The Identity Trap - How Workaholism Is Burning Men Out

Marc Azoulay unpacks a pattern he is seeing repeatedly in high-performing men. Success is increasing, but fulfilment is disappearing. Drawing on over a decade of clinical experience, Marc explains that many men are not actually chasing success. They are running from shame. “You think making more money will finally make you feel secure,” Marc explains, “but every time you level up, you feel worse.” He describes men whose bank accounts are growing, yet whose inner lives feel hollow. Rather than feeling proud of achievement, they are experiencing numbness, burnout, and an ongoing identity crisis. Marc notices that self-worth is becoming dangerously entangled with productivity, income, and performance in a capitalist culture that rewards output above all else. Men are being conditioned to equate value with work. “There’s no upper limit,” he says. “You can always do more, produce more, make more money. And there’s never a moment of enoughness.” This episode focuses on how external validation quietly replaces identity, creating what Marc calls an “achievement addiction.” Promotions, praise, and financial wins temporarily soothe anxiety. They never resolve the deeper fear of failure or unlovability. Over time, this leads to workaholism, emotional disconnection, and eventually burnout. Marc is guiding listeners through the invisible beliefs driving this cycle, while also offering practical ways to rebuild identity beyond career, income, and constant performance. For more podcasts, blogs, and to get involved in the Men's Therapy Online Community, visit www.menstherapy.online. Follow us on social media: https://mtr.bio/mens-therapy-online. Get your free worksheet: bit.ly/provider-trap-worksheet