[issues] Depression & geeks (was Flame war - after action report & apologies)
Deirdre Saoirse wrote: > > I have this sort of dual problem: I never understood depressed people > until my husband died. And then I understood completely. But it's hard for > me to relate to that place now. But for a while I really did understand. I > took anti-depressants, which helped enormously. It was like a cloud > lifted. And the discussion swings back to the topic: I really REALLY hate anti-depressants, at least the ones they've tried on me. Either my ability to focus thoughts goes away, or I get a fog around my head and thinking has to push through it. And being /so/ geekish that my intelligence is one of my prime sources of self-esteem, anything which handicaps that is worse than the original depression. So anti-depressants depress me. Ain't that paradoxical? Any other geeks find that? Jenn V. -- Humans are the only species to feed and house entirely separate species for no reason other than the pleasure of their company. Why? [EMAIL PROTECTED]Jenn Vespermanhttp://www.simegen.com/~jenn/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks (was Flame war - after action report & apologies)
> So anti-depressants depress me. Ain't that paradoxical? > > Any other geeks find that? Absolutely. They put me on Prozac, Drug-O-The-Month, for a while during my severe depression... it didn't really depress me more, but it didn't ease the depression, plus it made me insomniac and even more paranoid than I was already. Ruined my first year at college, and I haven't gone back yet... But I'm feeling much better now. :) -- Aaron Malone ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) System Administrator Poplar Bluff Internet, Inc. http://www.semo.net [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks (was Flame war - after action report & apologies)
> And the discussion swings back to the topic: > > I really REALLY hate anti-depressants, at least the ones they've tried on > me. > > Either my ability to focus thoughts goes away, or I get a fog around my > head and thinking has to push through it. And being /so/ geekish that > my intelligence is one of my prime sources of self-esteem, anything which > handicaps that is worse than the original depression. > > So anti-depressants depress me. Ain't that paradoxical? > > Any other geeks find that? I've never taken antidepressants, but my boyfriend has. He hated them - just as you described. Deidre Calarco Robert Darvas Associates (734) 761-8713 (ext. 16) [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks
NOTE: If we're off-topic here, someone let me know, k? I'm trying to decide if 'depression among geeks' counts as a women/linux issue. We are mostly talking about women in the linux community (ourselves) but still... I'm afraid of moving the conversation over to [grrltalk] due to the large amount of people on [issues] who are not subscribed to [grrtalk]. (which, btw, in case no one as said anything yet, has quieted down some and is _much_ quieter than [issues] and [techtalk]) [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > And the discussion swings back to the topic: > > I really REALLY hate anti-depressants, at least the ones they've tried on > me. > > Either my ability to focus thoughts goes away, or I get a fog around my > head and thinking has to push through it. And being /so/ geekish that > my intelligence is one of my prime sources of self-esteem, anything which > handicaps that is worse than the original depression. > > So anti-depressants depress me. Ain't that paradoxical? > > Any other geeks find that? You know what's strange? (but maybe it's not so strange, really) I find the ratio of depressed to non-depressed people is _much_ higher in the geek community. Almost everyone I know who's seriously into computers has some kind of depression or bi-polar disorder. I wonder why that is? I don't think being 'into' the computer culture causes depression (although many jobs are indeed stressful and could be the cause of some mental duress) but rather the computer culture seems to attract people with depression/bi-polar/other mental disorders. Discuss! I'm no exception: I was diagnosed as being clinically depressed a year and a half ago. I reluctantly spent a few months on anti-depressants - 20mg of Prozac, which is a very mild dose by Prozac standards - until that veil of gloom lifted enough to give me a head start. Then, after realizing that my doctor was more obsessed with my weight than my depression (trying to put me on all-water diets and such, threatening to stop seeing me if I didn't lose 6lbs in two weeks, etc - all to lose 50lbs) I left and stopped my medication. I promised myself if I exhibited any signs of slipping back into depression that I would seek new medical aid. But by eating well, talking to good friends and exercising a few times a week, I've managed to keep the depression at bay without the need for drugs, which was my ultimate goal :) Although there were some side effects when I started the Prozac (dizziness and nausea being the main ones) I must say that it really worked for me! However, after a while it started to cause me much anxiety, which quickly went away after I stopped the medication. I find the anti-deps helped me enormously and gave me enough of a head start that I could crawl out of that dark hole I was in. I think they are definately over-prescribed (as much as ADHD is over-diagnosed, IMO), but if they are properly administered they can (not always) do wonders for the patient. Laters :) Amanda [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks
