As someone that can sympathize with the author on a number of levels, this is a tremendously insensitive comment - I wouldn't expect to see such glibness with regard to someone's mental health posted on this site of all places.

First, note that he said "for me" - you don't and can't know what makes him tick better than he does, full stop.

Second, I can tell you with complete certainty that realizing that you're not getting shit done is a legitimate initiator (both to me, and apparently the author) of a spiraling cascade of negative thoughts that lead to feeling useless and terrible - and once that mood has been achieved, pulling yourself out of it takes either massive amounts of willpower (a limited thing) or a mental reset of some kind (sleep, chemicals, really deep meditation).

It sucks. It really, really, sucks. Please think more carefully before remarking in this way in the future.

--

All that said. I kind of had an idea like this a while ago[1], but never thought to mate it with a system that actually pings friends for help! Quite clever, and more importantly, it appears to work.

[1]: https://tkware.info/tsas/

With respect, I think we should take the patient point of view more seriously than our own (us not having examined the patient or more damningly, not having any training in psychiatry). Lack of productivity can on occasion lead to a feeling of worthlessness which can exacerbate depression.

It's true, I'm not a psychiatrist and don't know him. It's also obvious that achieving things helps us feel better. I'm trying to suggest that, instead of focusing on productivity as the final solution and trying to hack it into his life, perhaps look at the factors causing his difficulties. For example, the fact that he works alone, or does a sedentary job -- both of which are massive risk factors for depression.

We're stuck with his articulation, but I can see how that would seem to be the case. Personally, I see lack of productivity as a symptom of depression, but it's not for no reason that there's a saying, "the devil makes work for idle hands."

Point taken and agreed. Thanks for rephrasing.

They might mean to say that it's worsened when they're not busy with something. Actively working on a task that one finds rewarding can definitely help with depression.

Sure, but from reading the article it seems that social isolation as a matter of lifestyle is the elephant in the room. If he has to be held accountable through an app, it would suggest that there's no people present throughout the day to hold him accountable.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but it's less absurd than assuming we just need a whip when we're down. This isn't an unemployed person feeling like they're not contributing. It's more like: "If I can just never be unproductive, I'll be happy"...

It's not about having people around to hold you accountable. I have dealt with severe depression for about 30 years. You get to be very good at 'hiding' your emotional state from people. What a lot of people here seem to be missing is that lack of productivity is a warning signal for him to share with his support network.

His app doesn't increase or help with his productivity, it tracks it.

I could use his app directly as is. I have a very supportive network, who really help me when I am in the bottom of a cycle. This app could really help me as I only reach out when it gets bad enough that I feel my life is in danger.

And I am surrounded by people all the time. At work (I teach) and at home (I have 2 small kids & a perfect partner). Now my partner is starting to learn the warning signs.

But I am very good at hiding them...

Other people won't hold you accountable unless you let them, which the author touches upon. It sounds like most of the value of the app for him is that the results are communicated to a support network.

My first thought after reading that he's a freelance web developer was "get an office job". I know from experience that working alone for an extended period of time can get you down easily.

I worked various full time office jobs for two years and now I work part time remotely and the amount of social interaction during the work day is pretty much the same (which is to say almost zero).

There's just no way I can do my job writing software with constant interruptions; it takes too much focus.

I believe you misread or failed to read the rest of the paragraph. The author makes it clear this isn't just work.

I feel similar to the author's statement. Coding is my thing. In general, I really like most of my work. When I have writer's (coder's) block, it really, really, sucks. Right now, for instance, I'm sitting on some dynamite info and just need to polish up a proof of concept to show of some fun stuff. I even have clients 100% ready to pay for things if I can show POC. Yet several of these things have sitting around, somewhat planned or partially started, for months. That feeds back to itself and makes me feel worse.

And again, this doesn't mean just work.. Some of these things are things I'd do for no compensation at all, but purely for the fun of them. Being burned out and not wanting to do the stuff I want to do, thinking the one passion I'm competent at is slipping away - that's depressing and scary. And some of the stuff I want to do, like family related things, they suffer too, and those aren't even software-related, let alone work.

Your Web App sounds interesting. Though I wonder if it is just helping to manage the symptons rather than addressing the source of the depression. Procrastination may be a sympton and not the cause of depression. Unfortunately, for many people mental illness and depression is a result of very real chemical imbalances in the brain. Also, for other people letting go of a toxic relationship or unhappy marriage miraculously cures depression.