Creation anxiety

The sad truth no one is talking about

As part of this month's entrepreneur challenge, I've interviewed entrepreneurs trying to extract some of their personal and professional knowledge.

This was an incredible, eye-opening experience, but, surprisingly, I found it was not what the entrepreneurs shared on camera that was the most interesting, but what they have shared when it was turned off.

Almost every single founder said he/she was or previously struggling with anxiety.

They shared stories of immense emotional distress as they dealt with the pressures of fighting to get their business off the ground. 

The commonality between the entrepreneurs seemed to be too frequent to be just a coincidence, so I looked more deeply into this subject.

What I found shook me far more than I expected. 

Discovering the ugly truth behind building a business

We imagine entrepreneurship as this positive journey as we attempt to follow our dreams and become independent.

What we don't imagine is the intense emotional, physical and mental anguish that entrepreneurs have to go through to turn their business ideas into a reality. 

A recent 'Globe and Mail article quotes a study from the University of California stating that 72 per cent of entrepreneurs suffer from some mental health condition or depression; this is compared to only seven per cent among the general public. 

Suicides among entrepreneurs have also become more common in recent years.

The article describes "several high-profile suicides in the start-up world (from 2011 - 2015) ... including the death of Austen Heinz, a biotech entrepreneur and the founder of Cambrian Genomics; Aaron Swartz, the co-founder of Reddit; and Jody Sherman, the founder of Ecomom. 

So why is this happening?

Hiding the pressure and facing the consequences 

Starting a business is like attempting to run a marathon, doing an algebra exam, trying to juggle three chainsaws, while getting chased by a herd of angry bulls. 

This intense pressure, stress, expectation, and work load on entrepreneurs can push even the strongest to their breaking point.

Normally, in these types of situations, an average person would reach out for help and support; they would share their feelings and get some feedback allowing them to feel better and continue to push forward.

Entrepreneurs though, don't have this luxury.

A founder's entire success hinges on the idea that he/she is in control at all times and can execute the lofty (and possibly somewhat crazy) plans on a high level.

Entrepreneur can't risk seeming vulnerable otherwise they could face the loss of trust from their team or investors.

This feeling of being trapped often leads founders to cope in other ways such as excessive drinking, drug abuse or by lashing out to those closest to them.

It's no wonder that entrepreneurs face some of the highest rates of mental breakdown, depression, and suicide. 

Moving forward to face my own demons

I am already feeling the pressures to perform as an entrepreneur.

Trying to keep up with all of my commitments, my blog, my personal life and now this new venture has forced me to work harder and longer hours than I have in my entire life. 

My now jam-packed schedule has forced me to drop almost all physical activity and recently even my diet has been reduced to whatever fast and easy meals I can grab as I run from meeting to meeting. 

I am feeling maxed out and I can already see the important things in my life such as my relationship, my friends and my community commitments starting to fall apart as I'm forced to prioritize my work ahead of everything else. 

My only saving grace is the knowledge that I now have from my fellow entrepreneurs.

Their stories serve as a cautionary tale as to what can happen if I don't find healthy outlets for my stress and emotions.

I feel fortunate that I can now work on managing my own emotional risks, but it's my hope that by reading this you will also consider your own.

I believe mental health is a subject worth talking about as it's the things that go unsaid that have the greatest potential to do the most damage in our lives. 

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.