Sudden Wealth Syndrome hits Net millionaires DEUTSCHE PRESSE-AGENTUR in San Francisco -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Silicon Valley psychiatrists have identified a new malaise that affects the new millionaires who earn their money through the Internet. Sudden Wealth Syndrome entailed a deep identity crisis, anxiety, guilt and dysfunction, the psychologists said. The mental health specialists have even set up a new clinic, the Money, Meaning and Choices Institute, to help the millionaires of malcontent. Silicon Valley has tens of thousands of new millionaires and some estimates say 64 new ones are created every day. But once the initial euphoria wears off, many face troubling feelings. "There's a sense of denial. There's a sense of shock. There's a sense of 'I don't deserve it'," said psychologist Joan DiFuria. Ms DiFuria and her partner, Stephen Goldbart, first noticed the trend of woeful wealth several years ago when the Internet economy initially started to take off. "We kept seeing clients come in with issues of wealth, and they were getting younger and younger," Ms DiFuria said. "I had very successful men who'd say they'd stop when they reached US$3 million [HK$23 million], and then it was US$15 million, and then US$50 million." "They bought the BMW and they had the US$3 million house," Mr Goldbart said. "And they still wake up in the morning and say: 'I don't feel good about myself.' " Other experts agree few people are psychologically and emotionally prepared for the life-altering effects of large amounts of money, and that they need all the help money can buy. "The swift-rich do not have the wisdom of time to have their psychology catch up with their affluence," said Paul Schervish, a sociology professor specialising in wealth-related issues. "They have to acquaint themselves with a new identity." Financial institutions have recently started realising the scale of the problem and are providing new services to help the rich enjoy their new-found wealth. Published in the South China Morning Post. Copyright ) 2000. All rights reserved.

-- Possible Impact (posim@hotmail.com), February 09, 2000

Answers

aka the "Get-a-Life" Syndrome, and another great diagno$tic tool for the Amereican P$ychiatric A$$oociation to $upply to its member$hit.

>"<

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.cellrelaytower), February 09, 2000.

I understand why they fell this why. This is to quick. The people in their families work hard labor for much less and they see the divide between what seems fair and not fair. How can they not think of where you came from? But, I hope they get over this and think how to help others. I really don't want these kids in the trap of industry.

-- ET (bneville@zebra.net), February 09, 2000.

Don't give a damn what anybody says, Money doesn't make you happy. Although, I haven't figured out what does. Maybe being an ignorant polly?

-- Kyle (fordtbonly@aol.com), February 10, 2000.

$50 million...$50 million for doing nothing....waves of guilt wash over me....my angst is going redline...bwahahaha! ONly in America....

Please, dear Lord, allow me to show you that all that money won't affect me a bit...Please,pretty please let me shoulder the burden of a BMW and a 3 million dollar house...

-- chairborne commando (what-me-worry@armageddon.com), February 10, 2000.

Hehe. Chairborne, if that would truly make u happy at the end of the day, I really envy u. Not!

-- Kyle (midtnjobuddy@aol.com), February 10, 2000.

In the spirit of serving my fellow man, I am opening "Sudden Wealth Syndrome Clinics of America," branches in all major cities. Give all your money to me, and you will feel much better. Really. It's a thankless job, but somebody's got to do it.

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), February 10, 2000.

Is it possible that the article is a spoof?

Then again, it's California, so why not?

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), February 10, 2000.

I feel like a millionaire in my $70,000 house with my $14,000 car. Two kids, two dogs, two cars, two TVs, two computers, eat out twice a week...the American dream. I can definately live a "richer" life than someone who can't appreciate that. Always knew that. ;-) All Good Gifts around us.....

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), February 10, 2000.

"I've been rich and I've been poor. Being rich isn't better, just easier." - from the Notebooks of Lazarus Long (_Time Enough for Love_ by Robert Heinlein)

-- Lazarus Long (lazlongk@aol.com), February 10, 2000.

"The rich are truly different than you and I - they have more money."

Best regards,

-- Joe (KEITH@neesnet.com), February 10, 2000.

This is how goofball liberal causes get funded: rich guilt. If I was an atheistic amoral person, I'd start my own enviro-pro-gov-anti- capitalist lobbying group and get rich off of these poor misguided souls. Let the money start rolling in!

Churchmouse Kook

-- Y2Kook (Y2Kook@usa.net), February 10, 2000.

These new millionaires are absolutely correct in saying they "don`t deserve it." However, I do.

-- NoJo (RSKeiper@aol.com), February 10, 2000.

"...I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well--the delights of the heart of man. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun..." -- Ecclesiastes 2:1-8 (English-NIV)

-- DeeEmBee (macbeth1@pacbell.net), February 11, 2000.