-Original Message- From: Amanda Knox <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Wednesday, October 27, 1999 10:50 AM Subject: Re: [issues] Depression & geeks >You know what's strange? (but maybe it's not so strange, really) I find the >ratio of depressed to non-depressed people is _much_ higher in the geek >community. Almost everyone I know who's seriously into computers has some kind >of depression or bi-polar disorder. I wonder why that is? I don't think being >'into' the computer culture causes depression (although many jobs are indeed >stressful and could be the cause of some mental duress) but rather the computer >culture seems to attract people with depression/bi-polar/other mental disorders. >Discuss! I hope I don't get too philosophical here but this is my perspective on it. I have never been diagnosed as depressed nor taken drugs for the purpose of altering my mood, but I have been seriously depressed at times and seen it in others. My opinion is that people who tend to get depressed are people who tend to seek the 'why' of things and often come up with a good answer. This trait is a hallmark of intelligent people and geeks in particular. People who can simply live life without questioning it or looking at it too deeply seem to have an easier time of it. These people need not face truths that deeper thinkers cannot avoid, and sometimes those truths can be really tough to take. Thats just my 2 cents. [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks (was Flame war - after action report & apologies)
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Deirdre Saoirse wrote: > > > > I have this sort of dual problem: I never understood depressed people > > until my husband died. And then I understood completely. But it's hard for > > me to relate to that place now. But for a while I really did understand. I > > took anti-depressants, which helped enormously. It was like a cloud > > lifted. > > And the discussion swings back to the topic: > > I really REALLY hate anti-depressants, at least the ones they've tried on > me. > > Either my ability to focus thoughts goes away, or I get a fog around my > head and thinking has to push through it. And being /so/ geekish that > my intelligence is one of my prime sources of self-esteem, anything which > handicaps that is worse than the original depression. > > So anti-depressants depress me. Ain't that paradoxical? > > Any other geeks find that? > > Jenn V. > -- > Humans are the only species to feed and house entirely separate species > for no reason other than the pleasure of their company. Why? > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]Jenn Vespermanhttp://www.simegen.com/~jenn/ > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org Caution: Blunt Talk BelowMaybe some "Guy Talk") Well my main thing is panic attacks. Which are spooky, I was tried on xanax (alpraxolam), clonazepam(Klonopin) and Panate (tranylcypromine). The latter definitely did fix depression, but it HAS TO BE USED WITH CAUTION. One gets a whole list of things one can't eat or drink. This drug works by inhibiting the enzyme monoamine oxidase. This allows nuerotransmitters to not be destroyed. This seems to effect mood. It certainly brighten my mood. My practioner in California trusted me so he gave me this dangerous thing. If you inhibit the enzyme monoamine oxidase, this also terms certain normal foods into poisons. Like fish, fermented cheese, beer, fava beans, and a whole list. Worst thing for geeks no pizza. For me no shrimp was a real pain! The machanism for this is pretty simple, these foods have tyramine, which is a pressor (blood pressure raising) chemical. This is a natural part of the food. It now becomes dangerous. My performance improved markedly under this. People thought I was finally out of my slump and "going somewhere". It blocked panic and I did get more energetic. Downsides for guy, was that usual guy bugaboo of "not being able to get it up." Just a worry at that point. This is the drug that brought me close to the "hypomanic state:" I did talk faster, get things done and all that. Funny people were happier with me. Thought it was a great thing. I eventually went back to the neo-traditional drugs for this. These are Alprazolam (Xanax) and Clonazepam (Klonopin). The latter has a longer half-life and is less bothersome. It stops almost all the panic attacks. This improves my mood. I found pure cognitive approaches fail for panic attacks, never even worked. Many friends over the past decade have embraced either natutal medicine or sort of supplements amy of which aren't really "inert" as various powers would have one beleive. None of the cognitive approaches work for me. Counselors are the few people who arouse an emotion close to contempt. I have never been impressed by these people. So the mixed approach, of drug treatment plus talking to close relatives and fridns helps a lot, and fogs me little. This is clonazepam (6mg per day) or (alprazolam 6mg per day). Note in some people this would cause "crash out..." This is why professional help is useful. This dose titration is useful. Note, the panic attacks are easily