I have Type II Bipolar and ADHD. For years, I was crippled by intermittent depression and a general inability to get shit done. I’m fortunate, I got on the right meds five years ago and have been remarkably stable since.

Many developers are not so lucky.

Software development is a good place for people with depression and bipolar. It accepts the socially isolated. It accommodates irregular sleep patterns and inconsistent bursts of productivity. It seeks those with the grandiosity to believe that they can solve problems others can’t.

We need to bring depression out into the sunlight, and make it as acceptable as diabetes or cancer. We need depressed developers to know that they are not lazy or weak, but are suffering from a treatable medical condition.