prioritizing things. Apparently I shouldn't tell myself that?
(I'll note that the DSM-V apparently does not contain burnout because it's problematically close to depressive disorders, and exhaustion is a symptom of a lot of things.)
If you can help yourself, that's awesome, but for a lot of people, a professional who has experience helping people in dealing with these problems might be able to help them too.
Re: Looking after your wellbeing at DjangoCon Europe
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's unclear whether you're asking a genuine question, or just using a rhetorical one to dismiss the idea altogether. I guess the lack of question mark on the second line points to it being the latter. Consider that if you're already burned out - even if they "just" had to do with bad life prioritize - it's often not like you can just quit whatever you're doing and go on a retreat. You still have that 9-5 job, or wha…
I would say it is a work life balance issue. I am not saying its not a problem, but I am struggling to see it as a mental health issue. The first hit I got on Google doesn't talk about exhaustion or burnout. It does mention depression, which I agree with. http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/an-introduct...
EDIT: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/mental-healt...
> All sorts of situations can cause stress. The most common involve work, money matters and relationships with partners, children or other family members. Stress may be caused either by major upheavals and life events such as divorce, unemployment, moving house and bereavement, or by a series of minor irritations such as feeling undervalued at work or dealing with difficult children. Sometimes there are no obvious causes.
> Stressful events that are outside the range of normal human experience, for example being abused or tortured, may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
> Some stress can be positive. Research shows that a moderate level of stress makes us perform better. It also makes us more alert and can help us perform better in situations such as job interviews or public speaking. Stressful situations can also be exhilarating and some people actually thrive on the excitement that comes with dangerous sports or other high-risk activities.
> But stress is only healthy if it is short-lived. Excessive or prolonged stress can lead to illness and physical and emotional exhaustion. Taken to extremes, stress can be a killer.
Re: Looking after your wellbeing at DjangoCon Europe
#37It will take less than an hour before some ass removes all the post-it notes. Sorry, but that system has too much fate in humans.
Re: Looking after your wellbeing at DjangoCon Europe
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
I would say it is a work life balance issue. I am not saying its not a problem, but I am struggling to see it as a mental health issue. The first hit I got on Google doesn't talk about exhaustion or burnout. It does mention depression, which I agree with. http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/an-introduct...
The first sentence: "Mental health problems range from the worries we all experience as part of everyday life to serious long-term conditions." EDIT: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/mental-healt... > All sorts of situations can cause stress. The most common involve work, money matters and relationships with partners, children or other family members. Stress may be caused either by major upheavals and…
Re: Looking after your wellbeing at DjangoCon Europe
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
Men don't have a monopoly on "burnout, exhaustion, depression" so the negative blanket statements about men could be left out entirely.
The first part of that is true, but they are the ones who are least likely to seek help, and the most likely to be at DjangoCon. This is why we are addressing young men in particular.
I think the part about "not good at acknowledging their own problems, or understanding other people" could have possibly been phrased better (your "least likely to seek help" makes far more sense). However, given this broader background, I see that the intentions of this counseling are good.
Thanks a lot for making it happen!
Re: Looking after your wellbeing at DjangoCon Europe
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
The first part of that is true, but they are the ones who are least likely to seek help, and the most likely to be at DjangoCon. This is why we are addressing young men in particular.
I see what you mean; you were addressing the major target demographic. I think the part about "not good at acknowledging their own problems, or understanding other people" could have possibly been phrased better (your "least likely to seek help" makes far more sense). However, given this broader background, I see that the intentions of this counseling are good. Thanks a lot for making it happen!