Wealth no armour against addiction

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Addiction and substance abuse rates have risen dramatically throughout North America in the wake of the global pandemic, leaving those who are struggling with mental health illnesses in a state of increased desperation.

While a mythology exists around the degree to which addiction affects the affluent, high-net-worth individuals are just as susceptible to this kind of dependency, and those working within a family office environment face a unique set of challenges when it comes to recovery, be it for themselves or for a loved one.

Lin Sternlicht is an addiction specialist and co-founder of Family Addiction Specialist based in New York City, where high-net-worth clients and their families struggling with addiction and other emotional and life issues receive support and guidance. She says she has encountered repeated assumptions around wealth and addiction.

“One of the primary misconceptions I often encounter is that addiction primarily affects people of lower socioeconomic status,” said Sternlicht. “The truth is that addiction impacts individuals of all socioeconomic status, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals.”

Recent reports from the United States and Canada certainly suggest that addiction does not discriminate. A February 2022 piece in the New York Times sited an increase of nearly 20,000 deaths from opioid addiction throughout the pandemic – a rise from just over 80,000 deaths in 2020 to 101,260 in 2021.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) and the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) commissioned the Leger polling firm to conduct bimonthly surveys throughout the general population to investigate the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on addiction and mental health.

A baseline survey of 2,502 people living in Canada between Oct. 13 and Nov. 2, 2020, and a second survey of 1,507 people between Nov. 19 and Dec. 2, 2020, were conducted by Leger. Results indicated an increase in mental health symptoms and increased substance use since March, 2020.

Troubling findings included that up to half of respondents who had an existing mental health disorder reported having increased symptoms of depression since March, 2020, and nearly a third of respondents reported drinking more since the start of the pandemic. The increase was greatest among those with a history of substance abuse. The survey also reported that only 24 per cent of respondents with problematic substance use and 22 per cent with current mental health symptoms had accessed treatment since March, 2020.

Jeanne Foot is a certified international addiction and recovery specialist at The Recovery Concierge in Richmond Hill, north of Toronto. She says clients often feel blocked by mental and physical barriers when faced with the turning point in their addiction. Even when reaching out for help, they might build walls around their illness, preventing themselves and their family members from moving forward.

“Suffering is part of the human experience and when we have an excess of abundance and opportunities, it can make us feel even more fragile because we should be able to ‘fix’ the situation,” said Foot.

Wealth can prevent people from dealing with addiction

“Having extraordinary wealth becomes the very armour that people hide behind and makes it even more challenging to take it off.”

She adds: “Any family member who suffers with a substance use disorder has a severe impact on the family, as well as within the professional environment, and can be a delicate matter. The dysfunction can be carried from the Sunday night dinner table to the boardroom on Monday morning and can breed an inequity between family members and other staff members.”

Foot adds that there is a sensitivity among prominent business families that is required to keep someone’s illness from becoming public information. Another issue is the emotional impact of different family members who may have varying capacities when it comes to inheriting wealth.

The concern about being publicly shamed, or being shamed within the family, is something Arden O’Connor has seen among clients. O’Connor is the chief executive officer and Founder of O’Connor Professional Group in Boston, Mass., and co-host on Beyond the Balance Sheet podcast.

She says fearing shame can lead to worsening tension within the family. This might lead to altering the course of addiction and treatment, a common occurrence among the wealthiest families.

“People who have substance use disorders often experience negative consequences – loss of a job and legal issues, for example,” said O’Connor.

“Wealthy individuals and families use financial resources to prevent natural consequences from occurring, allowing addiction to become more entrenched and, therefore, more acute. Although these individuals and families may be able to afford world-class care, they often need support navigating the behavioral health care system, setting appropriate boundaries, and managing family dynamics.”

Family office and other professionals can help manage addiction and preserve wealth

Sternlicht adds that, for those living in a family office environment, the challenges of unravelling a loved one’s addictive behaviours can become increasingly tangled.

“Managing family wealth is already a complex undertaking, and is only made more challenging when there is an addicted family member,” said Sternlicht.

“This is especially true when protecting assets and succession from an addicted family member. Family offices can play a fundamental, yet often overlooked and underutilized role in wealthy families that have an individual struggling with a substance abuse issue. Family members should work collaboratively with advisors, attorneys, accountants and addiction specialists to structure the family office to meet their financial objectives in consideration of their expectations as it relates to helping their addicted loved one and preserving family wealth.”

Sternlicht adds that family offices might also be placed in the position of intervening where a client’s family member is in the throes of addiction, while also wanting to avoid overstepping boundaries. Wealth managers may be necessary in facilitating these conversations as they relate to family and wealth preservation. They can also seek professional help on the family’s behalf, whether for a family member within the family office, or for a client.

Part of the mythology around substance abuse involves age and stigma. It’s something Sternlicht has come across often in her practice.

Wealthy young people can struggle more with addiction

“Many research studies suggest higher alcohol and drug use among affluent adolescents and young adults compared to their lower socioeconomic counterparts,” said Sternlicht.

“There are many reasons for this, in part because affluent individuals have disposable money that can fuel substance use and they have the money and power to mitigate natural consequences of addiction, such as legal problems and substance induced financial concerns.”

The Leger surveys did indicate higher abuse among a younger cohort, as well as greater stigma prevalence. To explore these connections, the study gathered data from 1,543 people in Canada in July, 2021, comparing mental health and substance use impacts on youth and older adults, and addressing the prevalence of mental health and substance use stigma.

The report suggested that people between 16 and 24 years old were most likely to report mental health and substance use concerns and were less able to endure stress related to the pandemic. Nearly 45 per cent of this age group reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms, and about 40 per cent of this group reported increased substance use in the past month.

In comparison, only 9 per cent of adults aged 65 and older reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms., and 20 per cent of this age group reported increased use in addictive substances.

The report also found that 53 per cent of respondents said they believed stigma toward people with depression was still present, and 68 per cent said they believed stigma toward people with an alcohol use disorder was still present.

Further troubling was the finding that those with a history of substance abuse showed worsening mental health. In July, 2021, 22 per cent of this group reported seriously contemplating suicide within the past month, compared with 13 per cent in November 2020.

Setting financial consequences can help with recovery

Fortunately, when wealth managers work in conjunction with mental health professionals, recovery is possible and reachable for those in the intricately woven network of a family office.

“Financial leverage is an incredibly powerful tool that can be used not only to get an addicted individual to seek out professional help, but also to help them maintain their recovery in the long-term,” said Sternlicht.

“Once an individual has taken the steps towards recovery, family offices can play a role in helping the individual maintain their recovery through the use of ongoing financial leverage by establishing clear expectations, as well as consequences if a relapse is to occur. Studies show that external motivators, such as the threat of losing money, inheritance, status or career, are powerful motivators when it comes to addiction recovery and behavioral change.

“It is important for family offices to incorporate effective and clear language in financial planning documents relating to addictive behavior and access to assets.”