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Ask HN: I was let go for writing about my depression. What should I do?

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Re: Ask HN: I was let go for writing about my depression. What should I do?

#41

Post by davidddavidson »

penguindev wrote: post #30
davidddavidson wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would you tell someone not feel happy because someone else has it better? Then don't tell someone not to feel sad because someone else has it worse.

I had to think about your question for a while. However, I think the issue is the premise: you imply "has it better" = "how you feel". Whereas Dr. Frankl says (and has observed) "you always have the power of choice, that's the one thing nobody can take away". So no, I would say you can look to either people "having it bad" or "having it good" and finding in both cases they have the power to make choices.

So your cure for someone suffering from clinical depression is just to choose not to feel depressed?

Re: Ask HN: I was let go for writing about my depression. What should I do?

#42

Post by fadelakin »

vdaniuk wrote: post #38
SSH007 wrote: post #36

While you have my sympathies for what you are going through, it really comes off petty when you name your employer. In my experience, there are always two sides to each story. I won't even try to speculate why they might have let you go. If they were discriminating against you because of your depression, then there are legal protections that are provided for you. Naming and shaming your ex employers, does nothing but…

Wait, how is he going down to the level of jerks by pulicly naming and shaming a company? Why do you say that? I just don't understand your rationale. This sounds absurd. Could you elaborate maybe? Yeah, for some future employers it may seem unprofessional, but I would not want to work for such employers. On the contrary, I would recommend to consult a lawyer, sue them, write a blog about your case and a company, sta…

I deleted the comments but it doesn't mean I'm not going to fight. I'm just trying to be civilized. Exposing the company could make things more complicated and I don't really want that.

Re: Ask HN: I was let go for writing about my depression. What should I do?

#43

Post by vdaniuk »

fadelakin wrote: post #42
vdaniuk wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait, how is he going down to the level of jerks by pulicly naming and shaming a company? Why do you say that? I just don't understand your rationale. This sounds absurd. Could you elaborate maybe? Yeah, for some future employers it may seem unprofessional, but I would not want to work for such employers. On the contrary, I would recommend to consult a lawyer, sue them, write a blog about your case and a company, sta…

I deleted the comments but it doesn't mean I'm not going to fight. I'm just trying to be civilized. Exposing the company could make things more complicated and I don't really want that.

Good, happy to hear that. As someone who was also struggling with a depression, among all other methods I'd like to recommend you to try meditation, yoda and taichi.

Meditation has scientifically proven benefits for people affected with depression and anxiety. Please look into it!

http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/meditation...

Re: Ask HN: I was let go for writing about my depression. What should I do?

#44

Post by amagumori »

penguindev wrote: post #34
Devthrowaway80 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Clinical depression is a physiological condition that produces irrational negative emotions that are largely unrelated to the sufferer's circumstances. Telling a clinically depressed person "buck up, things aren't that bad" is about as helpful as telling somebody with diabetes that "sugar is actually pretty tasty, you should just try it again and see if you like it." Those pills you so casually dismiss prevented me f…

- I went through clinical depression myself 10 years ago. I think the OP deserves a second opinion. - I would tell someone with type 2 diabetes to stop taking drugs and instead stop eating the carbs (of course the politically correct pharmaceutical / govt response is to take drugs which only treat the symptoms - funny how financial interests work). Again, first hand experience with this.

if you "went through" clinical depression you didn't have clinical depression. you felt bad for a while.

Re: Ask HN: I was let go for writing about my depression. What should I do?

#45

Post by dadude »

I would also guess that the reason you were let go had more to do with the admission of addiction history then the depression or the combination of both.

I would get some legal counsel and aim for some form of severance in combination with continued health benefits (if you had any) rather then lengthy litigation that will only add to your burden.

Good luck on your difficult journey.

Re: Ask HN: I was let go for writing about my depression. What should I do?

#46

Post by SSH007 »

vdaniuk wrote: post #38
SSH007 wrote: post #36

While you have my sympathies for what you are going through, it really comes off petty when you name your employer. In my experience, there are always two sides to each story. I won't even try to speculate why they might have let you go. If they were discriminating against you because of your depression, then there are legal protections that are provided for you. Naming and shaming your ex employers, does nothing but…

Wait, how is he going down to the level of jerks by pulicly naming and shaming a company? Why do you say that? I just don't understand your rationale. This sounds absurd. Could you elaborate maybe? Yeah, for some future employers it may seem unprofessional, but I would not want to work for such employers. On the contrary, I would recommend to consult a lawyer, sue them, write a blog about your case and a company, sta…

Can't tell if you are being sarcastic, but just in case you are actually serious, perhaps consider just for a second that the company did not fire him because of his depression.

