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Ask HN: How do billionaires deal with their anxiety?
61–70 of 86 posts
Re: Ask HN: How do billionaires deal with their anxiety?
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can use some of that money to buy Alprazolam / Clonazepam :-). They're available as relatively inexpensive generics at this point. Maybe not an option if you are totally broke / impoverished, but certainly something billionaires have access to.
You said this in at least 2 different places in this thread, but I hope you understand that 1) all drugs do not have the same effects on different patients and 2) Clonazepam is in the class of drugs known as benzodiapines, which are considered some of the most dangerous and addicting drugs given to patients. In fact, bad withdrawals from benzodiapines often result in worsened anxiety symptoms and at times hallucinati…
> You said this in at least 2 different places in this thread
Only one, as far as I know. Not sure where this other phantom comment is supposed to be.
> Clonazepam is in the class of drugs known as benzodiapines
I'm not sure why you picked that one in particular; Alprazolam is as well (and is perhaps the more well-known one). I'm sure you know this, but to clarify for other readers, most benzodiazepines (including these two) are in a category of drugs known as anxiolytics, as in, drugs which reduce anxiety.
> which are considered some of the most dangerous and addicting drugs given to patients
Wikipedia mostly disagrees with that claim.[0] Nevertheless, even taking the claim at face value, they are given to patients because they do have great therapeutic use, or at least little harm, for the vast majority.
And in general, Alprazolam's shorter duration of action probably lends itself more to abuse than Clonazepam — hence first-line preference for Clonazepam in treatment.
> Throwing around alprazolam/clonazepam as a solution for anxiety is trite and can be damaging.
I did not intend to suggest they're some kind of magic bullet. Re-reading my comment, maybe it suggests that. Sorry!
Sure, they don't necessarily solve the underlying problem. But they are a useful tool, and certainly may help.
Re: Ask HN: How do billionaires deal with their anxiety?
#63Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can use some of that money to buy Alprazolam / Clonazepam :-). They're available as relatively inexpensive generics at this point. Maybe not an option if you are totally broke / impoverished, but certainly something billionaires have access to.
There’s issues with benzos like the one you mentioned. Besides what the other commenter said about withdrawal and other issues, your tolerance will build very quickly with benzos. You can’t just take them daily and have the same or even remotely close to the same effect.
I certainly did not mean to suggest that they were some magic bullet, or that anyone should take them daily for extended periods of time. Your doctor should work with you to determine the correct dose and duration. Or if you self-medicate, you should thoroughly research anything you're thinking about taking before doing so. Benzos can be taken daily for something like a month.[0]
[0]: https://www.jpshealthnet.org/sites/default/files/prescribing...
Re: Ask HN: How do billionaires deal with their anxiety?
#64There was an excellent article on this in the Atlantic on the "Secret Fears of the Super Rich"[1]. The Atlantic article matches my (secondary) experience: while I am (emphatically!) not in this camp (I definitely need to work to pay my mortgage!), I have several close friends who are outrageously wealthy, and I have observed that their lives are not made less stressful by their wealth -- but the specifics change. For…
I think the kid question is easy. Yes, you give them things you did not have but you also have to foster a sense of respect of the privileges they may have now that others do not. You can also have them earn things as well with whatever that might be. Your childhood is different then theirs qualitatively, temporally and situationally. And I think what kids really want and need is quality time with their parents regardless.
Re: Ask HN: How do billionaires deal with their anxiety?
#65Why is this on the front page?
Why did you click on it?
Re: Ask HN: How do billionaires deal with their anxiety?
#66I'm taking your question to mean "how do they deal with the normal non-formal anxieties everyone has". I'm theorizing here, I'm nowhere near a billionaire, but I've known some fairly wealthy people (though wealthy with a M, not a B). + Diverse investments Instead of keeping all their eggs in one basket, they tend to be invested heavily across multiple spectrums. Oil and gas, health insurance marketplaces, real estate…
So, basically they are playing the game with full cheat codes, nothing is a personal challenge anymore, so it gets boring/tedious quickly?
Re: Ask HN: How do billionaires deal with their anxiety?
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's an extension of graduation depression in a way. You have essentially succeeded at the most advertised metric of life, money. If you view life as a linear progression of growing success, then that's the logical conclusion. Good job, you win.
And I'd guess this is also why midlife crises are a thing. Once you've got your beautiful family, house, car and stable job, what's next?
Apologies if this is pedantic but, just the opposite, mid-life crises arise because of the realization that the gap between your accomplishments and your ideals is larger than you thought it would be by the time you reached middle age.
Re: Ask HN: How do billionaires deal with their anxiety?
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
Unlimited wealth can also cause its own set of problems and anxieties that run deeper than "which bank should I use" or "which whim should I indulge next". E.G. Does someone like me or do they just like my money? What should I do with my life now that I'm unfulfilled by indulging my whims?
> unfulfilled by indulging my whims You see, that's what I don't get. There are _so_ many things to do that interest me. I will never have enough time to do them.
Yes, but you might still have enough time to morph into a person who finds doing all that stuff unfulfilling. Humans are amazing at adaptation.
Re: Ask HN: How do billionaires deal with their anxiety?
#69Not sure the HN community can answer this question. Or maybe some of us are billionaires?
There are no-money-problems and to-much-money-problems. I think the later is often misunderstood. Lawsuits are usually a pain, not only for billionaires but for wealthy entities in general. If people know you have a lot of money then they'll try to get a piece of the pie, including the government. So yeah, might be a little stressful.
Though my guess is that if you made to the top and became a billionaire from your hard work, then you can certainly handle stress and anxiety. You might even be a freakin guru at it.
Re: Ask HN: How do billionaires deal with their anxiety?
#70Earlier quoted context omitted.
They can quit stressful jobs, or immediately get appointments with great healthcare providers, or go travel in Europe for a year. Let's be fair: money can't solve all your problems, but it can solve some of them. The only problem is that serious mental illness is one of those things that money can't magically fix.
Even the problems money can’t solve, it can often help (eg, money can’t vuy happiness but a year long trip might be the change you needed to find happiness) or at least remove other worries. But of course as others have said, it brings another set of worries. Still, money is an enabler that creates options.
In other words, money is a tool. People get happiness not from tools, but what can be done with them.