Uccmal Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 I have never publicly shared this before. As a young child I started suffering from what are now called panic attacks. You can google it for more details. They would come randomly, in clusters. After a series of them I would be deeply depressed. I am unsure if I ever suffered clinical depression, although in retrospect I may have. As a teenager I discovered that alcohol would numb these effects. Other drugs made them worse. So I proceeded to drink most of the time until I hit a crisis at 28. Ironically, in a testament to my work ethic, I managed to get a University Degree during my drinking years, and work most of the time, at least until the brutal recession in 92-93. I quit drinking, with a lot of help, and subsequently addressed the underlying panic attacks/disorder. By then it was actually a known mental health issue. I am turning 50 tomorrow. Had I not addressed the co-morbid problems of panic attacks, and self medicating with alcohol, I dont believe I would be here today. I figure I would have died of misadventure, suicide (while drunk), or landed in jail (from misadventure). Life can be tough at times, even for rich celebrities. Normal adversity is compounded when you are fighting a mental health issue as well. Interestingly, like Robin Williams' incredible humour, there can be upsides to such adversity. In learning how to cope with panic attacks, there are no real life events that cause me panic. In effect, I have trained myself not to panic, which can be very handy in the investing world, and the world at large. Cheers, Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uccmal Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Oh, and thanks rkbabang! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
augustabound Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Happy half century Al. :) My wife's is today. I hit 40 in May (starting to have the typical regrets when you hit such an arbitrary number like 30, 40 etc.) But I'd much rather be here and go through that than the alternative. Your posts stood out for me when I went through the archives earlier this year, especially your posts through 2008-10. I'm glad you're here. Interestingly, like Robin Williams' incredible humour, there can be upsides to such adversity. This post about Norm MacDonald makes me believe he (Robin Williams) tried his best to make others feel good through his humour even if he was suffering. http://thedailybanter.com/2014/08/norm-macdonald-may-just-written-best-tribute-robin-williams-yet/ Norm also seems to hint in his last tweet that he is also depressed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rohitc99 Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 i have a very close relative who has suffered from depression and schizophrenia. For almost 10 years, I characterized his behavior as irrational and selfish. Its only when I started reading up on the condition and putting myself in his shoes, that I realized he was in incredible pain and suffering. Even today, I cannot imagine what he goes through each day but I try to be compassionate about it. I still remember a comment he made about the level of suffering one goes through - imagine you lose a parent or a spouse and suffer because of it. make it 10X. its like a nightmare you never wake from. Personally I feel due to stigma attached to these illnesses, it only makes things worse for the person and his/her family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkbabang Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Oh, and thanks rkbabang! I'm not sure what you are thanking me for, but you are welcome. I'm glad you found a way to manage you're problems. I read somewhere that a disproportional number of very successful people have had serious issues to overcome in their lives such as death of a parent when they were children or mental disorders, or learning disabilities, etc. These things may seriously inhibit most of the people who suffer with them from reaching their potential, but for that 1 in x case it is why they are successful. There is some truth to the old saying "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". Oh yeah, and happy birthday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsad Posted August 13, 2014 Author Share Posted August 13, 2014 I have never publicly shared this before. As a young child I started suffering from what are now called panic attacks. You can google it for more details. They would come randomly, in clusters. After a series of them I would be deeply depressed. I am unsure if I ever suffered clinical depression, although in retrospect I may have. As a teenager I discovered that alcohol would numb these effects. Other drugs made them worse. So I proceeded to drink most of the time until I hit a crisis at 28. Ironically, in a testament to my work ethic, I managed to get a University Degree during my drinking years, and work most of the time, at least until the brutal recession in 92-93. I quit drinking, with a lot of help, and subsequently addressed the underlying panic attacks/disorder. By then it was actually a known mental health issue. I am turning 50 tomorrow. Had I not addressed the co-morbid problems of panic attacks, and self medicating with alcohol, I dont believe I would be here today. I figure I would have died of misadventure, suicide (while drunk), or landed in jail (from misadventure). Life can be tough at times, even for rich celebrities. Normal adversity is compounded when you are fighting a mental health issue as well. Interestingly, like Robin Williams' incredible humour, there can be upsides to such adversity. In learning how to cope with panic attacks, there are no real life events that cause me panic. In effect, I have trained myself not to panic, which can be very handy in the investing world, and the world at large. Cheers, Al. Amazing Al! I've known you for about 10 years, and I've always thought you were the calmest person I've ever met. You're voice barely oscillates when you are speaking. Glad you were able to deal with the panic attacks! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uccmal Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Amazing Al! I've known you for about 10 years, and I've always thought you were the calmest person I've ever met. You're voice barely oscillates when you are speaking. Glad you were able to deal with the panic attacks! Cheers! Lol... I dont think my Wife or kids would agree. The thing is they are never really gone, just managed. I think the same goes for depression, bipolar, and schizophrenia etc. So far, there is no cure all. There is so much about the brain/ and body we dont know. FWIW, you never struck me as someone who might have had an issue with depression. A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsad Posted August 13, 2014 Author Share Posted August 13, 2014 Amazing Al! I've known you for about 10 years, and I've always thought you were the calmest person I've ever met. You're voice barely oscillates when you are speaking. Glad you were able to deal with the panic attacks! Cheers! Lol... I dont think my Wife or kids would agree. The thing is they are never really gone, just managed. I think the same goes for depression, bipolar, and schizophrenia etc. So far, there is no cure all. There is so much about the brain/ and body we dont know. FWIW, you never struck me as someone who might have had an issue with depression. A. You're absolutely correct! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftcoast Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 There is a pretty-well established correlation between higher intelligence (or at least, IQ scores) and a host of related mental health problems like depression, anxiety, and addiction. For whatever reason, highly intelligent people seem to be much more susceptible to these problems. So I guess it's not surprising to see so many members of this board have struggled with these issues at some point in their lives. This probably also relates to the large interest in meditation on another thread, and the inclination to engage with existential issues like morality, values, and life's "meaning." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randomep Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 There is a pretty-well established correlation between higher intelligence (or at least, IQ scores) and a host of related mental health problems like depression, anxiety, and addiction. For whatever reason, highly intelligent people seem to be much more susceptible to these problems. So I guess it's not surprising to see so many members of this board have struggled with these issues at some point in their lives. This probably also relates to the large interest in meditation on another thread, and the inclination to engage with existential issues like morality, values, and life's "meaning." Hey, you know I really learned something from this thread. I have a lot more in common with a lot of you besides an interest in investing. So I haven't heard anyone talk about the meds they are taking. Maybe we should compare notes on what works and what doesn't. We are DIY investors, so next step is we self medicate? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liberty Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Interesting perspective: http://qz.com/248890/a-comedians-confession-the-more-successful-i-became-the-more-i-wanted-to-kill-myself/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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