---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Work is like a drug. I'm jonesing for…"
description: "\"Work is like a drug. I'm jonesing for more. It's gotten more addictive than I had realized. I get anxious when I have nothing to do now.\" — John Benjam..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/john-benjamin-hickey-25056_addictive_work-is-like-a-drug-i-m-jonesing-for-mor_350969.jpg"
---

#  Work is like a drug. I'm jonesing for more. It's gotten…

![“Work is like a drug. I'm jonesing for more. It's gotten more addictive than I had realized. I get anxious when I have nothing to do now.” quote by John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/john-benjamin-hickey-25056_addictive_work-is-like-a-drug-i-m-jonesing-for-mor_350969.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/john-benjamin-hickey-25056_addictive_work-is-like-a-drug-i-m-jonesing-for-mor_350969.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/john-benjamin-hickey-25056_addictive_work-is-like-a-drug-i-m-jonesing-for-mor_350969.jpg)

> “Work is like a drug. I'm jonesing for more. It's gotten more addictive than I had realized. I get anxious when I have nothing to do now.”

[John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Work can become an addictive habit, leading to anxiety when idle and a constant craving for more tasks.

**In simple terms:** Work can be addictive, causing restlessness.

Key Takeaway

Balance work with rest to avoid dependency.

Themes

addiction anxiety productivity balance

Mood

reflective concerned

Type

motivational analytical

When to use this quote

- Office environments
- creative professions
- freelance gigs
- high‑pressure jobs

Key Concepts

Behavioral addiction psychology of work mental health

Questions to Reflect On

- What triggers your work cravings?
- How can you create healthy downtime?

A Different Perspective

The analogy may oversimplify complex motivations behind work habits.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Anxious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxious/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/)

[Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/)

> [The City is an addictive machine from which there is no escape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rem-koolhaas/the-city-is-an-addictive-machine-from-which-there-is-no-escape/)

[Rem Koolhaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rem-koolhaas/)

> [I have an addictive personality. I was addicted to computer games... and then all that obsessive nature just piled into music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chet-faker/i-have-an-addictive-personality-i-was-addicted-to-computer-games-and/)

[Chet Faker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chet-faker/)

> [I have an addictive personality. Sport is my drug of choice these days. It's one of the best drugs there is. It keeps you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissie-wellington/i-have-an-addictive-personality-sport-is-my-drug-of-choice-these-days/)

[Chrissie Wellington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissie-wellington/)

> [“Wandering’s the most addictive drug there is, I think, and every hidden road leads on to a dozen more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/wandering-s-the-most-addictive-drug-there-is-i-think-and-every-hidden/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [That immediate exchange is crack, it's addictive, that live, pulsatingit's a live thing and nothing can stop it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-renner/that-immediate-exchange-is-crack-it-s-addictive-that-live-pulsatingit/)

[Jeremy Renner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-renner/)

> [Showing cats is addictive. All you need is one rosette and you're hooked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-andrews/showing-cats-is-addictive-all-you-need-is-one-rosette-and-you-re/)

[Donna Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-andrews/)

> [I have an addictive personality, so when I like something, I really want it all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gigi-gorgeous/i-have-an-addictive-personality-so-when-i-like-something-i-really/)

[Gigi Gorgeous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gigi-gorgeous/)

> [Why are online games so addictive? It's mostly the narcotic appeal of 'leveling.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-thompson/why-are-online-games-so-addictive-it-s-mostly-the-narcotic-appeal-of/)

[Clive Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-thompson/)

> [Heather A. Slomski's stories are downright addictive. I kept promising myself to turn off the light after just one more, and then breaking that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-shun-lien-bynum/heather-a-slomski-s-stories-are-downright-addictive-i-kept-promising/)

[Sarah Shun-lien Bynum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-shun-lien-bynum/)

> [“was also finding that it was equally addictive for a coach.  To”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-webb/was-also-finding-that-it-was-equally-addictive-for-a-coach-to/)

