
Ask HN: I am in recovery for depression. What sort of work can I do from home? - thirstysusrando
I am currently in recovery for depression and must work to sustain myself. I can do math and some programming but I&#x27;m nervous about my ability to do so at the moment given my condition. Does anyone have any suggestions for what sort of work would be appropriate during this interim?
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zer00eyz
Im going to make a silly suggestion but it has worked for me.

There are a lot of open source projects out there, that need someone to do
basic work, things like unit tests and documentation.

Pick a few of them and spend an hour a day on each making them better! Whom
ever is the most appreciative of your work continues to get your time! It
won't put food on your table, but it will get your name out there, and
hopefully help you rebuild your confidence in your skills, and maybe even grow
them!

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dublinben
>What sort of work can I do from home?

I'm not a doctor, but I know that actually getting out of the house on a
regular basis is helpful when tackling depression. Any excuse that lets you
stay inside all day is likely going to hurt your recovery.

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alimw
I'll second this. I've plenty of work to do, but trying to do it from home has
meant I'm not even on the road to recovery. If you're not too proud, you might
be best off getting some part-time menial job on a temporary basis, maybe one
outside.

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ericzawo
Here's 0.02c from a lifelong depressed person. I'm still figuring out the path
as you are!

Absolutely find some sort of physical activity and do it every day. Even if
it's a run for 30 minutes. Even if it's a walk for 30 minutes. You need to get
that blood flowing. As a marathon runner who started running to quit smoking,
one of the greatest side effects I've discovered from consistient physical
activity (aside from increased female attention, of course!) is the seemingly
unwarranted boost of endorphins and happy juice throughout the day. Definitely
look into something you can do physically.

Get out of the house. Go work at a cafe. Talk to people. Even if the
conversation leads to you talking about some of the problems you feel you're
facing. Confronting the rut you're in now with others is an immediately
identifiable issue, and we all go through it. Absolutely get the notion that
you're the only one with sadness inside out of your head because it's a
selfish and incredibly misguided view. We all get there, and most reasonable
people are immediately compassionate about it.

Wake up early. Get out of bed by 8 a.m. at the latest, every day. Have a
routine before you sit down to work and stick by it. It can be as simple as
cooking breakfast for yourself.

Don't forget to breathe. You're learning how to be your own best friend. It's
time to learn how to care for yourself and be the best version of yourself,
for others (and also for you!).

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wprapido
try doing some less mentally demanding work. depression largely reduces your
ability to do work most of us HNers are doing. so, getting that work done is
much more difficult than getting work to do. perhaps you can do some teaching,
writing, etc. you can also get some menial work. getting out of your home is
very important though making yourself get out is very very difficult!

you're nervous for a reason. not being able to do as much as i used to
frustrates the hell out of me

if you'd like to talk to a fellow geek suffering from major depression
(F33.2), drop me a line to info [at] wprapido [dot] com

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SCAQTony
Caveat, I am not a doctor or psychologist, definitely not qualified to answer
but here goes: how about math tutoring? You can set your schedule and it pays
well.

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thirstysusrando
A good suggestion! I've tried but can't seem to find enough clients for a
consistent income. Maybe I should attempt tutoring over the Internet?

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SCAQTony
I wish you the best. I have gone through a "container ship load" of
depression/anxiety but mine has been situational.

~~~
thirstysusrando
The sentiment is appreciated! It certainly has been an eye-opening experience
and a rigorous exercise in empathizing with those that struggle with illness.

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uptownfunk
Something you enjoy, which is probably an obvious statement. I would do
something you feel confident in, that you feel energized to do.

I'm also going to offer a light-hearted suggestion.. Express yourself. Paint,
draw, sing, play an instrument, dance, spin, move, write. Keep it private and
to yourself if/until you feel like sharing it..

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sogen
Hi, i was deppressed too! Check sites like authenticjobs, weworkremotely,
LinkedIn! There's sometimes the gold nuggets :) Exercise! And _work on stuff
you like_, that helped me a lot. But first of all: have a routine: even if you
do only 1 thing the whole day, stick to that, oh and watch comedy!

~~~
sogen
I'm currently learning R, fun! :D

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arunabha
There's no contact information in your profile, so can't pm you. What kind of
programming work are you looking for ?

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a_small_island
Just wanted to say good luck OP. Hit the gym.

