Ergophobia is a fear of the workplace or work-related tasks, often caused by traumatic experiences. Physical symptoms include sweating, rapid heart rate, and panic attacks. Treatment includes medication and therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and desensitization therapy. Diagnosis from a professional is important to prevent job loss.
Ergophobia, or ergasiophobia, is a general fear of the workplace or of things that happen in it. The person with ergophobia is probably well aware that they suffer from this condition. He may fear losing a job, not being able to do certain aspects of the job (such as meeting deadlines or giving presentations), or with any task he may experience extreme anxiety. This anxiety often manifests itself in actual physical symptoms. These can include profuse sweating, rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, general trembling, dry mouth and panic attacks. Severe cases of ergophobia are debilitating and can make completing any type of work nearly impossible.
As with any type of phobia, ergophobia may have developed from a traumatic incident sometime earlier in a person’s life. Losing a job or being laughed at or vilified for poor work in the past could be a couple of reasons people develop this fear. There are many potential traumatic causes and these may not even have occurred in the workplace. A person who has had extremely negative experiences giving presentations in school may develop ergophobia which specifically relates to making business presentations. Similarly, past experiences where someone failed to meet deadlines could cause the physical symptoms of this fear in the present.
Although ergophobia is called irrational fear, there are rational elements that can fuel it. Failure to perform a job to the required level of skill could very well put a job at risk and make job loss more likely. This is why it is extremely important for people to recognize this disorder and get diagnosed and treated for it.
An ergophobic usually self-diagnoses, but should confirm their “fear of the job” with a professional such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or other licensed counselor. Then the treatment work begins and there are several ways to deal with this condition. People may need medications to help ease anxiety in the workplace, and they may also benefit from different types of therapy. The most common ones to treat this condition are talk therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and desensitization therapy.
Of these three, the last two are generally considered to be the most effective. Some larger cities also offer group therapies, for those suffering from the condition. With work and time, many with ergophobia are able to partially or fully recover and can continue working with much less panic and much more confidence. Given that work is often a necessity, the need to treat this condition is very high and it is also important to get a diagnosis from a professional, as this can help prevent employers from firing those suffering from the condition.
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