Why does a successful, talented actor like Robert Downey Jr risk a
soaring career through drug use leading to a conviction and repeated arrests?

Downey, whose latest arrest in connection with drugs on April 25 followed
on the heels of winning an Emmy for his role on "Ally McBeal," seems to be
a classic example of the scores of professionals who, at the peak of their
career, sabotage their own success, said Steven Berglas, a lecturer at The
Anderson School at UCLA and a clinical psychologist and adjunct faculty
member at Harvard Medical School

Berglas' new book, "Reclaiming the Fire: How Successful People Overcome
Burnout" (Random House, 2001), examines the painful paradoxes that haunt
many people who have achieved their dreams Instead of enjoying the
spectacular view from the top, many professionals Berglas has counseled
have climbed as high as they can, only to find themselves depressed and
wondering "What next?" or "Is that all there is?"

Through case studies, Berglas' book examines the lives of corporate
executives, business managers, lawyers, athletes and even one "maudlin
model" as they struggle to find new meaning and satisfaction in the jobs
they have mastered In an interview, Berglas said that many successful
people, like Downey, turn to drugs and alcohol to avoid the burdensome
expectations of success or because they are in desperate need of
stimulation Others, such as investment bankers with no need for money,
often turn to white-collar crimes to recapture the thrills they knew when
they began their career

Berglas describes many examples of what he calls "supernova burnout," a
psychological disorder that occurs when a person is professionally
successful, yet becomes depressed due to the belief that he or she is
trapped in a job or career path from which there is no escape and which is
no longer gratifying

Berglas, who teaches a course on the psychology of the entrepreneurial
spirit at The Anderson School, has coached dozens of attorneys, for
instance, who are classic examples of "supernova burnout" After nearly
two decades of education and an arduous climb up the pyramid to success, practicing attorneys often find themselves in a specialization, such as tax law, that severely restricts their professional challenges

"That's the paradox of success," Berglas said "The more successful you
are, the fewer novel challenges in your life You're getting large amounts of money for being talented and successful but you must do only one thing day after day Golden handcuffs are just as real as steel handcuffs"

In "Reclaiming the Fire," Berglas cites the case of Michael Jordan, who
quit basketball at the peak of his career in the fall of 1993 While
conventional wisdom held that Jordan retired because he was faced with
suspension due to gambling problems, Berglas maintains that Jordan "still loved the game of basketball but quit professional basketball because he was suffering from 'supernova burnout'" Berglas said a history of success such as Jordan's, who was credited with leading the Bulls to three consecutive championships, greatly heightens performance pressure with the expectation of meeting or surpassing previous achievements

Jordan found a cure for his burnout by switching sports and playing one
season of baseball for the Chicago White Sox, then returning to the
Chicago Bulls out of shape and clearly not the dominant player he once
was "I believe Jordan was able to re-energize himself and, ultimately
perform in the manner that he and the world had come to expect," Berglas writes "He became energized by the challenge of becoming a champion once again"

According to Berglas' research, baby boomers are particularly vulnerable to "supernova burnout" Countless baby boomers are reacting to midlife and large amounts of disposable income with a shocked "Is that all there is?" And "Me Generation" teens who became wealth-obsessed yuppies in the 1980s are feeling emotionally bankrupt after having invested all of their energy in pursuit of material success

While there is no single cure for this type of career malaise, Berglas has developed one overarching recommendation: "Every professional can use his or her training or experience to redress a wrong and fight for a cause that inspires passion," he said

Berglas, who is giving a series of private and public seminars on
"Overcoming Career Burnout" this summer, provides suggestions for how
professionals can seek innovation and challenge in their careers without threat to their self-esteem or livelihood One strategy involves coaching careerists to "chronically reformulate themselves" without abandoning their core competence One person who has exploited this strategy to the fullest is Jesse Ventura Ventura took physical prowess and a charismatic personality from a career as a Navy Seal to the world of professional wrestling, then politics and sportscasting

The bottom line, according to Berglas, is to find ways to keep your career from sliding into a debilitating seven-year itch "Variety is the spice of life," he said "The fact that people forget this truth when they go to work is among the most devastating problems facing careerists today"

(Note to Editors: For a press copy of "Reclaiming the Fire: How Successful People Overcome Burnout," please contact Suzanne Wickham-Beaird at Random House, (310) 582-8800 x212)
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