[altotrees]

Life can be really hard sometimes, a fact that was lost on me when I was younger. I surrounded myself with friends who had big goals and dreams, starting companies, becoming VC's and the like. They claimed they didn't have time to be depressed, and that they were "killing it" no matter how things appeared to the outside world. I thought I was wrong to feel down and hopeless, like I was the only one feeling actual negative feelings on a daily basis.

A few years later, having lost two of those friends to depression and seeing others abuse various substances to blunt their feelings, I no longer feel crazy. I feel smart that I went and got help when it felt unbearable, rather than try to fight through it. I think American, and tech culture in particular, are still really hard places to discuss depression and the issues surrounding it. Thanks for the article, and all these insightful comments. These things need to be talked about.