This may seem weird, but I think that programming can actually contribute to depression. I had a minor episode the other day and it was quite surprising to me. I think one reason for that is that being social is a large element of being happy. I think the best programmers are those who are so internally happy without external stimulation, that they can continue to hone their craft and not fall into the pit of depression. I also think that programming attracts people who are depressed and don't want to do the hard things that they know they have to do in life. Just take a minute or a day and sit in silence with yourself and you will know what is important in your life. Do that.

Interesting post, but I don't agree with the last two sentences. After many hours and many days of silence with myself didn't help at all, it made things worse for me. For me, the start of "healing" was not to pay attention to my random thoughts, not to try to think things over, not to think about my life, etc.

But the main problem with this whole thing here, these threads about depression, and the "advices", that we are not the same. What works for me, won't work for others. I have OCD, so having random thoughts all the time is an essential thing to my problem. Others have other bases.

So fighting with depression should start with looking for an expert.

Find out whats making you depressed, but for the sake of things do some exercise and eat healthy, people overlook the benefits of exercise / healthy diet on mental health.

If theres one thing I have learnt, after an intense work out my confidence and happiness levels go through the roof, its not just me either, people at the gym (minus the roid whores who are terribly angry) tell stories of what they were like before and after they started working out.

Ofc this may not apply to everyone but what have you got to lose by doing exercise and eating healthy ;)

[quote name='KingofNoobs' timestamp='1354938654' post='5008352']
This may seem weird, but I think that programming can actually contribute to depression. I had a minor episode the other day and it was quite surprising to me. I think one reason for that is that being social is a large element of being happy. I think the best programmers are those who are so internally happy without external stimulation, that they can continue to hone their craft and not fall into the pit of depression. I also think that programming attracts people who are depressed and don't want to do the hard things that they know they have to do in life. Just take a minute or a day and sit in silence with yourself and you will know what is important in your life. Do that.

Interesting post, but I don't agree with the last two sentences. After many hours and many days of silence with myself didn't help at all, it made things worse for me. For me, the start of "healing" was not to pay attention to my random thoughts, not to try to think things over, not to think about my life, etc.

But the main problem with this whole thing here, these threads about depression, and the "advices", that we are not the same. What works for me, won't work for others. I have OCD, so having random thoughts all the time is an essential thing to my problem. Others have other bases.

So fighting with depression should start with looking for an expert.
[/quote]

I also don't quite agree with the above of just sitting in silence, but that's just my case. I am well aware that depression is something that is different in literally every case. It wasn't quite my plan to have a depression discussion (Now that I think about it I don't really know what I was asking) but there really isn't anything wrong with seeking advice from others when you're already taking the steps necessary for professional help as long as you are safe and smart about it. Even just talking about it can help sometimes.

Also -- Thank you BMO! The website you referred me to seems like something I would enjoy. I will look into it further.

While I wouldn't recommend it, Jane McGonigal made a game called SuperBetter to help her through some issues she was going through. The game itself sucks imo, but you might want to try it. If not, I think I can reasonably assume that everyone on this sight loves making games, so you might want to try making something like SuperBetter for yourself. My sister was going through some issues, and we tried superbetter together, we didn't like it so we made our own!

I'm not a therapist or a doctor, obviously, but I know how draining mental illness can be. I guess the point is to not just deal with depression in the background, treat it like a boss battle that you need to take care of NOW.

If you have depression, definitely drink plenty of water and get a good night's sleep. A 20 minute walk each day is also recommended. LOL, Scooby1961 on Youtube save my life when I went under with depression three years ago...you might even want to check out "LifeRegenerator" too...

The point is, be kind to yourself. If you only want to do programming as a causal hobby, then do so. Keep it small and program in Python if you find it much easier and more pleasant than C++. Instead of trying to make a FPS, make Pong instead. No one expects you to write Crysis as your first game so why drive yourself to dispair? Its only a game and not a cure for the common cold.

Oh, when I had my last round of Depression, I used to come home from work and feel miserable as shit. That was fixed by watching episodes of "Teesside Tin Tin" on YouTube. Definitely recommended for dull days!

I am having trouble in understanding OP but I hardly believe spending time on programming will help him out of the situation. There are plenty of social contacts in high school and I'd rather not stay at home when possible.
Of course I didn't have a choice at the time: I had to turn to The Gears as it was the only thing I could do to pull myself out. Drive safely dudes...