[SystemSafety] On off periods

[Olwen Morgan]

A bit non-technical but here goes:

For all my adult life I have been subject to Seasonal Affective Disorder 
(SAD). All you can do with it is to manage it. These days I am 
permanently on a low dose of a tricyclic antidepressant as a migraine 
prophylactic (upped to full antidepressant does in winter) and on a 
small lithium supplement to moderate mood variations.

Recently, at the tail-end of one winter, I attempted for a client to 
accomplish a task with which I am very familiar - and utterly failed to 
complete it. Fourteen years ago I had a similar winter seize-up on 
another project. Since I am now past state retirement age in the UK (65 
for me), I have let it be known that I will no longer undertake software 
development work on critical systems from November to March in any year. 
This is simply because I know that I am well below par during that 
period and I don't feel confident enough to maintain what I regard as a 
necessary standard of professional practice in such circumstances.

The particular problem I encountered was bug-blindness - missing utter 
howlers - caused by poor concentration.

Does anyone else here have similar experiences?

I'm wondering if, in some circumstances, engineers working on critical 
systems ought to have regular medicals for mental health issues.


regards,
Olwen