Depressed
young
male
smoking
cigarette,
drinking
alcohol
and
holding
his
head
in
hand.
Mixmike
|
E+
|
Getty
Images
Can
money
buy
happiness?
Contrary
to
what
some
may
think,
a
million-dollar
paycheck
does
not
necessarily
come
with
a
problem
free
pass.
While
wealth
can
bring
with
it
some
unconventional
problems
—
such
as
being
denied
an
invite-only
Ferrari
and
accidentally
destroying
swathes
of
coral
reefs
with
a
300-foot
yacht
—
most
other
problems
that
the
rich
face
may
not
be
as
esoteric
as
we
think.
According
to
therapists
that
CNBC
spoke
to,
more
often
than
not,
the
super-rich
struggle
with
feelings
of
isolation,
depression,
and
paranoia,
amongst
others
—
a
spectrum
of
emotions
that
many
others
tend
to
share.
“Most
people
can’t
understand
how
rich
people
can
have
problems.
They
dismiss
rich
people’s
mental
health
concerns
as
insignificant
and
of
diminished
importance,”
Paul
Hokemeyer,
a
clinical
psychotherapist
who
treats
the
ultra
rich,
told
CNBC.
1.
Feelings
of
isolation
A
top
problem
that
Hokemeyer’s
clients
suffer
from
is
chronic
isolation.
“They
live
in
such
a
rarified
place
of
the
top
1%
where
there
are
very
few
people
who
share
the
realities
of
their
world,”
said
the
founding
principal
of
Drayson
Mews
clinic,
who
shared
that
the
super
rich
often
cannot
be
fully
certain
if
people
like
them
for
who
they
are,
or
for
what
they
have.
Their
relationships
become
defined
for
what
they
can
provide
to
others
rather
than
for
who
they
are
of
themselves.Paul
Hokemeyer
“People
tend
to
see
you
as
lucky
and
happy
—
neither
may
be
true,”
said Amanda
Falkson,
a
psychotherapist
versed
in
wealth
counseling
at
Psychotherapy
City.
She
noted
that
they
too
face
the
gamut
of
emotions
such
as
grief,
trauma,
losses
and
challenging
relationships.
But
in
addition
to
that,
pressure
on
how
the
money
is
spent,
and
who
to
trust.
“Wealth
can
be
pretty
isolating
…
sometimes
all
eyes
are
on
you
to
see
what
you
do
with
your
money,”
she
said,
noting
that
some
clients
face
the
pressure
of
how
they
hope
to
be
remembered,
and
where
the
money
should
go
—
whether
it
be
investments,
philanthropy,
or
legacy
building.
2.
Paranoia
and
distrust
Wealth
can
cause
people
around
the
super
rich
to
view
them
as
objects,
Hokemeyer
observed.
People
who
are
rich
tend
to
be
of
higher
social
status,
and
those
who
live
in
diminished
states
of
power
are
often
drawn
to
them.
The
latter
could
see
the
wealthy
as
ladders
to
elevate
them
into
more
powerful
positions,
he
said.
The
psychotherapist
shared
that
his
clients
are
often
bombarded
by
a
never-ending
stream
of
requests.
“Their
relationships
become
defined
for
what
they
can
provide
to
others
rather
than
for
who
they
are
of
themselves,”
he
added.
Against
this
backdrop,
the
super
rich
tend
to
become
more
suspicious
of
people’s
motives
in
associating
with
them.
Woman
in
a
hot
tub.
Maria
Korneeva
|
Moment
|
Getty
Images
As
a
result,
it
can
also
be
difficult
to
calibrate
relationship
dynamics
of
wealthy
individuals
whose
partners
may
not
have
equal
wealth
or
income,
said
Hokemeyer.
Often,
the
spouse
who
is
more
well-off
may
feel
they
are
“being
used”
for
their
money,
and
the
partner
with
less
financial
power
can
sometimes
be
stereotyped
as
a
“gold
digger”
or
looked
upon
negatively.
3.
Distorted
sense
of
purpose
There
is
also
a
difference
between
those
who
earned
their
wealth
compared
to
those
who
inherited
it
or
suddenly
came
upon
a
large
sum
of
money.
People
who
became
rich
as
a
result
of
their
own
achievements
have
what
is
known
as
a
strong
internal
locus
of
control,
said
Hokemeyer.
They
feel
in
charge
and
responsible
for
the
trajectory
of
their
lives,
and
are
confident
in
their
ability
to
make
money
again
should
they
lose
it.
Conversely,
those
who
suddenly
acquire
wealth
—
be
it
through
an
inheritance
or
selling
of
a
business
—
may
find
it
harder
to
adjust
to
their
new
spending
power,
status
and
circumstances,
the
psychotherapists
said.
They
are
also
less
confident
in
handling
and
maintaining
their
wealth.
The
sudden
influx
of
wealth
can
often
lead
to
existential
identity
challenges
and
strains
on
relationships,
said
Falkson.
“When
there’s
no
need
to
work,
where
do
you
get
your
sense
of
meaning
and
purpose
and
structure?
Do
you
become
a
walking
dollar
sign?
Where
do
I
fit
in
socially
now
that
I’m
not
part
of
my
old
world
anymore?”
she
said,
voicing
some
of
her
clients’
concerns.
“Wealth
doesn’t
take
away
our
human
needs.
And
having
meaning
and
purpose
in
life
are
very
important
needs.”
