Making money on Wall Street comes at a tremendous cost
Fear, anxiety and depression pervade New York’s giant random number generator
I write and publish a financial newsletter. Over the past two years no less than three of my subscribers — all current or former finance industry workers — have taken their own lives. Each time I was profoundly affected because I nearly took my own life almost 20 years ago while working as a young trader at Lehman Brothers Holdings. I know what that level of despair feels like.
All jobs have stress of some degree, but the stress associated with the finance industry is unique and complex. At the top is performance anxiety. You either make money for the firm or you lose your job. It’s that simple. Also, regulations are everywhere and heavily enforced. The fear of running afoul of the rules and not just losing your job but losing your career runs deep...
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