controlled. My depressive events seem reactive. Like after bumping into the pugnaciousness of the local subculture here in Northern West Virginia. or its general anti-intellectual stances. Or the widespread belief that "women are talking over men's jobs" and all world problems are "caused by people not accepting their god given role". If I were female it would be worse cause it as lot more directed at women, Part of it is being the only geek, or one of a very few in a land of geeks. So I don't know if one can anti-depressant away such subcultural conflicts. Or being in a place where at besst geekdom is looked at as a curiousity, a flash in the pan, and then the world is going back to heavy industry. Where there is lot of obnoxious football coach get the guys ready for the factory and women ready to be housewife baby-machines. This is literally stated by many as a desiderata. Note all the trcyclic antidepressants, Elavil, Norpramin etc andother such cause fogging and clouding, or can cause clouding. They are not controlled substrances, but in a way for me they have been worse than controlled substances, such as valium(diazepam), xanax(alprazolam). Xanax certianly broke my depression out west, but long walks and chat's with friends helped, and I tapered off with no problems. Hence a friendly M.D. or D.O. you know helps a lot. I feel this relates to "linux" in that
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks
On Wed, 27 Oct 1999 08:43:51 -0400, Amanda Knox <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said: >I find the anti-deps helped me enormously and gave me enough of a >head start that I could crawl out of that dark hole I was in. I think >they are definately over-prescribed (as much as ADHD is >over-diagnosed, IMO), but if they are properly administered they can >(not always) do wonders for the patient. I think the problem is that many people are given Prozac who do not need it. Like most psychoactives, Prozac works wonderfully when appropriate, and causes problems when not. I take Zoloft and it's a godsend; without it I would be virtually nonfunctional (if not dead). It seems likely that I won't need it when I get my approval for spirolactone and premarin -- my depression is clearly linked to my gender dysphoria, and treating that should improve things considerably. :) As far as the broader issue of depression in geeks, I'm leery. I'm sure we've all seen the articles that talk about geeks and autism. I'm not comfortable with making broad claims like that. Kelly [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks
I think the problem is that many people are given Prozac who do not need it. Like most psychoactives, Prozac works wonderfully when appropriate, and causes problems when not. If we wanted to open the whole "unneeded psychoactives" can of worms, we could discuss the necessity, use and abuse of Ritalin, et al in todays children. __ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks
Blackjax wrote: > -Original Message- > From: Amanda Knox <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Wednesday, October 27, 1999 10:50 AM > Subject: Re: [issues] Depression & geeks > > >You know what's strange? (but maybe it's not so strange, really) I find the > >ratio of depressed to non-depressed people is _much_ higher in the geek > >community. Almost everyone I know who's seriously into computers has some > kind > >of depression or bi-polar disorder. I wonder why that is? I don't think > being > >'into' the computer culture causes depression (although many jobs are > indeed > >stressful and could be the cause of some mental duress) but rather the > computer > >culture seems to attract people with depression/bi-polar/other mental > disorders. > >Discuss! > > I hope I don't get too philosophical here but this is my perspective on it. > I > have never been diagnosed as depressed nor taken drugs for the purpose of > altering my mood, but I have been seriously depressed at times and seen > it in others. My opinion is that people who tend to get depressed are > people > who tend to seek the 'why' of things and often come up with a good answer. > This trait is a hallmark of intelligent people and geeks in particular. > People > who can simply live life without questioning it or looking at it too deeply > seem > to have an easier time of it. These people need not face truths that deeper > thinkers cannot avoid, and sometimes those truths can be really tough to > take. > > Thats just my 2 cents. > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org Dunno if this is an issues group idea, or a grrrltalk idea. I think that if you think thru things you do come against "full reality", which can be disturbing. I think of very vanilla strict christian friends. They are happy in their closed world. Same way with some West Virginians. do the same. Well I work my job for 8 hours, don't like the work, I go to the bar for 4 hours afterwards and I go home and I am with my family. What's wrong with that. Lots of things of things are taken "as nature", that's the way it is, somethings never change. It is female geek related, because here there is still HEAVY RESENTMENT to women going outside the "Men's Work" which broadly means anything away from front office and beauty school, and now maybe college, but it is OK, because they are just there to work on their MRS degree. Lots of guys believe