this post was submitted on 27 May 2025
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I got laid off in March as a software engineer 2 and since then I've hardly applied to many jobs, of the few I've applied to I got a handful of interviews which I couldn't even clear the first round of Leetcode test. I can barely solve 1 or 2 LC questions a day, and I've tried to read system design for a while but can't find any interest in it. Even if I solve the interview questions we'll I've been rejected, everything feels so pointless. I just want to play video games and watch movies till these darks days pass and there's another boon in tech hiring. But with AI it feels like many jobs won't ever come back. Should I consider changing careers or moving to another country. I don't think I have any real passion or talent for programming, but it's the only skill I have right now. I don't know what level of panic I should be feeling right now. I don't have any close friends or supportive family to talk to about any of this.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Yeah I was about to start looking for local therapist before I got laid off, can't afford one now, I'm hoping to motivate myself with some short term goals, trying to take it one day at a time till I can get access to Healthcare again

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Emacs psychotherapist is free and surprisingly good for a 60s AI project. It implements a very basic Rogerian school psychotherapist session. Outdated, but still helpful to sort out feelings and worries.

And youtube is your friend (and foe – the algorythm can be very destructive, too). IMHO, HealthyGamerGG is a very helpful channel.

Edit: I'm serious about the emacs psychotherapist. It is not a substitute for therapy, but a tool to aid self-reflection.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Therapy is not accessible to most people.

Finding time to go to therapy would be a problem.

Finding a good therapist for you would be a problem.

Paying for therapy would be a problem.

Implementing the solutions that therapy provides would be a problem.

Nobody ever seems to be willing to admit that therapy adds more problems on in the hopes that one day it might possibly reduce the number of problems, but any time you mention you have a problem in your life, people seem to crawl out of the woodworks to tell you to go to therapy.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

I agree with all of your points but the last.

Having a medical condition makes life hard. Getting treatment for the condition makes life even harder but eventually it will lessen the underlying medical condition and, in aggregate, make life easier.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

What do you propose as an alterative recommendation?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

Yeah it's a slog to find someone who A - gives a shit about you and B - is good at their job to accurately diagnose and help you. But what other option is there, you just have to keep putting effort and money towards this till something clicks. I had been to a psychologist in the past who just diagnosed me as bipolar 2, and gave me some meds, the Ritalin helped for concentration and energy, the other meds just gave me bad sideffects that he wasn't even interested in talking about, just wanted to prescribe me some more meds and end the session. Had to drop him.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Trying going on a short walk, no joke will make you feel better.

I was laid off in Feb, as a level 3 IT tech support and its a pita to get a job.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

Yeah I find excuses to get out these days, it does help