Workaholic? It could be a sign you have ADHD

WORKAHOLISM seems to have become endemic in Ireland, with spiralling numbers of us no longer taking all our holiday leave — recent surveys found employees failed to use thousands of days of their annual allowance.

But it’s not simply that we are turning into workaholics because we love our jobs — or even our employers. New research suggests the frenzied strain of modern work — ever-growing demands, constant interruptions and endless floods of information from phone, email and text — are causing epidemics of mental illnesses such as adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). And these, in turn, appear to be turning us into helpless workaholics.

This problem was highlighted by Norwegian and British psychologists who studied data from more than 6,000 people looking for symptoms of workaholism — an addiction to work at the expense of all other aspects of life, such as family, relationships and leisure.

The study, from the University of Bergen and Nottingham Trent University, revealed that around a third of those identified as workaholics also showed symptoms of adult ADHD (characterised by difficulty concentrating, remembering information, organising tasks and following directions).

One in four workaholics had symptoms of OCD (obsessive thoughts and compulsive activity such as checking doors are locked), according to the study published in the journal PLOS One. Non-workaholics were around three times less likely to have these conditions.

Dr Michael Drayton, a clinical psychologist, says: ‘Many people have a predisposition to ADHD and OCD. We are all under pressure in today’s economic climate to produce much more but with fewer resources.’

Such strains may help to explain the epidemics of ADHD, OCD — and workaholism. ‘If you were to give these types of people a job as an old-fashioned librarian — where the demands were less intense — that predisposition could be calmed down.

‘But if you put them in a work environment full of distractions and interruptions, the underlying predisposition can be exacerbated into conditions such as ADHD.’

Such conditions put sufferers at risk of workaholism, says Dr Drayton, as they struggle obsessively to cope with workloads that — due to their emerging psychological conditions — become increasingly difficult to manage. Thus, a vicious cycle starts to emerge.

‘OCD and ADHD can make people work compulsively ever-longer hours, leading to workaholism. In turn, workaholism can exacerbate OCD and ADHD.’

Modern technology intensifies the cycle, says Dr Drayton. ‘The inability to switch off is made worse by mobile phones and the disappearance of work boundaries. People are even expected to answer emails at home.’

It is not only those in lower and middle ranks who suffer. ‘The prevalence of poor mental health in senior leaders is vastly under-estimated,’ he says.

Numerous studies have shown people with ADHD and OCD are much more likely to develop addictive behaviours to drugs, gambling or work.

Workaholism doesn’t just harm people’s home lives (the divorce rate among workaholics is 55% compared with 42% for the rest of the population).

Last year, epidemiologists at University College London reported in The Lancet that people who work more than 55 hours a week have a 33% increased risk of stroke compared with those who work 35 to 40 hours a week. They also have a 13% increased risk of heart disease. The scientists say more research is needed to find the mechanisms behind the link. Ironically, workaholism can suit the psychological needs of many people with ADHD and OCD, says Gail Kinman, a leading professor of occupational health psychology. ‘The features of adult ADHD are shared with workaholism,’ she says. ‘Overwork may be a way of channelling energies. People with this condition may seem energetic, creative multi-taskers. Mobile technology can encourage this fragmented approach to work. It may be more difficult for people with adult ADHD not to multi-task. ‘Work also feeds the OCD traits of rigidity and perfectionism. Sufferers may be reluctant to disengage: they can’t delegate because they’re convinced others won’t do it right.’

Treating workaholism is difficult. ‘Working long hours is admired and rewarded — it is certainly not like other addictions, such as alcoholism. And it’s not like you can go into recovery by giving up work completely.

SUFFERERS often say work is much easier than the rest of their lives. At work, they know the rules.’ If a workaholic can admit there is a problem, talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy work well, says Professor Kinman. ‘The patient has to set realistic goals for cutting work, such as finishing at a specific time of the day.’

For Dr Drayton, though, the real answer involves employers preventing work becoming so frenetic and demanding. ‘Employers have to take some sort of responsibility by setting firm boundaries between work and home,’ he says.