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Many people (mostly computer developers) I’ve talked with admitted to have been clinically depressed:
One of my best friends has admitted that she used to have many depressions. Whenever I met her in real life, or talked with her (on the phone, on instant messaging, etc) she seemed very cheerful, fun loving, intelligent, and rational.
She claimed that when she is depressed she tends not to communicate a lot and also cannot achieve too much at work, which she said only makes her feel worse. I can relate to both of these, as I recall that that was the case for me on both accounts when I was depressed.
I talked with a programmer, well into his 50’s (and still active) who admitted to having got into depressions several times in the past. He again seemed normal (if somewhat eccentric to me).
One time on irc.oftc.net someone joined and started speaking in l33t-speak, asking how he can become a “haxor”. People thought he was a troll, but I ended up PMing him and it turned out he was depressed. I spent the afternoon trying to help him. Eventually, during his (and mine) evening, he claimed that he was feeling better and parted. (It is known that often depressed individuals feel better in the evening and at night.)
A fellow programmer I talked with admitted to having got into depressions in the past, and that she tried to function despite that.
A fellow Perl monger I talked with said that he sometimes exhibited some of the symptoms of hypomania. He seemed very hyperactive to me, so I wasn’t really surprised, but it may also be plain excitement and not a medical condition.
A list of some famous people who had Mania-Depressia can be found at http://www.mental-health-today.com/bp/famous_people.htm. Bipolar disorder is relatively uncommon and many more people are only “Unipolar” and only have depressions and anxieties. Depressions and anxieties are considered the “common cold” of mental illnesses, and are exhibited in a large percentage of the populace.
Someone told me that he read a study that said that roughly 50% of the authors in the English language today have Mania-Depressia. I haven’t been able to find it online and would appreciate any references.