[Eleanor Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-webb/)

> [“hatred and viciousness are addictive. You can get high on them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/hatred-and-viciousness-are-addictive-you-can-get-high-on-them/)

[Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/)

> [Winning is very addictive, that's why it's very hard when suddenly - boom - you are not the favorites any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-horner/winning-is-very-addictive-that-s-why-it-s-very-hard-when-suddenly/)

[Christian Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-horner/)

> [“I'm an acquired taste, he assured her, displaying one dimple, but addictive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-bond/i-m-an-acquired-taste-he-assured-her-displaying-one-dimple-but/)

[Stephanie Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-bond/)

> [Grains are essentially sugar with enough opioids to make them addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lierre-keith/grains-are-essentially-sugar-with-enough-opioids-to-make-them/)

[Lierre Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lierre-keith/)

## More by John Benjamin Hickey

> [My neighborhood now is all 21-year-old European supermodels. I go to the international newsstand on the corner, and they're all looking for their pictures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/my-neighborhood-now-is-all-21-year-old-european-supermodels-i-go-to/)

[John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

> [I think so many doors have been opened for the gay community as far as the dangers and horrors of HIV. There is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/i-think-so-many-doors-have-been-opened-for-the-gay-community-as-far/)

[John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

> [We all have competitive relationships with our siblings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/we-all-have-competitive-relationships-with-our-siblings/)

[John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

> [So much of male heterosexual comedy can be steeped in a gay panic. A lot of juvenile comedy is predicated on that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/so-much-of-male-heterosexual-comedy-can-be-steeped-in-a-gay-panic-a/)

[John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

> [Actually caffeine is too hard on my system. I'm a delicate boy from Plano, Texas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/actually-caffeine-is-too-hard-on-my-system-i-m-a-delicate-boy-from/)

[John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

> [I'm about to turn 48, and I think that the closer I get to 50, the more I might be interested in fatherhood. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/i-m-about-to-turn-48-and-i-think-that-the-closer-i-get-to-50-the-more/)

[John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

> [Nobody wants to hear an actor complain about too much work - especially other actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/nobody-wants-to-hear-an-actor-complain-about-too-much-work-especially/)

[John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

> [When I'm clean-shaven and bathed, I look like a lawyer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/when-i-m-clean-shaven-and-bathed-i-look-like-a-lawyer/)

[John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

> [After you do a play like 'The Normal Heart,' it's hard to find something you feel so passionate about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/after-you-do-a-play-like-the-normal-heart-it-s-hard-to-find-something/)

[John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

> [You can't really live in the past because the present is always present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/you-can-t-really-live-in-the-past-because-the-present-is-always/)

[John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

> [Your wife doesn't want to hear a word about how hot your mistress is, and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/your-wife-doesn-t-want-to-hear-a-word-about-how-hot-your-mistress-is/)

[John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

> [I was shooting the third season of 'The Big C' and doing 'The Normal Heart' at the same time on Broadway, and I thought,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/i-was-shooting-the-third-season-of-the-big-c-and-doing-the-normal/)

[John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

> [I think, at the end of the day, if youre a good actor, then youre a good actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/i-think-at-the-end-of-the-day-if-youre-a-good-actor-then-youre-a-good/)

[John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

> [Collaboration to me is... my favorite collaboration in the theatre is the collaboration between the actors and the audience because it's just that thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/collaboration-to-me-is-my-favorite-collaboration-in-the-theatre-is/)

[John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

> [One of the great joys of being an actor is you get to go back to school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/one-of-the-great-joys-of-being-an-actor-is-you-get-to-go-back-to/)

[John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

[Explore all 23 John Benjamin Hickey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/)

## More Addictive quotes

> [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/)

[Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/)

> [“I'm an acquired taste, he assured her, displaying one dimple, but addictive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-bond/i-m-an-acquired-taste-he-assured-her-displaying-one-dimple-but/)

[Stephanie Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-bond/)

