Is Investment Banking Worth Your Health? How Long Can You Push It—and Has Anyone Turned to Stimulants?
I’m a student seriously considering investment banking, and I’m constantly hearing how brutal the hours can be—80+ hours a week, no real sleep, and nonexistent work-life balance. I’ve talked to a few analysts and interns who casually mentioned caffeine pills, modafinil, even Adderall, just to stay sharp and keep up.
It made me wonder: • How long can someone realistically sustain this lifestyle before it starts taking a toll? • Have any of you hit a breaking point physically or mentally—and if so, how did you handle it? • Have you or your peers ever turned to enhancers or stimulants to stay productive? • Looking back, was it worth it?
I’m not looking to glorify burnout or drug use—just trying to understand the real cost of being in this industry and how people manage (or don’t). Any honest perspectives would be appreciated.
How long can someone realistically sustain this lifestyle before it starts taking a toll?
1-2 years which is why everyone leaves banking. The people who do MFs after get absolutely cooked and I don’t know how they do it
• Have any of you hit a breaking point physically or mentally—and if so, how did you handle it?
Yes, I think everyone has eventually. For me, I had a breakdown and went to urgent care and told my staffer I was really sick to buy 2 days off.
• Have you or your peers ever turned to enhancers or stimulants to stay productive? • Looking back, was it worth it?
Literally everyone is on stimulants - depending on the sweatiness of your seat, it might literally be impossible to do or stay in your job without stimulants. The stimulants in question vary in severity - (zyns, vaping, coffee, Celsius, preworkout, adderall, other substances) but abusing stimulants is really bad and will damage your health. Investment banking will severely damage your health depending on your group. For me, investment banking was 100% not worth it because of the physical health impact and would not recommend.
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