When Overworking Hides Depression: The Silent Struggle of (Some) Workaholics
Labor Day honors the dignity of hard work. But for some driven professionals working long hours, rarely taking a day off, and fielding calls during dinners with friends, there may be more going on than just ambition. In fact, research shows the link is strong: a 2023 meta-analysis in Frontiers in Psychology found that people meeting criteria for work addiction were over three times more likely to experience depression and nearly three times more likely to report anxiety. For many, nonstop productivity isn’t a strategic path to career success—it’s a way to outrun emotional pain they’d rather not face.Depression doesn’t always manifest in sadness, listlessness or retreat. Back-to-back meetings, packed calendars, and an inability to stop working, even when exhausted, is one of its many faces. Work can become a shield against difficult feelings. And that shield, over time, can become an inescapable trap.
The Difference Between Hardworking and Workaholic
Loving your job isn’t workaholism. Workaholism is borne out of a compulsive need to stay busy, often at the expense of health and personal relationships. If downtime makes you feel panicky, you experience guilt when not being productive, you rely on work to maintain emotional control, or you’re constantly distracted by thoughts of work and to-do-lists – you may be a “workaholic.”Though not recognized as an official psychiatric disorder, workaholism is strongly linked to other serious mental health conditions. Research shows it often coexists with ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and depression—creating a cycle in which excessive work fuels emotional distress, and distress drives even more work. So-called workaholics were:
- Nearly 3X more likely to report anxiety
- Over 2X as likely to meet criteria for ADHD or OCD
- More than 3X more likely to show symptoms of depression
When Work Becomes a Distraction from Pain
For many people, work isn’t just a job. In fact, for any of us, work can be fulfilling, or, at the very least, provide structure and a sense of purpose. But when work becomes a way to avoid emotional pain or regulate distress, it can turn into a harmful coping mechanism. That’s when productivity stops being helpful and starts becoming a form of addiction.Unlike other addictive behaviors, excessive work is often rewarded in our culture. Promotions, praise, and financial gain can mask the warning signs at the expense of workplace mental health. Over time, a relentless pace often leads to burnout, isolation, and worsening symptoms of depression or anxiety.
Signs that work is being used as a way to cope with a mental disorder or difficult emotions are:
- Getting easily overwhelmed or irritated
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep, or feeling constantly drained
- Pulling away emotionally from others
- Trouble staying focused or making decisions
- Feeling unmotivated or seeing a drop in work quality
In demanding work environments, symptoms like perfectionism, overcommitment, or emotional distance can mask deeper struggles. What looks like dedication on the outside may actually be a quiet form of distress.
Depression in the Workplace Is More Common than You Think
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over 21 million U.S. adults experienced at least one major depressive episode in 2021. That’s 8.3% of the adult population. Alarmingly, nearly one in four did not receive care for these symptoms.And while not all workaholics are depressed, depression, anxiety, unresolved trauma, or obsessive-compulsive tendencies can all contribute to someone burying themselves in their job. The common thread is discomfort with stillness and fear of what may surface when the busyness stops.
A New Avenue for Relief: Ketamine Treatment
For those who’ve tried conventional antidepressants without success, ketamine therapy offers hope. A large and continually growing body of research shows how ketamine works on the brain’s so-called glutamate system, promoting the rapid growth of new neural connections. Patterns of thought and behavior that have been entrenched for years and even decades can begin to shift with the help of ketamine therapy. Symptom relief often comes quickly, sometimes even within hours.At Keta Medical Center, ketamine is used as part of a holistic treatment plan tailored to the individual. For people whose workaholism masks underlying depression or anxiety, ketamine can help create the breathing space needed to feel, reflect, and begin healing.
What Healing Looks Like
Being ambitious is a wonderful trait. But if your whole identity is based on what you do and the thought of slowing down causes anxiety, it’s worth looking more closely at why that is. The workaholism “strategy” of always being one step ahead of pain only works for so long. Sooner or later, the body and mind push back.Real healing isn’t about abandoning your goals. It’s about making space for other parts of your life and remembering that resting is not a failure. And that productivity is not the only measure of worth. It means really learning how to slow down.
If you recognize yourself in this struggle, know that you’re not alone. Don’t wait for a disc slip, an irritable bowel syndrome, an autoimmune disease, a burnout, or any of the other things your body will do to get the break it needs if you don’t provide it. It’s possible to stop hiding behind the work and start building a life that feels more balanced, more honest, and more your own.
