Highly Skilled Professionals with Anxiety Disorders

kyrissian · Post by **kyrissian** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:05 am

I think this poll discusses a very interesting topic. I believe depression/ anxiety will diminish the performance of anyone who is afflicted with it. Some people are just lucky to have a higher starting point to fall from.

Personally, I skipped a grade in school, passed the Mensa entrance exam, and achieved above average grades all through school, while doing about 25% of what everyone else did. I've had a 10 year successful career in Engineering and management in the auto manufacturing industry. Sounds pretty rosy, doesn't it? Oh, if only everyone could have such an easy go of it.

On the darker side, I believe I've suffered from general anxiety and moderate depression for my entire life. I skipped out of classes and didn't do assignments all through school. I skipped an entire month of my grade 7 history class, failed grade 10 english because I didn't show up, and I dropped out of two university programs. All of this was because I couldn't manage my own expectations, would get anxious about what others thought of my performance and would drop into depressive states lasting months, even contemplating suicide a few times. My 10 year "successful" automotive career actually involved 5 different companies. I would procrastinate, fearing what others thought of my work, rush and do what I believed was substandard work (but actually was quite acceptable to everyone else), fear that someone would find out that I wasn't doing the work, and run off to another job, fearing that I would be found out and fired. I actually gave up engineering last year because of my depression.

Because I didn't know any different, I thought I was normal; just an unmotivated failure.

The truth is, people who seem to "glide" through life are just as likely to suffer as anyone else. Some are just "lucky" to start their fall from a higher place. Believe me, the fall hurts just as much.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:21 am

i THINK THAT THE POLL WAS GOOD.
i am retired military and also draw social security and my wife is disabled and draws SSI.we are not rich but we do ok. we are now working on going on mission trip and have 2 planned already. i feel blessed that i can get out and do things and others are confined to their homes and i know that feeling..you can do anything you put your mind too...be blessed
don

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:42 am

I think MinnChad is attempting to see if there are any wealthy people that have the anxiety/depression as this problem holds some many people back from taking job risks or completing other goals.
I am 47 year old and work in the insurance industry. I am not rich by any means, but I do not live paycheck to paycheck and have income to invest, take vacations etc.
I am sure I possibly could have done better financially, but I have always been afraid to take risks.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 1:30 pm

I have had what we are going through since it hit me the first year of university. I have had some stretches of great years but I have also had agoraphobis so bad that I have been housebound for over a year at two times in my life.

After saying that, I have over that time, with professional help, some meds and this programm, been able to obtain a post-grad degree plus an accounting designation. I have been a marketing manager with a large corporation and was able to retire at age 51.

I am currently living off of some well-placed investments and have my own home. I am not rich at all, far from it, but I get by and have enough for some "extras" in life.

I do know though that some of my fears have held me back from promotions. An example would be that I am scared to fly (I will not do that) and it cost me a high level marketing position as the position required flying a lot all over North America. So, I really lost out there. I also had to quit two different jobs when I was younger due to anxiety and panic attacks.

I believe everything happens for a reason. So I took advantage of the years that were great and this placed me in a position that I could retire comfortably, however I still have to watch my pennies. But I also know for sure that I could have had more "wealth" (if that is defined by money) if I had not had this affliction over my lifetime.

My social situation took a worse beating but that's a story for another post and/or poll!

Bob in Canada

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:04 pm

I think I am proof you can have anxiety and be successful. I am a family medicine physician. I am the first person in my family to complete college, done in 4 years with honors and then on from there. I actually think I could have done even more without anxiety. I can remember just laying in my dorm room, unable to go anywhere or do anything due to my depression. And then the next day I would study like crazy, feeling guilty for taking off the day before. The guilt and anxiety actually could make me work harder at times. Now, I see patients with the same symptoms but I would never tell them that. The funny thing is, I can advise them, but can never follow my own advice! But I think a lot of doctors have anxiety, it is what drives some of us to search for answers to diagnosis, go and look things up just to double check, double check bleeders during surgery.....
I live in a small community and would not go to someone here for any counseling, I have done some by driving over 70 miles one way. I decided to try this, it certainly wasn't more expensive than counseling.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:47 pm

do know though that some of my fears have held me back from promotions. An example would be that I am scared to fly (I will not do that) and it cost me a high level marketing position as the position required flying a lot all over North America. So, I really lost out there. I

debster, thank you so much for replying. Out of all the replies, yours has been the most important to me personally. I want to follow a new path which I've always been interested in and I would simply adore to talk to you on the phone.

I want to go to med school and become a psychiatrist. I see much good in people, and I want to help them show it!

If you can't or don't want to talk to me for personal safety, I understand. But if you can, please PM me with your phone number, or just PM me asking for mine and I'll give it to you.

Barb G. · Post by **Barb G.** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:05 pm

This is a very interesting topic.

In my case, I managed to get my BS in 91 from a big 10 university (the first in my immediate family). During that time I was seeing a counselor and taking xanex. Since then I've been on and off meds and held numerous jobs and lived in lots of places. Financially, I live pay to pay. I don't feel my education has helped me but I do feel my depression has stopped me from doing what I thought I wanted to do (teach adult students). For a long time now, I've been trying to find out what I want to do when I grow up!

You would think by age 46 I would have some clue. Of course I blame it on the anxiety and depression. I am so hoping I can finish this program and begin a real career!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:01 am

I think the bigger issue here to be addressed and inform ourselves of is that more highly intelligent people are more aware of and intellectually able to be hyper-aware of their surroundings, thoughts, and of their own and others behaviors- even subtle ones. This creates anxiety. People who are less intelligent are able to live their daily lives without anxiety because they do not notice every little aspect of life and therefore have less to think about, obsess over, or worry about. I have found this to be true in almost every case. My brother and I are both fairly academically intelligent and have very high emotional IQs. We both suffer from anxiety. My father is extremely academically intelligent and just fairly emotionally intelligent and also suffers. My father-in-law, while a "street smart" man is not all that smart, admittedly, and seems to have little anxiety, even when under stress. My point is, that we are all gifted in different ways. Many of those of us blessed with intelligence are also cursed with anxiety. The goal is to become a highly effective and successful person despite it. Best wishes to all. Let's be in prayer for one another- it helps all of us!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:42 pm

There are people who did achieve a lot even though they had depression. I also think that Marie Osmond or someone else in the entertainment industry struggled with panic/anxiety. I also understand that Clay Aiken suffers from panic.

Abraham Lincoln had depression as did Winston Churchill. It looks like Howare Hughes suffered from some form of mental illness. I've been on a psychiatric wing of a hospital twice and met several professional people while there. One lady was high up in her company, can't remember if she was an officer or not.

I think these illnesses strike every socio-eocnomic class. Some are more fortunate than others in what they achieve in spite of the illness. I haven't achieved what I wanted to due to the illness, but some have.