Wow. I'm quite interested in how many people at HN seem to have experience with SSRIs.
I'd be interested if people drawn to tech were for whatever reason more likely to be on them - or if there is some other casual relationship that works in the opposite direction.
A quick google search told me that ~15% of American's take anti-depressants. Depression is quite common among the general populace. I think tech sector people have access to the health care they need to get the help they need.
I'm not saying you are, but to destigmatize that statistic a bit, ~60% of Americans need corrective vision of some sort, and 33% have high blood pressure. Just because someone needs help for something doesn't mean that anything is fundamentally wrong with them.
I'll add to this by saying that going on zoloft a year ago has been like the best nootropic experience of my life. In many ways, the first 6 months were like a persistent 24/7 microdose on MDMA ..... it was incredible. I also turned my life around and accomplished some of my life's most impressive work, all while not trying to kill myself anymore!
Beyond solving a massive sudden depression, it was actually quite enhancing. I felt like I was in the movie limitless. Given the pathways SSRIs target in the brain, I'd say they have similar benefits to all of that SV legacy around psychedelic use....
Sadly, things normalized and the burst of awesome tapered off. Now the medication is the new normal, and skipping doses brings the depression back, just not nearly as bad as it was. Hopefully some day we will learn how to tweak it so the immensely positive experiences last forever.
These days, I no longer think of antidepressants as any kind of crutch. If anything, it is another tool in the transhumanists toolbox allowing the human body to perform better than nature has provided.
I'd be interested if people drawn to tech were for whatever reason more likely to be on them - or if there is some other casual relationship that works in the opposite direction.