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IT and mental health

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It would appear (from my last 21 years observation, we folks in the IT business are basically social lepers. Why ? I suspect there's a high degree of undiagnosed mental heath issues (which is serious) and of course - 'little willie syndrome' (which isnt). Sometimes its very difficult trying to deal with people suffering with these conditions, especially when they themselves feel that they're the only ones in the world who can possible be correct. I'm sure we've all experienced the '5-hour conversation' bore at the bar. So when this popped up from the rather excellent UserFriendly.org, I had a wee giggle to myself, reminding me of times past:

Update: Some people with paranoia will be wondering if this is directed at them. No. The folks this is directed at wouldnt think it was directed at them. For those of you of an anxious disposition, no it wasnt you. Schizophrenics -its the other one. Manic Depressives: Just cheer up. Anorexics: Bacon is GOOD. If your obsessive/compusive, just keep hitting REFRESH. You're advice is coming...

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Gravatar Image1 - Computerworld had a cover story touching on this topic back in May: { Link }

The article focuses specifically on Asperger's Syndrome, which is a form of autism characterized by poor social interaction skills, and its apparent prevalence within the IT profession. In other words, it puts a clinical face on what many of us already know empirically. Very enlightening read.

Gravatar Image2 - Regarding schizophrenics, you may be thinking of dissociative identity (they used to call it multiple personality). Someone who switches between several distinct identities is dissociative... schizophrenia is all about delusions (and, usually, hallucinations), so schizophrenics tend to be on a quest of some kind: i.e., "Jodie Foster wants me to shoot the president", "aliens are sending me coded instructions to prevent a meteor from hitting Earth", "God wants me to invade Iraq", stuff like that. But throughout, they maintain a single identity... Joan of Arc was most likely schizophrenic (in receipt of a divine call to a purpose only she could fulfill, auditory/visual hallucinations), but she was always just Joan.

Gravatar Image3 - { Link }

Gravatar Image4 - Yikes. Tim - yeah. Spot on. As usual, in my hurry to get a workable gag out there, I get my mucking furds wuddled.. Ta.

---* Bill

Gravatar Image5 - Bill

When I saw the toon first I thought "oooo a toon about Gerry Adams and as a result of Sinn Fein Premature Expectation Syndrome" I am now experiencing a strange and deeply corporeal desire to hunt down those responsible for those f**king tetrapaks and using a rusty set of garden shears on their naughty bits!

I wonder if we IT "Lardies" are sort of the psychiatric antimatter of Anorexics? They say that an anorexic looks in the mirror and sees a fat person ... well so do I (well not as much as before) When Jo Brand first pointed this out it terrified me!

Gravatar Image6 - Perhaps this is paranoia kicking in Bill? Everyone is against us - this is why....
Having had the pleasure? of working in the Oil and Subsea industry for longer than either of us would care to remember and working with a healthy cross section of techie types I can assure you that this is not restricted to IT. Structural Engineers, Process Engineers, Geologists, Geophysicists are a few categories that spring to mind with no effort whatsoever that also display the same social skills.

It goes without saying that cuddly Scottish Subsea Engineers are strangely exempt.....Emoticon

Gravatar Image7 - Isn't failing bad enough without admitting it?

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