It is hard to know when someone is a workaholic or just someone who wants to log in as many hours to please their boss. Work addiction is considered the most socially acceptable form of addiction. ProjectKnow says that 5%-10% suffer from work addiction where a person really enjoys work or feels compelled to where that is all they do. While it is important to work hard, we need to remember that we should not work too hard or we can suffer physical and mental effects as well as forgetting about the people who matter in our lives.
Workaholics tend to be perfectionists. There are a mix of underlying disorders such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and anxiety where you can be worried about reaching deadlines or doing the work well. Many work as a distraction to avoid any emotional pain they are in. Workaholics work more hours than the job requires and will continue to work despite the negative effects overworking can have on their family, personal life, mental, and physical health. It can be difficult for them to relax and have fun because their mind is preoccupied with work or constantly checking their phones for any updates from their boss.
Many with work addiction can have angry outbursts as well as stressed associated physical health issues like fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pains, and anxiety. The stress from work can cause them to turn to alcohol to better cope. Personal relationships can have an impact too where there can be high levels of marital conflict as well as not being around their family.
When it comes to receiving treatment, it is important to work with a therapist that understands work addiction and can determine other underlying conditions that can bring oneself to a work addiction. For example, if someone is struggling with alcoholism, someone can work longer hours to distract themselves from drinking. The two addictions interact with each other which makes one worse and masks the other.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can recognize negative thinking patterns that lead to harmful behaviors which are replaced by positive thoughts. Holistic treatments can incorporate family and individual therapy into recovery as well as stress management, diet, spirituality, diet, sleep enhancement, and relaxation techniques. Psychodynamic treatment can discover how work addiction occurred as well as the life experiences that contributed. Workaholics must seek treatment to prioritize family and health first before work.
Smarmore Castle Private Clinic in County Louth, near Dublin was founded in 1988 as a residential rehabilitation hospital treating people suffering from drug and alcohol purposes. Smarmore Castle believes in helping patients lead a life of abstinence through 12 Step programs, detox and medical treatment, psychotherapy, and complementary therapies. For more information, please call 041-214-5111. For those who live out of the country, the international number is 00353-41-214-5111.