> [Winning is very addictive, that's why it's very hard when suddenly - boom - you are not the favorites any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-horner/winning-is-very-addictive-that-s-why-it-s-very-hard-when-suddenly/)

[Christian Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-horner/)

> [“hatred and viciousness are addictive. You can get high on them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/hatred-and-viciousness-are-addictive-you-can-get-high-on-them/)

[Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/)

> [“was also finding that it was equally addictive for a coach.  To”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-webb/was-also-finding-that-it-was-equally-addictive-for-a-coach-to/)

[Eleanor Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-webb/)

> [Heather A. Slomski's stories are downright addictive. I kept promising myself to turn off the light after just one more, and then breaking that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-shun-lien-bynum/heather-a-slomski-s-stories-are-downright-addictive-i-kept-promising/)

[Sarah Shun-lien Bynum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-shun-lien-bynum/)

> [Why are online games so addictive? It's mostly the narcotic appeal of 'leveling.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-thompson/why-are-online-games-so-addictive-it-s-mostly-the-narcotic-appeal-of/)

[Clive Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-thompson/)

> [I have an addictive personality, so when I like something, I really want it all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gigi-gorgeous/i-have-an-addictive-personality-so-when-i-like-something-i-really/)

[Gigi Gorgeous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gigi-gorgeous/)

> [Showing cats is addictive. All you need is one rosette and you're hooked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-andrews/showing-cats-is-addictive-all-you-need-is-one-rosette-and-you-re/)

[Donna Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-andrews/)

> [That immediate exchange is crack, it's addictive, that live, pulsatingit's a live thing and nothing can stop it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-renner/that-immediate-exchange-is-crack-it-s-addictive-that-live-pulsatingit/)

[Jeremy Renner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-renner/)

> [“Wandering’s the most addictive drug there is, I think, and every hidden road leads on to a dozen more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/wandering-s-the-most-addictive-drug-there-is-i-think-and-every-hidden/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [I have an addictive personality. Sport is my drug of choice these days. It's one of the best drugs there is. It keeps you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissie-wellington/i-have-an-addictive-personality-sport-is-my-drug-of-choice-these-days/)

[Chrissie Wellington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissie-wellington/)

> [I have an addictive personality. I was addicted to computer games... and then all that obsessive nature just piled into music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chet-faker/i-have-an-addictive-personality-i-was-addicted-to-computer-games-and/)

[Chet Faker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chet-faker/)

> [The City is an addictive machine from which there is no escape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rem-koolhaas/the-city-is-an-addictive-machine-from-which-there-is-no-escape/)

[Rem Koolhaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rem-koolhaas/)

> [Grains are essentially sugar with enough opioids to make them addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lierre-keith/grains-are-essentially-sugar-with-enough-opioids-to-make-them/)

[Lierre Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lierre-keith/)

Browse all 225 Addictive quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Work is like a drug. I'm jonesing for more. It's gotten more addictive than I had realized. I get anxious when I have nothing to do now.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Benjamin Hickey"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/work-is-like-a-drug-i-m-jonesing-for-more-it-s-gotten-more-addictive/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Addictive"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/work-is-like-a-drug-i-m-jonesing-for-more-it-s-gotten-more-addictive/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/john-benjamin-hickey-25056_addictive_work-is-like-a-drug-i-m-jonesing-for-mor_350969.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/john-benjamin-hickey-25056_addictive_work-is-like-a-drug-i-m-jonesing-for-mor_350969.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/john-benjamin-hickey-25056_addictive_work-is-like-a-drug-i-m-jonesing-for-mor_350969.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Work is like a drug. I'm jonesing for more. It's gotten more addictive than I had realized. I get anxious…” — John Benjamin Hickey",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John Benjamin Hickey",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Work is like a drug. I'm...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/work-is-like-a-drug-i-m-jonesing-for-more-it-s-gotten-more-addictive/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/work-is-like-a-drug-i-m-jonesing-for-more-it-s-gotten-more-addictive/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
