To those of you struggling (Mental Health Awareness)

To the individual that posted about contemplating suicide the other day and the many of you that might be struggling internally, whether you like to admit it or not, this is for you.I want you to know you're not alone. Throughout my life I've struggled with severe depression and anxiety. On the surface, I've had everything - loving friends and family, good grades, great job - and for the most part was always the most cheerful happy guy in the room. What people don't know is that I've tried to take my life on multiple occasions, have had months were all I thought about was taking my life, and hid behind the smile and persona I gave off. It was until before I started my analyst stint that I finally sought the help I needed, got a therapist and finally stated having the tough conversations I needed to have with my friends. Through this journey I've learned a couple things:It will not be easy. Like most things in life, it is not a black and white concept. There will be days you feel amazing and finally feel like you broken the spell and then there will be days you feel like you're back at square 0. THAT'S 100% OK. It's ok to not be ok. It's not ok to not take the steps you need to heal and better yourself. Life is too short and precious to not put yourself ahead of anything else. You DESRVE to heal and DESERVE to be happy. Your mind can be a blessing and a curse. Take 3 long deep breaths and think before you make any decisions. You will be more rational and composed.Open up about your pain - sharing it is halving it. I don't care if that's breaking down in front of your parents, your friends, a therapist, someone on the hotline, some random person on the side of the road - DO IT. They will listen. This is a marathon not a sprint, always focus on bettering yourself and evaluating where you are in life. By doing so you are forcing yourself to think critically about where you are taking your life and how it will or won't make you happy. Finally, you are love and cared about. DON'T EVER THINK OTHERWISE. Wow - writing this I am tearing up myself. If you are ever in a dark place and need someone to talk to PM me. Whether you're 20 or 60 years old or if it's 3am in the morning - I will make myself available. This means so much more to me than any job there is on this planet. We will get through this together.Much love Edit:spelling

 

What were your two suicide attempts - do you have health issues or scars now because of them?

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Pills and drugs - so no scars. Also own a gun, but fortunate enough to have gone through with using it. Long term health impact - TBD. Not really focused on that as much, more focused on god giving me another chance to keep going.

 

Oh ok cheers to life 🥂

When I was 18, I took a bunch of pills and my liver started to fail in the ICU and the doctor said I needed a liver transplant to avoid death. By some miracle, they did another liver enzyme test the next day and my liver completely bounced back. I was pretty lucky.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Thanks for sharing this, it’s really important to talk about. I’m in kind of a similar spot where I have some external markers of a good life but still struggle with mental health. Have dealt with complex medical issues and was extremely suicidal in the mid 10s.

Wrapping up senior year I have a solid job offer, caring parents, basically all my necessities taken care of, great friends etc. But god damn late at night sometimes I just feel completely empty and terrible. It’s frustrating because it feels inexplicable. It’s tough because once you take care of those base level needs, we can end up grappling with deeper problems that can’t be solved with simple things like more money or access. It’s really hard to talk about any of these problems with my friends.

I’ve been getting through by journaling and lifestyle tweaks. Every morning I write down as many things I’m looking forward to doing in the near and long term. My thinking is as long as I have a going concern about myself I’ll keep going. Have tried to sleep more and exercise daily as well. Used to sleep maybe 2-5 hours a night but have started to fix it and get back into the sport I did growing up. Hope everyone on WSO is getting through it, very easy to suffer silently.

 
Most Helpful

While I am in a great place mentally now, I wish dearly I had sought out a therapist a few years ago. Was in a very dark, burnt out place mentally and combined with an utter stop in social activity when covid started, I was left alone with my thoughts for far too long without expressing them to anyone. By the time I did I, I was utterly depressed and was on the verge of quitting my PE job out of pure anger / frustration / sadness. I'm not sure why I didn't seek out help and every day I wish I did as I think it could've helped not drag out that state of mind I was in. I hope at this point, mental health awareness isn't stigmatized and we can all be comfortable seeking help. Hell, even though I'm in a good place, I think it still makes sense to see a therapist to keep me in check. Your mind is what has gotten you this far in life and just like your body, you need to treat it with the utmost respect and make sure it's healthy. If you don't you'll watch everything around you crumble from your job performance to your relationships. Keep it healthy out there 

 
Mr Incredible

I would rather die than someone prevent me from it. Pro Choice

Edit: I tried once and was arrested in handcuffs. 

What did you do?

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Not to make it personal, but my struggle is there is no logical reason to keep living, even if you have everything. You're just going to get older and in more pain, people you love will die, and use up more resources moving images on a screen. Our jobs are meaningless, but so is the rest of humanity. A lot of life is procreating to keep going, but for what? I've been to therapy and am on meds but this question still exists for me in the back of the mind. Anyone have thoughts?

 

earthwalker7 I’m extremely sorry to hear your in this amount on pain. First off, breath - in through the mouth 4 out of the month 6. Do this ten time.

After this I want you to call someone. I want you to tell them how you actually feel, not how you compose yourself. you might im they’re crazy, I’m not - this will feel amazing. Fuck call me, I’ll give u my cell.

After you talk to someone please look for a therapist,psychologist. This will be a start to a journey. It will not be easy to start, and you will have to push yourself to open up, but as time passes you will heal, you will let your guard down, and you will learn coping mechanisms that better suit you for the battle your facing rn. I implore you for having the self awareness and courage to say you need help. Please take this next step in healing. You DESERVE IT

 

Hey there! Mental health is something we all deal with, and it's crucial to have awareness and support. I've struggled with my own mental health, too, and it's not always easy to talk about it openly. But trust me, you're not alone in this. It's okay to reach out to friends or family and let them know what you're going through. Sometimes, just talking to someone can make a huge difference.

 

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