Do you have WWS (Work Withdrawal Syndrome)?

By Dr. Ronald Hoffman


Might as well face it-you're addicted to work!

With the lazy days of summer come holidays and breaks from work. But for some, vacation time prompts anxiety and distress.

If you find it hard to adapt to prolonged unstructured periods of leisure, you might be suffering from WWS.

What are the signs?

  • Dread over looming time off ("What am I going to do with myself?")

  • Guilt over not doing anything "productive"

  • Inability to stop thinking about work

  • Compulsive checking of work-related emails

  • Restlessness, irritability, and difficulty relaxing

  • Obsessing over cramming leisure time with structured activities when faced with an empty schedule

  • Onset of depression coinciding with vacations

WWS is an offshoot of workaholism. Though not formally defined as a mental disorder, workaholism is distinct from mere devotion to career or work. As with other addictive behaviors, you cross the line from normal when your focus on job-related activities becomes destructive to your relationships and your personal health.

Unfortunately, many societal imperatives point us in the direction of excessive conscientiousness and career orientation.

In productivity-fixated Japan, workaholism culminating in exhaustion and death is a well-documented phenomenon, dubbed karoshi.

Why does WWS occur? There may actually be biochemical reasons, rooted in the physiology of addiction. As in compulsive exercise ("no pain, no gain," "the runner's high"), "cutting" (the self-infliction of wounds) or anorexia (self-imposed starvation), there is a powerful reward system at play in excess work-the endorphins, or internal opiates. Some can get hooked on the internal sensation caused by endorphins released by overwork.

When work stops, the consequent plunge in endorphin production can literally cause unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal, not unlike "Jonesing" on heroin, prescription painkillers, or alcohol.

Additionally, some people are literally hooked on stress. Emergencies and deadlines trigger the release of powerful hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that deliver a wakeup call to the body. Absent the stimulation of work, levels of these bracing chemicals plummet, and stress-addicts may experience a crash.

What can be done about WWS? First, as with all addictions, acknowledging the problem is the first step toward resolution. Denial will perpetuate the addictive cycle.

Try cultivating a vacation "style." Create a light wish list of low-key, fun projects you don?t get around to while working, but avoid loading your holiday schedule with a daunting menu of scheduled activities. Develop a "hobby"-working with your hands really gets you out of your head.

Learn to live with unstructured time (easier said than done!). Leave an "away" message on your business email and arrange for coverage at your office or business. Resist the temptation to "check-in" via email or phone. If necessary, get professional help from a psychologist if self-help measures don't help you conquer your leisure distress.

Most importantly, evaluate your work style to make sure you don't descend into patterns of workaholism that will make you experience WWS when you have time off!

Have a comment on this article? Send it.


 

Back to...

Health conditions and concerns

More in this group...

Page  1 2

The digital revolution: health benefit or bane?

The five health battles we need to fight next

The flu shot: Does it really work, and should you get it either way?

The hidden toll of Harvey

The new intelligent medicine communications revolution

The roadmap for extending longevity has been discovered: Are you following it?

The top 10 Intelligent Medicine podcasts of 2014

The top 10 health news stories of 2014

The top 10 resolutions you can actually keep

The top 12 Intelligent Medicine podcasts of 2017

The truth about Trump's physical

The WORST health and nutrition stories of 2015

Top 10 Intelligent Medicine articles of 2015

Top 10 Intelligent Medicine podcasts of 2016

Top 10 supplements for 2017

Top ten Intelligent Medicine podcasts

Top ten intelligent medicine stories of 2013

Vacation time is here - but do you suffer from WWS (Work Withdrawal Syndrome)?

Vacation time is here-but do you suffer from WWS (Work Withdrawal Syndrome)?

Vitamins can cause cancer-REALLY??

What gets ignored in the pot debate: it's not good for you!

What week is it, kiddies? Why, it's National Folic Acid Week!

What's your Health IQ? Round two!

Who's really in charge here-you or your germs?

Why I've finally taken up yoga in my sixties - and why you should too

Why I've finally taken up yoga in my sixties - and why you should too

Why intravenous vitamin therapies are a mainstay of integrative practice

Why you should keep taking your supplements

Why you shouldn't get your health advice from celebrities

Page  1 2