I'm not saying he's lying, but assume for a moment that he got caught up in the emotion and felt that was the reason they fired him. What if it wasn't? What if it was something else? You are telling this young man to start a revolution against a company that may have no malice in their intentions. Naming/Shaming companies have real effect. This company doesn't seem like a multi-national huge corporation with deep pockets, atleast from their webpage I didn't gather that they were. Publicly shaming them may do real damage to the company and people that work there. If the person really was discriminated against, then go the legal route, sue them and settle it that way. If he was wronged, then law is on his side. Once you win that lawsuit, then feel free to blog and start a revolution because then you have a guilty party. Right now, its just his word against no one else's word, they can't defend themselves.

Re: Ask HN: I was let go for writing about my depression. What should I do?

#47

Post by SSH007 »

fadelakin wrote: post #42
vdaniuk wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait, how is he going down to the level of jerks by pulicly naming and shaming a company? Why do you say that? I just don't understand your rationale. This sounds absurd. Could you elaborate maybe? Yeah, for some future employers it may seem unprofessional, but I would not want to work for such employers. On the contrary, I would recommend to consult a lawyer, sue them, write a blog about your case and a company, sta…

I deleted the comments but it doesn't mean I'm not going to fight. I'm just trying to be civilized. Exposing the company could make things more complicated and I don't really want that.

I think you absolutely did the right thing by removing their name. I hope you see a positive end to this situation.

Re: Ask HN: I was let go for writing about my depression. What should I do?

#48

Post by SSH007 »

vdaniuk wrote: post #43
fadelakin wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I deleted the comments but it doesn't mean I'm not going to fight. I'm just trying to be civilized. Exposing the company could make things more complicated and I don't really want that.

Good, happy to hear that. As someone who was also struggling with a depression, among all other methods I'd like to recommend you to try meditation, yoda and taichi. Meditation has scientifically proven benefits for people affected with depression and anxiety. Please look into it! http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/meditation...

I hope you don't take this the wrong way but this sounds like a much better advice than the one you gave above. I would not have guessed that both comments came from the same person, until I checked the username.

Re: Ask HN: I was let go for writing about my depression. What should I do?

#49

Post by chadkruse »

fadelakin wrote: post #42
vdaniuk wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait, how is he going down to the level of jerks by pulicly naming and shaming a company? Why do you say that? I just don't understand your rationale. This sounds absurd. Could you elaborate maybe? Yeah, for some future employers it may seem unprofessional, but I would not want to work for such employers. On the contrary, I would recommend to consult a lawyer, sue them, write a blog about your case and a company, sta…

I deleted the comments but it doesn't mean I'm not going to fight. I'm just trying to be civilized. Exposing the company could make things more complicated and I don't really want that.

Fisher - thank you for taking the high road, for being brave and starting a great dialogue on what I think is an important topic, and a heart-felt congrats on your upcoming two year anniversary of sobriety. Good on you.

Re: Ask HN: I was let go for writing about my depression. What should I do?

#50

Post by vdaniuk »

SSH007 wrote: post #46
vdaniuk wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait, how is he going down to the level of jerks by pulicly naming and shaming a company? Why do you say that? I just don't understand your rationale. This sounds absurd. Could you elaborate maybe? Yeah, for some future employers it may seem unprofessional, but I would not want to work for such employers. On the contrary, I would recommend to consult a lawyer, sue them, write a blog about your case and a company, sta…

Can't tell if you are being sarcastic, but just in case you are actually serious, perhaps consider just for a second that the company did not fire him because of his depression. I'm not saying he's lying, but assume for a moment that he got caught up in the emotion and felt that was the reason they fired him. What if it wasn't? What if it was something else? You are telling this young man to start a revolution agains…

See, when you put is this way your advice is sound and I agree with it. And I recommended to name and shame strategically, while consulting a lawyer.

But in the original comment you called naming the company "petty and childish" and insinuated that he is is behaving like a "jerk", while saying that posting on HN is "talking behind others back". The gist of your comment was "move forward" and be generous to the company by allowing them "to defend themselves".

And this is what I disagree with.

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