You’ve tirelessly pursued and accomplished your goals in life and in large part have achieved excellence. Your high drive and dedication have gotten you far, and in some ways, you may be performing at the top of your field in medicine, business, sports or another profession. This may have required overwhelming investments of time, education and training, a commitment that has probably come at great cost to other areas of your life. It has likely seemed worth the sacrifice. So why don’t you feel the peace and satisfaction you anticipated? Why is it so hard to reap the benefits of your dedication?
Professionals in Distress
The personality traits and particular circumstances of high-achieving individuals can require specific types of interventions. If you’ve been managing a demanding training schedule, working long hours, managing many people or running an organization, you’ve become accustomed to certain ways of thinking and interacting with those around you. You may have become disconnected with some aspects of your life, resulting in symptoms such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, relational challenges or others. Things may have escalated to problems with licensing boards, or you may be at risk for professional reprimands.
The data are striking on the incidence of psychological struggles in high-achieving professions. For example, both men and women physicians are more likely to commit suicide than their non-physician counterparts, with 300-400 physicians dying by suicide annually. Up to 34% of elite athletes struggle with anxiety or depression, often resulting in significant substance use disorders. Up to 21% of attorneys struggle with drinking, and 28 and 19% respectively struggle with depression and anxiety, all of which tend to be worse in the first 10 years of practice. These data represent a call to action requiring tailored interventions for high-achieving professions and individuals.
At Chrysalis we are mindful of the demands of a high-achieving career and the need for discreet services that get you back on your path in life, ideally with an improved sense of overall well-being, peace and with better relationships than when you started. Treatment takes hard work, but you’re no stranger to that. Take the steps to improve your life today.