Are High Achievers More Susceptible to Addiction?

Substance Abuse and Everyday Stressors

There’s one final reason why many high achievers may be prone to addiction: the stress they experience in their daily lives.

Imagine, for a minute, what it’s like to run a global enterprise, or play in a Super Bowl Game. Not only are millions of people expecting you to succeed—your entire life is also often in the public eye. Even for people who aren’t navigating childhood trauma, the pressure to perform at a board meeting or on a movie set, along with the social pressures of being in the limelight, can be overwhelming. Facing anxiety and burnout, many high achievers self-medicate to cope.

Studies show that turning to potentially unhealthy coping mechanisms is surprisingly common among successful people. In the recent Executive Wellbeing Index from Bupa Global, 60% of executives who reported struggling with mental health issues during the pandemic said they turned to potentially unhealthy coping mechanisms, like alcohol or substances, to self-medicate⁹ those issues. Nearly 40% of those respondents said they used over-the-counter drugs and/or alcohol to treat their anxiety, depression, fatigue, or mood swings.

It’s also important to remember that though self-medication and stress is part of daily life for many high achievers, during the pandemic many people lost access to their old, healthier coping mechanisms. In the write-up on their survey, Bupa Global notes: “Many of the mechanisms people typically use to cope with such stress and anxieties such as seeing friends and family, going to the gym, going on holiday and even going to work have been diminished, and replaced for other, more addictive substitutes such as increased alcohol consumption, self-medication, substance abuse, and gambling.” In the absence of other outlets, people often turn to substance abuse.

Even for people who don’t typically struggle with anxiety or depression, periods of stress can lead to self-medication, which can devolve into a more serious substance use problem. Treating mental health struggles as they arise can help all people, including high-achievers, stay ahead of that spiral.

Celebrity Success Stories

For many celebrities, CEOs, and other highly successful people, a combination of childhood trauma, anxiety and stress from a demanding job or lifestyle, and genetics can lead to struggles with substance abuse. But those struggles don’t always end in pain and suffering. In fact, many celebrities with household names have overcome their substance abuse problems by seeking treatment.

Oprah Winfrey, talk show host, author, producer, and much more, was addicted to crack cocaine¹⁰ in her early 20s. She started using while in an unhealthy relationship and soon became addicted. In an episode where she interviewed recovering addicts, Oprah shocked her audience when she said to guest Kim Davis: “​​I did your drug.” Oprah sought treatment for her addiction and has since become one of the most influential women in the world.

Business mogul Steve Madden also struggled with addiction¹¹ in the past. This high achiever, who started his shoe company from the trunk of his car, was tried in 2002 for money laundering and fraud. In a documentary from 2017, Madden admitted that he struggled with substance abuse since he dropped out of college, and his lawyers explained in court that his crimes were the direct result of his addiction. Madden spent 41 months in prison and was forced to resign from his role as CEO. Since then, however, Madden has returned¹² as creative and design chief of the company he started back in 1990. The company did $1.5 billion in sales last year and now owns a dozen other well-known brands.

There are dozens of stories just like these. For many high achievers, especially those in the public eye, finding treatment can be challenging. But, it’s not impossible. A number of rehab centers specialize in co-occurring disorders, like Solice in Marbella, Spain, which offers a holistic approach to recovery and treats co-occurring disorders like anxiety and depression. Other facilities, like AToN Center in San Diego, specialize in helping executives and professionals heal from substance abuse. These centers and many more offer discreet, personalized treatment that takes into consideration the needs of high-performing individuals.

True Achievement: Healing Addiction and Underlying Trauma

As many people know, high achievement can be a double-edged sword. While it comes with motivation, hard work, creative thinking, and often, success, it also can also lead you down a path toward substance abuse and other addictive behaviors.

For many high achievers, substance abuse isn’t the problem—it’s simply a way to cope. Treating the underlying causes that can lead to addictive behavior, and learning about how your body handles substances, can be an invaluable way to find healing. The more you know about yourself, the more easily you can break old patterns, and discover a more successful, motivated, and capable version of yourself.

It’s important to remember that struggling with mental health is a normal part of life—particularly for certain groups of people. For many survivors of childhood trauma, those with a family history of substance abuse, and people in positions of power, treating mental health is part and parcel of living a successful life. Though it can be hard for high achievers to admit their own flaws, it’s okay to recognize that your brain has a unique way of navigating the world. And it’s entirely okay to ask for help when you need it.

You can start your healing journey and reduce your symptoms of anxiety and other co-occurring disorders at a treatment center near you.

Frequently Asked Questions About Addiction Among High Achievers