The 3 Most Serious Health Issues Entrepreneurs Face

Entrepreneurship has never sounded as glamorous as it sounds today. From the idea that you could live on nothing but your laptop to the allure of the ability to earn as much money as you would like to, there is much temptation in being your own boss.

The fact is that many of the most successful entrepreneurs today share the fame of rock stars. They speak at major events. They write bestselling books, and even star on popular reality TV shows. Some entrepreneurs have even fashioned their entire businesses around the practice of teaching others how to become entrepreneurs with a focus on the art of dreaming and chasing after one’s dreams.

There is a dark side to all of it, however, and it is one that not many entrepreneurs like to talk about, From larger threats like heart disease to the smaller but still uncomfortable ones like hernias and hernia mesh complications (read “5 Signs You have Hernia Mesh Complications – MedTruth” to learn more about this one), there is a high price to pay for the great gift of financial freedom.

But the health issues that take the cake for entrepreneurs may be the mental ones. Entrepreneurs face the highest risk for a slew of mental illnesses. Here are three of the most common.

Addiction

All entrepreneurs have an incredible amount of passion. It’s in their nature. However, the line can sometimes be thin at the boundary between passion and obsession. Entrepreneurs tend to have a compulsion to keep pushing in the direction of their passions, even when their health and relationships are failing. Sometimes, that passion is so long gone into the realm of obsession that it turns into addiction.

Studies have shown that serial entrepreneurs show the textbook signs of addiction. They have obsessive thoughts, classical withdrawal symptoms and severely negative emotions that make for regular addictions like gambling.

However, this is a problem that potentially affects all entrepreneurs, not just serial ones. They may have addictive personalities overall, which expose them to other addictions, including alcohol and drug addictions.

Anxiety

Entrepreneurs face much more than stress in the workplace. They also bow under mounting pressure. They need to be able to pay their bills and mortgages, just like everyone else but don’t have a reliable check at the end of the month like everyone else, and so they have even greater pressure to close their deals.

As a result, many entrepreneurs are worried constantly about the proper functioning of their business and find it difficult to function normally. They might not find it easy to spend time with family and friends or take a vacation because they are worried about their businesses constantly.

The grind never truly ends for an entrepreneur. When they aren’t physically working, then their minds are busy fighting an internal battle to stay sane against all the anxiety. That may lead to burnout eventually.

Depression

The long hours of work eventually take their toll. Entrepreneurs eventually don’t find any time to take care of themselves. Due to the lack of time to socialize with those close to them, the lack of sleep and the lack of exercise, the entrepreneurs face the risk of depression. The feel isolated — emotionally as well as physically.

The problem is that most entrepreneurs don’t even know that they’re depressed. The symptoms of depression don’t always present themselves as sadness. Sometimes, it can just be a change in weight, general irritability and sleep difficulties. Entrepreneurs often associate this with normal stress.

Sometimes, entrepreneurs find it easier to work longer to mask the depression. By doing so, they make it even worse.