Workaholism: What It Is and How to Recognize It

Workaholism often passes for a virtue — a person works hard, stays productive, seems indispensable. But beneath that appearance lies a specific brain state that Dr. Saulitis describes as absorption: consciousness is entirely captured by a single stimulus, while everything else shuts down.

What Happens in the Brain

When a person is in a state of work-absorption, the same level of catecholamines is triggered in the neural circuits as in severe pathological conditions. The brain operates at maximum load — as though the person were under constant intense external stimulation. Over time, the cortisol system moves out of its normal functional range; the immune system becomes overloaded in turn, and physical consequences begin to emerge: digestive disturbances, inflammatory processes, cardiac problems.

Key Signs to Recognise

• Loss of self-observation: the person stops noticing their own feelings and thoughts — these are displaced by automated patterns and internalised scripts.
• Loss of critical judgment: every emotional state is perceived as part of one's own identity. "My work" becomes inseparable from "myself."
• Emotional fusion instead of analysis: rather than assessing a situation, the person merges with it — awareness is replaced by reaction.
• Irritability and aggression: these symptoms are non-specific on their own, but their presence always signals an unhealthy state of mind.

How This Differs from Simple Fatigue

With ordinary fatigue, a person recognises that they are tired and can stop. In workaholism, the capacity to "step outside the experience" is lost — much like a severely intoxicated person cannot assess their own state soberly until they sober up. Absorption blocks precisely the part of consciousness that would otherwise notice it.

Why Early Recognition Matters

The body has limits. Sustained catecholamine and cortisol overload gradually depletes immune reserves. A person absorbed in work often fails to notice life passing them by — a "Groundhog Day" feeling sets in, every year becomes the same, and everything else loses meaning. This is no longer a lifestyle choice — it is a signal that calls for professional attention.