Frustrations of the wealthy and powerful

Interesting extract from article "Challenges of $600-a-session Patients" published in New York Times July 7 2008:

"It is not uncommon to find in wealthy and powerful patients an extremely low tolerance for frustration, the therapists said.

Dr. Seth Aidinoff, a NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital psychiatrist who practices on the Upper East Side and also consults for hedge funds and Wall Street firms, illustrated the consequences with the Saturday-afternoon choice faced by “your typical master of the universe,” who can either play outside with his 7-year-old or stay inside to complete a business deal on the phone.

“The phone call might involve the most important and interesting people in the world, being well compensated for his time, and the chance to handle it with A-plus skill,” Dr. Aidinoff said. “Whereas playing with his 7-year-old might be sort of boring, or unsatisfying; his son might not fully express his appreciation, or the child could even be in a bad mood. So this person might find himself terrified of spending time with his child because it’s not an activity he can control or succeed at the high level of accomplishment to which he is accustomed.”

Because so much of ordinary life is built on small failures and frustrations, therapists see among this patient group a great disenchantment. "

Read the whole article if you can afford the time.