that all over the country, here curiously women believe a lot of it too. Both my aunts, worked in factories, one is good at Carpernty, she learned from her father (my grandfather) but never considered taking a carpenter's job. It just wasn't done and never crossed her mind. Even though butter fingers me still asks her at 80+ "How does this go together?" Computer technology is a weird special case. Some secretly hope for a real Y2K jobs so a simpler way of life can be re-installed. It is so new, so no one knows what to make of it. Before it was just for weirdoes. But now it is weirdos mixed with money, and it has become a source of scariness and enticement. It is becoming important as heavy industry is dying, but the general culture around here is not attractive to techies. It is very conservative, heavy industry related, and sex role divided. So I don't know. But if the court ruling holds strip mining is shut down, and thus something else will have to be looked forbut the ATMOSPHERE IS NOT GOOD FOR TECHIES AND OR WOMEN. Have Fun, Sends Steve [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
RE: [issues] Depression & geeks
It sounds to me like people tried one kind of antidepressants and then gave up? Just because Prozac doesn't work doesn't mean antidepressants don't work or always have horrid side effects. There are a big variety of anti-Ds and often you have to go through a bunch of them to find one that works. Many people really need that medication to function properly, or even to stay alive. rikki > -Original Message- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On > Behalf Of J B > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 1999 1:35 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [issues] Depression & geeks > > > I think the problem is that many people are given Prozac who do not > need it. Like most psychoactives, Prozac works wonderfully when > appropriate, and causes problems when not. > > > > > If we wanted to open the whole "unneeded psychoactives" can of worms, we > could discuss the necessity, use and abuse of Ritalin, et al in todays > children. > > __ > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
RE: [issues] Depression & geeks
On Wed, 27 Oct 1999, Rikki McGinty wrote: > It sounds to me like people tried one kind of antidepressants and then gave > up? Just because Prozac doesn't work doesn't mean antidepressants don't work > or always have horrid side effects. There are a big variety of anti-Ds and > often you have to go through a bunch of them to find one that works. > > Many people really need that medication to function properly, or even to > stay alive. > > rikki People want to take a pill and make the problem go away, in general. The miracles of modern medicine have spoiled both patients and doctors into demanding and proscribing 'instant treatments'. Since everyone's biochemistry is different, there isn't one pill for everyone, but Prozac received enough advertising and was enough of a quantum leap in psychoactive medication for depression that everyone knew about it. It was touted as the better drug and to my impression, the 20th century snake-oil. Everyone wanted it, and they got it. If they couldn't get it from their doctor, they went to another one that would give it. But its not entirely patient demand that is responsible for a mismatch of drug to patient. Some doctors were as eager to prescribe the drug as patients were to get it. However, if it was not the right drug (or even dosage!) or the side effects were not tolerable, I can very well see where a depressed patient would think then that -all- drugs would be this way. One of depression's key symptions is negative (possibly unrealistic) thinking. Also, most anti-depressants that I have taken or heard about require a period of time to build up in the system, and patients must adhere to the dosage schedule and keep appointments for successful treatment... something else those in the grips of depression find difficult to do without auxiliary support. While many cases of depression can be traced back to physiological imbalances, this is only the source... the catalyst. Many cases of depression arise without anything being physically wrong with the patient at all, and in these cases, drugs really won't help them. However, drugs alone are not always the best solution for the patient. Drugs may buoy you out from drowning, but if depression has become a 'way of life', that pattern of thinking and behavior has to be adjusted as well, or as soon as you take off the life jacket (drugs), you'll start to drown again. This isn't the case with everyone, of course... I think a lot of it depends on how long you've been depressed and how seriously you've been depressed along with how predisposed you are to becoming depressed again. It is generally accepted that women are more predisposed then men towards depression, though certainly both may experience this debilitating disease. Intelligence and stress also appear to be influencing factors. Depression also runs in families. My maternal grandmother, my mother, my sister, and myself have all experienced depression. For my grandmother and myself, it is a constant state while it is episodic for my mother and sister. The difference between my grandmother and myself is that I have sought and obtained treatment. I had to go through three different drugs and a