Work Addiction - Are You Workaholic??

Work Addiction
A "workaholic" is another name for someone who has a work addiction.For a work addict, work is the one significant and overriding activity in their life. While the work addict spends almost all of their time in work, typically any success does not result in pleasure or a reduction in the time and energy they spend on work.The work addict just keeps right on working and avoiding other activities.

Understanding Work Addiction
I you are a person with a work addiction, a “workaholic,” you are probably incessantly driven. Work is the one organizing and effective activity in your life: however, the relentless pursuit of work and the attainment of material gain most likely does not result in lasting pleasure.

If you work hard, spend large amounts of time on work, and feel satisfied from working hard, you are not necessarily a work addict. What does define a work addict is that work becomes an obsession and prevents you from establishing and maintaining healthy relationships and interests outside of work.

Typically a work addict is too preoccupied with work to be involved with friends and family, they severely control and restrict their social life and may even overlook health issues.The work addict may go on a vacation but will do so very reluctantly and, while on the vacation, they are preoccupied with work and are unable to relax and enjoy anything but work.

As with any other addictions there is often a lack of understanding as to how their work addiction affects themselves and others. Like other addictions, a work addiction affects the workaholic’s social life and restricts his or her personal freedom and happiness. In fact, excessive work can be a means to withdraw from relationships, to manipulate relationships by limiting one’s availability, or to regulate relationships so that not too much is expected.

No other addiction is so willingly adopted, rewarded and praised by society as the addiction to work. It can prove to be confusing issue since the work addict may appear or claim to only be looking after their family and trying to meet all their needs. Typically, society measures us by what we do, rather than by who/how we are and what we believe. Clearly some occupations are considered in a different class than others. Sadly all this can lead us to believe that the predetermining factor to our sense of self-worth is measured by what we do.

Are You a Work Addict?

Work addiction is an addictive pattern like anyother addiction. The specific cause of a work addiction is obviously related to the person and their past.However, typically the general cause is the same as other addictions; the root is our unfulfilled or unmet needs. The feeling within us is that we have to achieve a certain standard, or amount of work before we can become accepted as a person. The belief is that we are of little worth as we are, on our own.

Typically, the work addict may have feelings of low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy, the result being that the person keeps striving trying to do more and better. Work may also provide us with temporary relief from pain from a broken relationship, or from boredom or guilt or many other feelings we may want to avoid.

It is also common that the work addict is driven to perform even harder and accomplish even more due to the inability to relax, feel, and smell the scent of today’s success. These intense work schedules and associated behaviors can be symptomatic of underlying issues, insecurities, and a skewed self-image. In many instances, the workaholic behaviors are self-imposed, but not based on an accurate perception of oneself. The work addict can also use work much like the alcoholic uses liquor to self-medicate, manage, control and avoid feelings.