Depression in the startup community can be an unfortunate byproduct of the stresses of creating something from nothing. For each individual that finds the strength to speak or write publicly of their struggles, many more grapple silently with their own demons. Below is a small collection of resources that offer professional help for those battling depression and related illnesses, as well as a sampling of writing by individuals in tech willing to share their struggles.
Resources
Hotlines
- 1-800-784-2433 (1-800-SUICIDE)
- Spanish: 1-800-SUICIDA
- Suicide Hotlines Across the Globe
- The National Alliance of Mental Health's support hotline
- The Anxiety and Depression Association of America
Relevant Online Communities
- /r/depression
- /r/bipolar
- /r/bipolarreddit
- /r/mentalhealth
- /r/getting_over_it
- /r/traumatoolbox
- /r/feelgood
- /r/meditation
- /r/anxiety
- /r/GetMotivated
- Instawell
Thoughts from the Community
- Entrpreneurship and Depression by Kyle Wild
- Founder Suicides by Brad Feld
- Don't Fight Depression by Brad Feld
- Two Root Causes of My Recent Depression by Brad Feld
- What Helps You When You Are Depressed? by Brad Feld
- The Deep, Dark, Emotional Challenges of Being a Leader by Brad Feld
- Jerry Colonna and Rand Fishkin Discuss Depression and Entrepreneurship by Brad Feld
- reboot.io podcast of above Jerry Colonna & Rand Fishkin discussion by reboot.io
- Developer depression: Isolation is the biggest problem by Lauren Maffeo
- Depression Part Two by Allie Brosh
- Founder Depression by Sam Altman
- A Long, Ugly Year of Depression That’s Finally Fading by Rand Fishkin
- The Other Side of Depression by Anne Wheaton
- Depression, Burn Out and Writing Code by Lance Kidwell
- Fighting micro-burn-out by Noah Kagan
- We Need to Have Empathy for Those With Depression. It is an Illness by Mark Suster
- Sick by Aaron Swartz
- The worst enemy to my startup is depression by Tracy Osborn
- Programming and Depression by Rob Sheldon
- Sad, Tired, and Alone: My Ongoing Battle With Startup Depression by Zak Homuth
- If you ever feel alone in this... by Bubs 'Darius Monsef'
- Founder depression: The demons we are (still) not talking about by Elitsa Dermendzhiyska
- It’s not you, it’s the startup life. by Sarah Jane Coffey
Contact
Interested in contributing? Drop me a note at jcapecelatro@gmail.com or find me on Twitter: @jcap49.
Need someone to talk to? Please drop me a note at jcapecelatro@gmail.com. I'd be humbled to listen.