Tech execs are stressed out. Half are heavy drinkers and 45% take painkillers

There's something off about this. I don't want to be pedantic, but one of the images states "32% consume controlled substances to perform better and cope with long work hours and high stress", and then goes on to say 45% use painkillers, 34% use stimulants, 36% use antidepressants, and 35% use sleeping pills.

But antidepressants is defined as benzodiazepines, which aren't antidepressants, they're anxiolytics. Normally when someone talks about "antidepressants", they're referring to SSRIs, SNRIs, NDRIs, and some similar meds. They have a category for SSRIs, but their example medications include non-SSRIs. Regardless, all of the medications they list in the categories other than SSRIs ARE controlled substances. So, it should be at least 45% consume controlled substances.

Anyway, the odd math and misclassification of medications makes me question the results of this study. I don't doubt that tech execs are stressed, drink a lot, use illicit drugs, and prescription drugs... but I'm not sure I'd believe the specific percents given here.

There’s been 5 or 6 articles like this lately. The survey looks suspect.

Having met and worked with c-suite execs across a few different industries, Tech to me seems to have a lower percentage of psychoactive drug usage compared to media, finance, or real estate, but a higher percentage than say telecommunications or industrial manufacturing.

What’s strange is why is this narrative being launched now and in such a coordinated way? Bloomberg, WSJ, FT, NYT all in the last few weeks.

I don't see it myself. My circle of friends (poker buddies, families with kids the same age as my stepkids, etc) here in SV is more than half tech execs, investors and other high stress professionals and I don't see this at all.

For the poker buddies we talk about all sorts of things (including job stress and, yes, drug use) literally at the pub but don't see any excessive drinking. For the others, though it is far easier to keep up a front, when alcohol or pot are around people with problems controlling consumption tend to stand out.

While this is anecdote, not data, I am hyper-alert to this: abuse of alcohol and other recreational drugs has been a serious issue in my life -- not me personally (I don't even drink) but close family members, including a couple of ODs.

Maybe the culture is different for people living up in the city these days.

This is obviously not representative. The survey data may be true but it doesn't describe the industry, only the rehab patients. Article is clickbait BS.

"Along with controlled substances, heavy alcohol use was reported by tech executives. Half of APN's respondents self-identified as heavy drinkers, or those that consume between three and seven alcoholic drinks a day. 51% of respondents report smoking cigarettes or nicotine vapes within the last three months."

In reality, tech execs generally don't smoke. Or vape. Preposterous.

A "random" group of alcoholics in rehab in Colorado however, sure, I buy that half of them smoke or vape.

It would be great to compare these numbers with the ones of the general population

Correlation or causation? To become a tech exec you have to be looking at a few million dollars in the bank, making probably 500k-1 million per year and decide "you know what, this is not enough money. I am willing to trade more of my time, relationships, physical and mental health, and life energy for even more money".

This unhealthy (in my opinion) line of thinking is probably correlated with other unhealthy lines of thinking. Such as drinking and taking pain killers.

more people are definitely using adderall than painkillers, so i call bullshit