Prioritize mental health, and why communication is so important
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
A software engineer describes being fired twice due to severe depression and communication failures.
The author details a pattern of losing motivation weeks into jobs, leading to poor communication, slow work, and low-quality deliverables. Fired from two positions, he realized his issues were not universal. Diagnosed with severe depression, he now takes fluoxetine and oxazepam and lives on benefits. He plans a year of therapy and aims to stop making mistakes, be proud of his work, and gain work discipline, possibly leaving software development temporarily.
What commenters are saying
Commenters mostly express sympathy and share similar struggles. Several warn against reducing depression to environmental factors like CO2 levels, calling that insensitive. Advice includes starting with biology (sleep, exercise, therapy) and reframing negative self-talk. One commenter notes that seeking stability is itself a source of suffering, echoing Buddhist ideas. Another suggests ADHD or autism may underlie the described patterns, and cautions against assuming one can simply "be better."