double-handful of psychiatrists and counselors before I found the right fit, and it was incredibly difficult to do that. If I hadn't had the support of my family in keeping my dosage schedule and getting to my appointments, I probably wouldn't be typing this. Unfortunately, a great many victims of this disease do not have the support they need for successful treatment. [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > On Wed, 27 Oct 1999, Rikki McGinty wrote: > > > It sounds to me like people tried one kind of antidepressants and then gave > > up? Just because Prozac doesn't work doesn't mean antidepressants don't work > > or always have horrid side effects. There are a big variety of anti-Ds and > > often you have to go through a bunch of them to find one that works. > > > > Many people really need that medication to function properly, or even to > > stay alive. > > > > rikki > > People want to take a pill and make the problem go away, in general. The > miracles of modern medicine have spoiled both patients and doctors into > demanding and proscribing 'instant treatments'. Since everyone's > biochemistry is different, there isn't one pill for everyone, but Prozac > received enough advertising and was enough of a quantum leap in > psychoactive medication for depression that everyone knew about it. It was > touted as the better drug and to my impression, the 20th century > snake-oil. Everyone wanted it, and they got it. If they couldn't get it > from their doctor, they went to another one that would give it. But its > not entirely patient demand that is responsible for a mismatch of drug to > patient. Some doctors were as eager to prescribe the drug as patients were > to get it. > > However, if it was not the right drug (or even dosage!) or the side > effects were not tolerable, I can very well see where a depressed patient > would think then that -all- drugs would be this way. One of depression's > key symptions is negative (possibly unrealistic) thinking. Also, most > anti-depressants that I have taken or heard about require a period of time > to build up in the system, and patients must adhere to the dosage schedule > and keep appointments for successful treatment... something else those in > the grips of depression find difficult to do without auxiliary support. > > While many cases of depression can be traced back to physiological > imbalances, this is only the source... the catalyst. Many cases of > depression arise without anything being physically wrong with the patient > at all, and in these cases, drugs really won't help them. However, drugs > alone are not always the best solution for the patient. Drugs may > buoy you out from drowning, but if depression has become a 'way of life', > that pattern of thinking and behavior has to be adjusted as well, or as > soon as you take off the life jacket (drugs), you'll start to drown again. > This isn't the case with everyone, of course... I think a lot of it > depends on how long you've been depressed and how seriously you've been > depressed along with how predisposed you are to becoming depressed again. > > It is generally accepted that women are more predisposed then men towards > depression, though certainly both may experience this debilitating > disease. Intelligence and stress also appear to be influencing factors. > Depression also runs in families. My maternal grandmother, my mother, my > sister, and myself have all experienced depression. For my grandmother and > myself, it is a constant state while it is episodic for my mother and > sister. The difference between my grandmother and myself is that I have > sought and obtained treatment. I had to go through three different drugs > and a double-handful of psychiatrists and counselors before I found the > right fit, and it was incredibly difficult to do that. If I hadn't had the > support of my family in keeping my dosage schedule and getting to my > appointments, I probably wouldn't be typing this. Unfortunately, a great > many victims of this disease do not have the support they need for > successful treatment. > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org Good point. My panic attaacks are unavoidable. My depressive episodes are reactive. I bounce into something and it hurts and causes me to get depressed. But it is like the rock thrown into water. Hiding out for a couple of days to weeks, and working on something cheery will bring we back up. It is like the waves dying out. I don't know what the root causes of these things are. Hard to say. I mean analysis had many many years, and many many theories have been invented, and treatement modalities were proposed but chlorpromazine (Thorazine) in the 1950s that helped a lot, but wasn't a total soulation. Now I suspect that lots of geek depressions are reactive. Mine certainly are. If had a very vanilla job where I had to be somewhere every day, day in day out I might be in trouble. Well in this part of the country, as previously explained. My problem is I have never seen a non-drug theraphy work for serious things like schizophrenia, but I have seen some depressions including mine spontaneously clear. This includes people were heavy alcohol/drug users secondary to their depression. So I suspect it is the harsh, mean environments that we voluntarily create that causes many of the problems or exacerbates them, tha
[issues] /. (again!)
