I really appreciate the vulnerability that comes with writing something like this and releasing it to the public. We need to do a better job of recognizing these traits and supporting one another. ๐Ÿ’•
https://kennethreitz.org/essays/2026-03-18-open_source_gave_me_everything_until_i_had_nothing_left_to_give
Open Source Gave Me Everything Until I Had Nothing Left to Give

I thought I was having a spiritual awakening. I was having a psychiatric emergency. I was at a tech conference in Sweden when it started. I hadn't slept in...

Kenneth Reitz
@Ashedryden I've not read the article but I've already recognized the name. It's the author of Requests for Python!
@Ashedryden that's beautifully written. Thanks for sharing it.
@Ashedryden So much insightful writing on there. Thank you.
@polarweasel oh I didnโ€™t write it! Just sharing it ๐Ÿ’•
@Ashedryden Yup! I couldโ€™ve been a bit clearer there for sure ๐Ÿ˜†

@Ashedryden even without having a similar diagnosis as Kenneth, this hits way too close to home.

i also agree about the vulnerability, and i think writing this piece shows incredible courage. i applaud Kenneth in the strongest terms and wish him health for the future.

@Ashedryden

โ€œThe things that make you a great open source contributor (hyperfocus, intensity, pattern recognition, the ability to hold entire systems in your head) overlap significantly with the things that make certain psychiatric conditions both more likely and harder to detect. The community will celebrate your output without ever asking what it costs you to produce it. That's not malice. It's just a system that optimizes for code, not for the person writing it.โ€

@Ashedryden thank you for sharing this article, it reminds me of some people I know!