Sarah Yu | On 19, Nov 2014
Workaholism is an actual disease, just like alcoholism.
It’s not an addiction to work, it’s an unhealthy obsession and attachment to work, to the point where you cannot live or breathe without having to be doing something work-related.
I’m a recovering workaholic. In college, I slowly became a workaholic. I wasn’t getting any sleep. I didn’t have a social life outside of school, and I didn’t know how to relax or how to function without doing an assignment or something related to school. But after realizing how often I was getting sick and how stress was killing me, I took steps to treat my workaholism.
Here are some of the health dangers that come with being a workaholic, in case you haven’t been scared yet from reading my testimony.
Higher Risk of Heart Attacks
According to a 2012 study done by the University College London, people with high-pressure jobs have a 23 percent more chance of suffering heart attacks compared to those who don’t have it.
Increased Risk of Diabetes
A 2012 study published in The Journal of Occupational Medicine stated that women who have stressful jobs are more at risk for diabetes. In contrast, men with stressful jobs aren’t more at risk.
Higher Risk of Dying
If the first two haven’t freaked you out yet, this one definitely will! In a 20 year study, Tel Aviv University researchers found that working in a hostile environment drastically increased the risk of dying.
Depression
Workaholism has been linked to depression, which can also lead to addiction, insomnia or sleep disorders.
Plus, depress puts you at a higher risk for strokes and heart attacks.Burning Out
Burning out is not a good thing. I used to think burning out was something to be proud of because it showed that I was working hard and putting everything into my work. But it shouldn’t even get to this point. When you experience a burnout, it’s your brain telling you it needs a really long time out.
Higher Stress Levels Outside of Work
This makes sense since workaholics are addicted to working. It’s hard to just leave the work stress at the office when you go home. I used to be so stressed at school that it affected my personal life. My conversations with others would always be me venting about how stressed I was at work or at school. It’s tough to put aside, but you should be happy and at ease doing things that aren’t school or work-related.
Take these health dangers in consideration the next time you’re asked to take on extra hours at work or when someone asks you to help them out for an evening school event. Remember that there is a difference between working hard and being a workaholic. Find ways to get things done in a timely manner, so stress doesn’t have the chance to slip into your life.
(Feature Photo via We Heart It)