What Happens When A News Article Causes Depression and Anxiety

Any time, in the course of therapy, a client talks about a news article, I want to take a look. Any time it happens in three separate sessions with three different clients, I want you to take a look.

The premise of the Bloomberg News column, “Here’s how much money you need for bankers to think you’re rich” is that even for the wealthy, in order for “bankers” to consider them rich, it takes $25 million. Yes, in a country where the median total net worth is less than $100,000, the author reports that for some, they can feel “broke” if they fall short of a number that’s more than 250 times average.

Despite financial success, by any other definition, clients felt inadequate because they had not reached this supposedly vaunted threshold.

I think about this before the Holiday Season when too many of us want to show off, instead of show up. That time of year increases the anxiety and depression for those who aren’t feeling self-confident, despite what appears on their financial statements.

When clients talked to me about this, I tried to steer the conversation toward meaning and purpose. In business, we are often judged by numbers. In reality, there is no financial scoreboard, especially if you are meeting your commitments to the most important people in your life.

The author writes something worth remembering, “Getting rich is complicated.” I’m not going to pretend that just because a client has wealth, the journey should be easy. Often, just the opposite is true. With wealth, as in life, complications can get in the way of wellbeing. That is another reason why a relationship with an experienced professional can help.