As a Clinical Hypnotherapist in Harley Street I am very aware of the varying complications that come with running your own business. Further to this, I see a lot of clients who live in London, work full time whilst trying to develop their business on the side. It all sounds good to chase one's dream and really go for it, but when is 'doing too much' really too much?
In this post, I discuss the new addiction that many new and established entrepreneurs can get caught up in. I have seen this pattern repeated several times with people who are close to me and have helped many people at my Hypnotherapy practice who complain about stress symptoms like lack of sleep, anxiety, and the high's and low's that come with this addiction. If you or anyone you know is suffering from these symptoms please comment below or contact me, I'm always happy to help.
For the most part, addictions are detrimental to anyone's health. There are a few habits that are not considered dangerous to your health and may be viewed as productive. That said, there is a percentage of the population that are prone to falling into addictions, whether they are substance addictions or physical addictions is entirely up to the addict. Addictions can be brought on through different causes and addictions can become the sole reason for living.
Looking at different addictions, not every habit is dangerous. You can become addicted to learning, or addicted to working out, or even addicted to working. Anything in an overabundance can be unhealthy and unbalanced. Moderation is definitely the key to living a healthy life, but there has been a new addiction creeping up slowly in recent times, habitual entrepreneurship. Habitual entrepreneurs are the entrepreneurs that have multiple business ventures or projects going on at the same time. Think of the full time worker who is running their own business on the side whilst tending to their family, or think of the person who is solely running 2 or more business's at once.
Entrepreneurs can become prone to becoming addicted to the highs and lows that come with the territory. For instance, you could experience sleeplessness paired with obsession, always thinking about the next opportunity. When sleep is forgone for thought, thinking is very difficult to do and becomes a major task. Losing concentration in daily tasks and activities caused by lack of sleep can be cumbersome as well as exhausting. Then when ideas do not pan out as planned, and the door of opportunity closes tightly, panic and anxiety take the place of healthy emotion. If there is an opportunity that knocks and opens a plethora of doors it is the high that makes life worth living. The life of a habitual entrepreneur can be likened to that of a junky. This is the new addiction; the high peaks and the lowest of valleys can and will become a daily norm for this group.
It is always a great feeling when you find a reason for living, a reason that isn't going to harm you. What harm could there possibly be in working for yourself and striving to build an empire? There is a definite harm if that is all you are doing with your life, forsaking everything and everyone in your life. Habitual entrepreneurs demonstrate addict like behaviors in the sense that they must follow each lead even if it is down the path to destruction. If new entrepreneurs continue uneducated in regards to this lifestyle, it may very well swallow them whole. Sadly, clients usually come to see me when it is at it's worst, usually when the Doctor says 'you need to see a therapist' or when they give up due to sheer exhaustion - it happens, and it is fast becoming the silent new addiction.
Habitual entrepreneurs speak similarly to traditional addicts that I see, like those addicted to drugs, smoking or alcohol. They all exhibit obsessive thought processes as well as a withdrawn demeanor. Being consumed in thoughts regarding business ventures to the point of obsession as well as a hyperactive drive to complete tasks necessary for business. These attributes may be a precursor to success, or they can be the beginning to personal demise. When success is attained, these behaviors may not be viewed as an addict like behaviors. Only when they become detrimental to the entrepreneur, will these behaviors be viewed as an addiction.
The entrepreneurs' drive to bring the business to fruition becomes all encompassing and this leads every other area of their life to be at the mercy of the current venture. They become what also is known as a workaholic, becoming over worked, and disengaged from their surroundings. When a person becomes disengaged from their surroundings, it closes out opportunities to grow and nurture personal relationships. This can become hurtful to those around the entrepreneur, such as family and friends.
With any addiction, if the addict is not partaking in their choice of addiction it can cause emotions of depression and withdrawal, possibly even irritability and codependency. Regardless of what the entrepreneur is doing in an attempt to distract themselves, their minds always return to their business ventures. Habitual entrepreneurs can also display the physiology of addiction, such as sweating and an increase in their heart rate in periods of excitement caused by such addiction.
This form of addiction can be easily understood if the drive was solely to gain a wealth, however, according to the many people I have seen with this issue, this is not why habitual entrepreneurs do what they do. Fundamentally, this addiction is sought after for the high, the emotional stimulus that is caused by attaining the level of success is the main goal.
More information in regards to habitual entrepreneurship addiction is coming to light over time, this is just the beginning to truly understand the mind set solely upon success. With every genre of addiction there is always a dark side, one that can annihilate the entrepreneur. Understanding as well as admitting that there is a problem is the first step in the rehabilitation of any addiction. If you and someone you know is in this situation it is best to seek advise from your GP or a trained therapist.