No, but some programmers are depressed.
The major cause of depression among programmers is mostly caused by work-life imbalance, not meeting up with deadlines, poor social life, the unending hunt for their dream job, working on too many projects at a time and been too ambitious.
Like any human on earth, programmers face issues, so they can be depressed like other people. They can also have relationship issues, be stressed out, have money issues, etc.
Unlike people’s perspective about programmers, they are also humans and not robots or even the codes they write. They feel all sorts of emotions and can be depressed.
A lot of times, people who are depressed do not even know that they are depressed. To explain the reasons behind programmers’ depression, it is important to first understand what depression means.
What Is Depression?
Depression is a certain mental health disorder identified by persistent depressed mood, which can lead to one losing interest in some activities. This can lead to an impairment in the individual’s life. It can be caused by psychological, biological, and social sources of distress. Most people consider depression a fleeting thing that will pass a few days after it happens. However, a report written by Harvard Medical School debunks this and claims that it can be continuous and gradually saps out the joy derived from some activities. A lot of programmers are depressed due to the nature of the work they do. There are several reasons why programmers may enter depression, and I shall share five reasons with you.1. Programmers have a lot of responsibilities
Programmers have many responsibilities, including writing codes, working with a team, and solving problems. When faced with many responsibilities, it can be difficult to manage and balance them all. It is without a doubt that one will get to a point where one will feel overwhelmed. When you find out that you are unable to handle your feelings and are probably taking longer than usual to complete some tasks, this can be a sign that you may be struggling with depression. It is important to seek help and address the issue before it becomes a big deal.2. Programmers have challenging work
A programmer’s job is not easy as it requires a lot of focus, time, and concentration. Writing codes require programmers to always be able to think on their feet, quickly get used to problems, and be able to locate and solve the problem. Programming also takes a lot of time, requiring that programmers sit in front of a computer system for hours with just a few breaks. Programmers also need to work very fast, putting in several long and stressful hours into the job. This makes it difficult for them to keep a healthy work-life balance. After a while of having a not-so-healthy work-life balance, depression can set in.3. Programmers have high expectations
The nature of a programmer’s job turns him into a perfectionist who expects perfection from everything he does. When a programmer does not meet their goal or expected outcome, they tend to beat themselves up, and this makes them prone to entering a depression.4. Programmers have a non-existent social life
Programming sometimes works with a team, but more often than not, they work alone and remotely, so this means no social contact with other workers. They also do not have a social life because they spend their entire day working with their computer trying to write codes or solve a problem. Programmers do not have time to mingle and interact with people, hence the non-existent social life. Humans are naturally social beings, and we need to be in close relationships with others to function properly. Therefore, a lack of social interaction can lead to depression.5. Programmers stay a lot indoors
Looking at this, you might wonder what it has to do with being depressed. However, you will be surprised by how much harm it does to the human body. Programmers, either freelancers, remote workers, or even those working in the office, spend a lot of time at their desks in front of their computers, so they tend to get little to no sunlight. This means they do not get the Vitamin D that is gotten from the sunlight. Vitamin D is an important vitamin in the body that helps grow and develop bones. It also regulates the circadian rhythm. A lack of Vitamin D means an irregular sleep rhythm which will lead to crankiness and may develop into depression.
How To Overcome Depression as a Programmer
Depression is more common than we all assume, and it is important to deal with it before it becomes a huge problem. This section is written to help programmers who are depressed get out of depression, and it includes steps that can help to overcome depression.1. Acknowledge that you are depressedÂ
A lot of people tend to be in denial about things related to mental health disorders. However, this should not be as mental health disorders is pretty common, and one in four adults in the United States of America suffer from one mental health disorder in a year. As a programmer, the first step to getting out of depression is acknowledging that you may have a mental disorder called depression. Once you acknowledge being depressed, getting the help you need is easy.2. Seek professional help
The next step to overcoming depression is to seek professional help. Visit a mental health doctor or professional and have a talk with them, and they will direct you on what to do next. However, if you do not wish to seek professional help, you can do these things to slowly get out of the depression phase.- Have a positive view of life and programming
- Do not think of sad memories often; visualize and dwell on happy and positive memories.
- Try to make plans, interact and socialize with people.
- See your programming job as a thing you enjoy and not a burden
- Always look forward to the end result of the code you are writing and be excited about it
- You can also leave a workplace if they do not offer a healthy work environment.
Conclusion
Not all programmers are depressed. Programming does not equal depression. It occurs due to several causes. However, due to the nature of their job, programmers may easily get depressed.Readers’ Favorite Topics 🔥Â
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