Okay, I'm dropping threads all over the place, I promise sometime next week I'll get around to picking them up :) (something about one concert, one machine room and a plane ticket to philidelphia all in one week) but has anyone noticed the poll? I'd be annoyed, if I weren't so busy (what I wanna know is how comments like 'big honkin' penis' get moderated up to two...) Vinnie -- Reality is a formality, an agreed upon set of lies -- J.D. Catron Obligatory pathetic website at http://george.he.net/~drachen [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] /. (again!)
> but has anyone noticed the poll? > > I'd be annoyed, if I weren't so busy > > (what I wanna know is how comments like 'big honkin' penis' get moderated > up to two...) I saw that, also noted the poll embedded in the 'uncle robin' thing not too long ago (one of the options was "I am a woman you sexist pig!" or something close to that). "You forgot... big honkin' penis" is also now moderated up to 3. I do like the comment that says what you really need to do is crack the site and put "will you marry me" on it. *That* would be cool :o) The sincere comments about what "women really want" (no candy, no flowers necessary though they are nice on occasion) don't get any moderation. I don't want to insult anyone here (I don't know who made the comments), but the female comments that say "here is really how to get laid" don't help the situation. Just when you think that "geek guys" are somehow higher on the scale of 'staying away from stereotypes of women'... http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=impress&cid=86 (lost my train of thought... sorry ;o)) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] /. (again!)
I'm beginning to wonder if *slashdot* is trolling no, I'm (semi) serious this poll, roblimo, the quotes... /. is just so not amusing me this week (and most of the geeks I know irl read it, though we all tend to filter out anything below 2 or so...which means I don't read my own comments [I have *never* been moderated up, something which amuses me...I dunno, maybe I really am that pointless]) blah, I'm babbling now. Vinnie On Wed, 27 Oct 1999, Nicole wrote: > > but has anyone noticed the poll? > > > > I'd be annoyed, if I weren't so busy > > > > (what I wanna know is how comments like 'big honkin' penis' get moderated > > up to two...) > > I saw that, also noted the poll embedded in the 'uncle robin' thing not > too long ago (one of the options was "I am a woman you sexist pig!" or > something close to that). > > "You forgot... big honkin' penis" is also now moderated up to 3. > > I do like the comment that says what you really need to do is crack the > site and put "will you marry me" on it. *That* would be cool :o) > > The sincere comments about what "women really want" (no candy, no flowers > necessary though they are nice on occasion) don't get any moderation. > > I don't want to insult anyone here (I don't know who made the comments), > but the female comments that say "here is really how to get laid" don't > help the situation. > > Just when you think that "geek guys" are somehow higher on the scale of > 'staying away from stereotypes of women'... > http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=impress&cid=86 > > > (lost my train of thought... sorry ;o)) > > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org > -- Reality is a formality, an agreed upon set of lies -- J.D. Catron Obligatory pathetic website at http://george.he.net/~drachen [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] /. (again!)
On Wed, 27 Oct 1999 15:34:09 -0700 (PDT), Nicole <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said: >"You forgot... big honkin' penis" is also now moderated up to 3. I have to wonder how many women have been selected as moderators on Slashdot. >I don't want to insult anyone here (I don't know who made the >comments), but the female comments that say "here is really how to >get laid" don't help the situation. You're assuming that they were actually posted by women. Kelly [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks (was Flame war - after action report& apologies)
On Wed, 27 Oct 1999 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > So anti-depressants depress me. Ain't that paradoxical? > > Any other geeks find that? Not at all. I did find that they suppressed the highest moments of emotion, both good and bad. Sort of like an amplitude limiter. -- _Deirdre * http://www.linuxcabal.net * http://www.deirdre.net "Mars has been a tough target" -- Peter G. Neumann, Risks Digest Moderator "That's because the Martians keep shooting things down." -- Harlan Rosenthal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, retorting in Risks Digest 20.60 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks (was Flame war - after action report& apologies)
