Aaron Aldrich

Dealing with any neuro-diversity is difficult and stigmatized, but lessons learned from DevOps and Complex Systems management have helped me improve how I handle situations. These lessons can be applied broadly and shift our thinking to how DevOps extends beyond tech alone. Mental illness is stigmatized and hard to talk about publicly. Doubly so in the tech industry where we assign much of our personal value to our brains. I want to share my struggles with mental health and the lessons I’ve learned from Systems operation and DevOps that have helped me get by and frame my struggle in a manageable way.

I want to start a conversation to:

• Help reduce the stigma of Mental Illness by talking about it
• Provide some illustration of things that have helped me, so hopefully they can help you
• Show how the concepts of DevOps have application reaching beyond High Technology
• Spark further conversation about Mental health in tech
• Hopefully provide a new group and community for those for whom mental health is a concern