Anecdotally some have drawn parallels between entrepreneurs and those with substance use disorders for a very long time. Entrepreneurial Addiction led to a blog post and video written to the ghost of one man’s friend. That article and video compared Entrepreneurial addiction to drug addiction. The comparison may be supported by research.

In a paper titled “Habitual Entrepreneurs: Possible Cases of Behavioral Addiction?“, they detail some entrepreneurs who display symptoms of behavioral addiction. Drawing comparisons to behavioral addictions like gambling.

Who Are Addictive Entrepreneurs?

“In entrepreneurial terminology, the addictive entrepreneurs are better known as ‘serial entrepreneurs’. These are the people who are simply in the love with the idea of being an entrepreneur. Their previous success or failure and ups and downs do not necessarily mar their determination to give birth to multiple businesses.” writes Inc42 describing part of the paper.

In another work, it seems entrepreneurship and addiction are generally related. With “obsessive thoughts, withdrawal-condensation period, and negative emotion. Similar to the behavior as addictive as gambling or the Internet, serial entrepreneurs may face negative consequences resulting from the urge to continue. The article will be guiding future work that is a matter of people with addictions have to show they can play in terms of the behavior or substance abuse in different areas.” being shown by many entrepreneurs