On Wed, 27 Oct 1999, Steve Kudlak wrote: > Note all the trcyclic antidepressants, Elavil, Norpramin etc andother such cause > fogging and clouding, or can cause clouding. They are not controlled > substrances, but in a way for me they have been worse than controlled > substances, such as valium(diazepam), xanax(alprazolam). Xanax certianly broke > my depression out west, but long walks and chat's with friends helped, and I > tapered off with no problems. Hence a friendly M.D. or D.O. you know helps a > lot. I found Elavil (amitryptline, which I probably spelled wrong) to be VERY VERY helpful. While it did have an occasional "fog," the trick is to cut back the dosage to just below the fog. I found that 1/2 of one 10mg pill a day was about my level of tolerance. But it helped immensely, and not just with depression. It helped me sleep better (ah, stage 4, I miss it!), regulated a lot of mood but not too strongly and had other benefits. -- _Deirdre * http://www.linuxcabal.net * http://www.deirdre.net "Mars has been a tough target" -- Peter G. Neumann, Risks Digest Moderator "That's because the Martians keep shooting things down." -- Harlan Rosenthal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, retorting in Risks Digest 20.60 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks
Rikki McGinty wrote: > > It sounds to me like people tried one kind of antidepressants and then gave > up? Just because Prozac doesn't work doesn't mean antidepressants don't work > or always have horrid side effects. There are a big variety of anti-Ds and > often you have to go through a bunch of them to find one that works. > > Many people really need that medication to function properly, or even to > stay alive. I know. My mother does, and my brother needs lithium. (Gee, does it look like I might have a genetic disorder here? Naahh..) I don't think anyone is slamming anti-depressants in general. I was just curious as to whether other people had the same problems with them that I do. Apparently so. ;) Jenn V. -- Humans are the only species to feed and house entirely separate species for no reason other than the pleasure of their company. Why? [EMAIL PROTECTED]Jenn Vespermanhttp://www.simegen.com/~jenn/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks
On Wed, 27 Oct 1999, Kelly Lynn Martin wrote: > I think the problem is that many people are given Prozac who do not > need it. Like most psychoactives, Prozac works wonderfully when > appropriate, and causes problems when not. It also has more side effects than some of the other SSRIs. > I take Zoloft and it's a godsend; without it I would be virtually > nonfunctional (if not dead). I was taking Serzone for about a year and I cannot explain how magical that was. -- _Deirdre * http://www.linuxcabal.net * http://www.deirdre.net "Mars has been a tough target" -- Peter G. Neumann, Risks Digest Moderator "That's because the Martians keep shooting things down." -- Harlan Rosenthal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, retorting in Risks Digest 20.60 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] /. (again!)
> >"You forgot... big honkin' penis" is also now moderated up to 3. > > I have to wonder how many women have been selected as moderators on > Slashdot. I was... for those short 5 points, about four times now. Not recently, though. My userid (expunged) doesn't exactly sound "feminine" if that's any criteria :o) > >I don't want to insult anyone here (I don't know who made the > >comments), but the female comments that say "here is really how to > >get laid" don't help the situation. > > You're assuming that they were actually posted by women. e.g. http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=impress&cid=47 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] /. (again!)
On Wed, 27 Oct 1999, Kelly Lynn Martin wrote: > I have to wonder how many women have been selected as moderators on > Slashdot. it's a semi-random/karma thing...I get mod every so often..more when I meta-moderate regularly (which I quit doing because I feel like if I mod then that means I have to read at something under 2 which takes so much annoying *time* ) > You're assuming that they were actually posted by women. heh. Vinnie -- Reality is a formality, an agreed upon set of lies -- J.D. Catron Obligatory pathetic website at http://george.he.net/~drachen [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks (was Flame war - after action report& apologies)
On Wed, 27 Oct 1999 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > So anti-depressants depress me. Ain't that paradoxical? > > Any other geeks find that? > > Not at all. I did find that they suppressed the highest moments of > emotion, both good and bad. Sort of like an amplitude limiter. > I don't experience anything like this at all on anti-depressants. The 'passion' of my emotions is in no way diminished. I can, however, better control and cope with them. If something makes me sad now, it makes me sad for a reasonable amount of time and then lets me get on with my life, rather then dragging me deeper into the undertow. [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] /. (again!)
