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There have been several posts on Hacker News about this the past few days. I know myself. I'm a hacker, right? I can reprogram my body to accomplish anything

There have been several posts on Hacker News about this the past few days. I know myself. I'm a hacker, right? I can reprogram my body to accomplish anything. But sometimes people do need help, and that's not bad. I love this site, and the people on it. I hope these recent posts don't create a culture that rejects all depression management methods. It's a very fine line. The previous post mentioned that the "placebo effect is growing stronger". That may be true, but recent stressful events in the world have taken a toll on people. Seeking help should be a zero cost option, or maybe even slightly less. Not everyone needs help, but those who do may find an explosion of links to this by friends off putting. Just something I'm keeping in mind for myself when talking to my circle.

eulgro 3y ago
> I know myself. I'm a hacker, right? I can reprogram my body to accomplish anything. Is there a name to that way of thinking? That's how I've been thinking lately but I can't help but think it's wrong.
- jgerrish 3y ago
  I don't know the name, but good question. There's a related issue with trusting the system you're in that hackers might often feel too. "I'm a programmer, I've seen how many bugs are in my own code... I've seen the spam I get..." Again, these articles might be technically correct. But some people might need some help in addition to those who are doing ok.
- oldman_peter 3y ago
  People hack their body every day in the gym and at school. As long as biology/physics would allow it, there's a good possibility you can learn. By persistent training over years it's for example possible to program your body and mind to overreact on small stress triggers and acquire an 'anxiety' ability. Another body hack could result in running a marathon, or being able to empty your mind through meditation, or walking barefoot in the winter. Consciously reprogramming your body is hard because often there's not a quick or obvious training/reward cycle and it takes time. You might not even know what to train or how, and even if you get detailed instructions you might have difficulty translating it to your body and how you would feel/experience it. I could explain how to twitch your ears, but chances are you're not even aware of the muscles that would allow that. A first task would be to become aware of a bunch of face and ear muscles and go from there. Another example is when someone mentions your neck is all tensed up and you think you're all relaxed and chill. Over time you've hacked your body to recalibrate your feeling of being relaxed, to the point where you don't know to really relax your neck muscles. Hacking your body/changing behaviour takes time and conscious effort, and it really helps to be convinced that it is possible, or at least doubt that it is impossible to hack.
- verteu 3y ago
  Maybe "life-hacking" or "transhumanism"?
- barrysteve 3y ago
  Small extract from etymonline on the word 'hack'. The slang sense of "cope with" (as in can't hack it) is recorded in American English by 1955, with a notion of "get through by some effort," as a jungle (phrase hack after "keep working away at" is attested from late 14c.). To hack around "waste time" is U.S. slang, by 1955. The US 1955 slang 'hack around', is to waste time. A description that applies way too often, for users on the peripherary of technology and tech education, I'm afraid.
- NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
  Positive visualization + Self-actualization? Older: self-mastery
jokoon 3y ago
I'm in the same case. To me, people who are not doctors or neuro scientists who criticize ssri are like antivax people. I'm tired of people linking to exploratory studies on psychedelics and then saying they're better than SSRI. Same anecdotal people who claims psychedelics cured them of depression while they were not diagnosed, and there is no proof it cured them. Psychedelics are not FDA approved treatments you can use without supervision. I'm suspecting there is a lobby of people targeting gullible patients who have mental health problem and sell them whatever. It's an insult to me.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]

eulgro 3y ago

> I know myself. I'm a hacker, right? I can reprogram my body to accomplish anything. Is there a name to that way of thinking? That's how I've been thinking lately but I can't help but think it's wrong.

jgerrish 3y ago
I don't know the name, but good question. There's a related issue with trusting the system you're in that hackers might often feel too. "I'm a programmer, I've seen how many bugs are in my own code... I've seen the spam I get..." Again, these articles might be technically correct. But some people might need some help in addition to those who are doing ok.
oldman_peter 3y ago
People hack their body every day in the gym and at school. As long as biology/physics would allow it, there's a good possibility you can learn. By persistent training over years it's for example possible to program your body and mind to overreact on small stress triggers and acquire an 'anxiety' ability. Another body hack could result in running a marathon, or being able to empty your mind through meditation, or walking barefoot in the winter. Consciously reprogramming your body is hard because often there's not a quick or obvious training/reward cycle and it takes time. You might not even know what to train or how, and even if you get detailed instructions you might have difficulty translating it to your body and how you would feel/experience it. I could explain how to twitch your ears, but chances are you're not even aware of the muscles that would allow that. A first task would be to become aware of a bunch of face and ear muscles and go from there. Another example is when someone mentions your neck is all tensed up and you think you're all relaxed and chill. Over time you've hacked your body to recalibrate your feeling of being relaxed, to the point where you don't know to really relax your neck muscles. Hacking your body/changing behaviour takes time and conscious effort, and it really helps to be convinced that it is possible, or at least doubt that it is impossible to hack.
verteu 3y ago
Maybe "life-hacking" or "transhumanism"?
barrysteve 3y ago
Small extract from etymonline on the word 'hack'. The slang sense of "cope with" (as in can't hack it) is recorded in American English by 1955, with a notion of "get through by some effort," as a jungle (phrase hack after "keep working away at" is attested from late 14c.). To hack around "waste time" is U.S. slang, by 1955. The US 1955 slang 'hack around', is to waste time. A description that applies way too often, for users on the peripherary of technology and tech education, I'm afraid.
NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
Positive visualization + Self-actualization? Older: self-mastery

jokoon 3y ago

I'm in the same case. To me, people who are not doctors or neuro scientists who criticize ssri are like antivax people. I'm tired of people linking to exploratory studies on psychedelics and then saying they're better than SSRI. Same anecdotal people who claims psychedelics cured them of depression while they were not diagnosed, and there is no proof it cured them. Psychedelics are not FDA approved treatments you can use without supervision. I'm suspecting there is a lobby of people targeting gullible patients who have mental health problem and sell them whatever. It's an insult to me.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]