On Wed, 27 Oct 1999, Vinnie Surmonde wrote: > /. is just so not amusing me this week (and most of the geeks I know irl > read it, though we all tend to filter out anything below 2 or so...which > means I don't read my own comments [I have *never* been moderated up, > something which amuses me...I dunno, maybe I really am that pointless]) Well, most of the /. moderators (if not all of them) are male. I was a moderator but before I ever looked at the rules (that said "don't say you're a moderator"), I said "so what is this moderator stuff?" (more or less) on a mailing list and Rob Malda yanked my status as a moderator. Several people have given him shit about it and he says he feels badly, but it's no wonder that comments like "big honkin' penis" get moderated up if there's no female moderators (anymore). Just a point. Y'all can give Rob shit now if you like. -- _Deirdre * http://www.linuxcabal.net * http://www.deirdre.net "Mars has been a tough target" -- Peter G. Neumann, Risks Digest Moderator "That's because the Martians keep shooting things down." -- Harlan Rosenthal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, retorting in Risks Digest 20.60 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks (was Flame war - after action report& apologies)
On Wed, 27 Oct 1999 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Not at all. I did find that they suppressed the highest moments of > > emotion, both good and bad. Sort of like an amplitude limiter. > > I don't experience anything like this at all on anti-depressants. The > 'passion' of my emotions is in no way diminished. I can, however, better > control and cope with them. If something makes me sad now, it makes me sad > for a reasonable amount of time and then lets me get on with my life, > rather then dragging me deeper into the undertow. In my case, it just limited the VERY extreme on the high end and a LOT of extreme on the bottom end. I found that I was able to be happier when I was off them. Realize that I don't suffer from *chronic* depression, so my neurochemistry is necessarily different from someone who is. In other words, my experience is pretty much irrelevant to yours. :) -- _Deirdre * http://www.linuxcabal.net * http://www.deirdre.net "Mars has been a tough target" -- Peter G. Neumann, Risks Digest Moderator "That's because the Martians keep shooting things down." -- Harlan Rosenthal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, retorting in Risks Digest 20.60 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks (was Flame war - after action report& apologies)
On Wed, 27 Oct 1999, Deirdre Saoirse wrote: > In other words, my experience is pretty much irrelevant to yours. :) Everyone's experience with anti-depressants is unique. I was merely offering mine to demonstrate that and in response to the original question asked, not necessarily your particular experience, except to contrast that everyone does experience psychoactive drugs in different manners. I was hoping to show people who may be on the verge of requiring help that the drugs don't consistantly have damping or negative effects. A whole topic of negative side-effects without any positive notes might very well make someone who needs help afraid of reaching out for it. :) :) :) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] /. (again!)
On Wed, Oct 27, 1999 at 02:25:45PM -0700, Vinnie Surmonde wrote: > > Okay, I'm dropping threads all over the place, I promise sometime next > week I'll get around to picking them up :) (something about one concert, > one machine room and a plane ticket to philidelphia all in one week) > > but has anyone noticed the poll? > > I'd be annoyed, if I weren't so busy Okay, this one didn't really bother me (certainly not so much as Uncle Robin did), since I got the joke inherent. Read the "Microsoft Cracked By Lovelorn Hacker" and the poll makes more sense. It would have been more appropriate as a joke post on that story -- as a poll it's basically trolling. :) -- Aaron Malone ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) System Administrator Poplar Bluff Internet, Inc. http://www.semo.net [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
Re: [issues] Depression & geeks (was Flame war - after action report& apologies)
On Wed, 27 Oct 1999 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Everyone's experience with anti-depressants is unique. I was merely > offering mine to demonstrate that and in response to the original question > asked, not necessarily your particular experience, except to contrast that > everyone does experience psychoactive drugs in different manners. I was > hoping to show people who may be on the verge of requiring help that the > drugs don't consistantly have damping or negative effects. A whole topic > of negative side-effects without any positive notes might very well make > someone who needs help afraid of reaching out for it. :) :) :) Exactly! I think everyone should try it, aware that some drugs may make the problem worse and some may make it better, but there's no real way of predicting which are which (family history MIGHT help but the drugs are coming out so fast that we don't have enough info yet). -- _Deirdre * http://www.linuxcabal.net * http://www.deirdre.net "Mars has been a tough target" -- Peter G. Neumann, Risks Digest Moderator "That's because the Martians keep shooting things down." -- Harlan Rosenthal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, retorting in Risks Digest 20.60 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
[issues] A joke for y'all
http://www.transmeta.com/ -- _Deirdre * http://www.linuxcabal.net * http://www.deirdre.net "Mars has been a tough target" -- Peter G. Neumann, Risks Digest Moderator "That's because the Martians keep shooting things down." -- Harlan Rosenthal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, retorting in Risks Digest 20.60 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxchix.org
