Work Addiction
Are you finding yourself working late unexpectedly?
Do you feel nervous before performance reviews?
Are you turning to work to cope with personal matters?
Are you missing special moments with loved ones because of work?
Do you feel disconnected from friends and family?
Are you constantly aiming for perfection at work?
Do you sacrifice your health for extra work hours?
Workaholism
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Work Involvement: An excessive focus on work, characterized by long hours, constant checking of emails, and prioritizing work over personal needs.
Work Drive: A compulsion to work, fueled by anxiety, fear of failure, or a need for validation through achievement.
Work Enjoyment: A paradoxical element where the individual experiences pleasure from working, often masking deeper issues like low self-esteem or neglecting other aspects of life.
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Mental Health: Increased stress, anxiety, and depression are common, leading to burnout and potentially more serious mental health issues.
Physical Health: Sleep deprivation, unhealthy eating habits, and lack of exercise contribute to cardiovascular problems, obesity, and weakened immune systems.
Relationships: Work addiction can strain relationships with family and friends, leading to isolation and loneliness.
Productivity: Ironically, workaholics often experience decreased productivity due to fatigue, poor decision-making, and lack of creativity.
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Physical Health:
Weakened immune system: Workaholics experience higher levels of stress hormones, which suppress the immune system, making them more susceptible to illnesses.
Sleep disturbances: Constant work-related anxiety disrupts sleep patterns, leading to insomnia and fatigue. Workaholics are more likely to suffer from short sleep duration and poor sleep quality.
Mental Health:
Burnout and exhaustion: The relentless pursuit of work goals leads to emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and decreased job satisfaction.
Addiction-like symptoms: The compulsive nature of workaholism can mimic addictive behaviors, with withdrawal symptoms when unable to work. Workaholics experience anxiety, guilt, and difficulty concentrating when disconnected from work.
Social Health:
Strained relationships: Workaholism takes a toll on personal relationships. Spouses, children, and friends feel neglected, leading to conflict and decreased satisfaction.
Impaired self-identity: Defining oneself solely through work achievements can lead to a fragile sense of self-worth and difficulty finding meaning outside of work.
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Bryan E. Robinson is an American writer, psychotherapist, and professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte currently living in Asheville, NC. At UNC-Charlotte, he conducted the first research studies on children of workaholics and the effects of workaholism on marriage and the family. Robinson is best known for his book, Chained to the Desk: A Guidebook for Workaholics. He is noted for his identification of two axes for workaholics: work initiation and work completion. He associates the behavior of procrastination with both "Savoring Workaholics" (those with low work initiation/low work completion) and "Attention-Deficit Workaholics" (those with high work initiation and low work completion), in contrast to "Bulimic" and "Relentless" workaholics - both of whom have high work completion. He is widely recognized as being one of the world's leading experts on workaholism. He is also known for developing the Work Addiction Risk Test (WART) a psychometric tool used to measure work addiction used clinically and in research worldwide to identify workaholism.
I was working day and night, weekends, holidays, nonstop... I though felt like I was making a contribution, and I was getting raises and promotions at the university where I taught...I felt the denial was really strong. Like with any addiction, the denial in work addiction is just as strong as it is with someone who uses drugs. So is the high that you get from it. So if I'm getting high, if I'm in denial, and if everybody around me is telling me how great I am, then where's the problem, right?
Types of Workaholics
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Some people find intense focus and dedication deeply fulfilling, even thrilling. They approach their work with a passion that might seem relentless to others, driven by a desire to excel and see their projects come to life. For them, tackling a looming deadline feels like an exciting challenge, an opportunity to push their limits and achieve something remarkable.
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Some people experience work in cycles of intense effort and periods of rest. They might find themselves deeply engaged in a project for a time, pouring their energy into meeting deadlines and exceeding expectations. However, this intense focus can be followed by a period of withdrawal, where work takes a backseat to other needs or feelings of fatigue set in.
These cycles can be challenging to manage, often fueled by a mix of self-imposed pressure and a desire to achieve. While the panic and frantic work near deadlines might appear chaotic, it's important to remember that these individuals may be struggling with internal pressures, perfectionism, or other factors influencing their work patterns.
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Some individuals find immense satisfaction in fast-paced environments and challenges. They possess a natural drive for exploration and thrive on novelty and variety. This can manifest in their work life through juggling multiple projects, setting ambitious deadlines, or readily taking on complex tasks. For them, these approaches aren't necessarily driven by an adrenaline rush, but rather by a need for intellectual stimulation and a desire to continuously learn and grow.
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Some individuals approach their work with meticulous attention to detail and profound dedication. They find immense satisfaction in the process of creation, taking deep pleasure in each step involved. For them, the joy lies not only in the final product but also in the journey of refinement and exploration. However, this can sometimes lead to challenges in letting go and accepting that a project is complete.
The fear of not being "good enough" can sometimes fuel this meticulousness. This may be rooted in deep-seated perfectionism or anxieties about self-worth.
Tied Down by Work
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In an interview with NPR's A Martinez, Bryan Robinson said the following:
A work addict is someone who uses their work like a drug addict or someone a compulsive gambler. And it comes from a deeper need inside. I remember times when there was a weekend and there was nothing to do, at least personally to do — how terrifying that was for me.
I remember one occasion where I searched for some project and read the newsletter at the university, and there was a call for grants. And how calm I felt when I put the handout under my arm, just like an alcoholic putting a bottle under his arm. For me, I'm recovering. But my work for a long time was anesthetic; it really calmed me down. Without it, my anxiety went through the roof.
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In an interview with NPR's A Martinez, Bryan Robinson said the following:
Now, there are different levels of work addiction: People who are work addicts or even workaholics tend to bring that with them to the workplace. It's their compulsiveness, and they will often seek work out if it's not strenuous enough. And I know saying that sounds counterintuitive. Most people are trying to avoid work. Why would someone want to work? Well, because there's a deeper reason for it.
This is not about hard work. This is about compulsive overworking and the inability to turn it off to the point that people's lives go down the tubes. The Japanese have a term for it: karoshi, or "death from overwork." Working from seven in the morning to 11 at night. Forty-year-olds keel over at their desks. We don't even have a word for it in our culture. We talk about overworking or workaholism but we don't talk about people who are dying from it — and they actually do.
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In an interview with NPR's A Martinez, Bryan Robinson said the following:
One is the internal signs and those can be physical, physiological, stress related symptoms, such as gastrointestinal issues, anxiety, headaches. And psychosomatic illnesses. The other is from the outside. I'm kind of amazed at some of the employers that I work with, actually. They don't want workaholics working for them because they feel like they're really not as productive — they're so busy manufacturing work that they don't get done what needs to get done.
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Gabor Maté is a Canadian physician. He has a background in family practice and a special interest in childhood development, trauma and potential lifelong impacts on physical and mental health including autoimmune disease, cancer, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), addictions and a wide range of other conditions.
Maté's approach to addiction focuses on the trauma his patients have suffered and looks to address this in their recovery. In his book In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction, Maté discusses the types of trauma suffered by persons with substance use disorders and how this affects their decision making in later life.
He has authored five books exploring topics including ADHD, stress, developmental psychology, and addiction. He is a regular columnist for the Vancouver Sun and The Globe and Mail. He regards ADHD not as a pathology but rather as a coping mechanism.
For a long time in my life I wanted to distract myself from my own mind, I was afraid to be alone with it. And how would I distract myself? Well, I’ve never used drugs but I’ve distracted myself through work, and throwing myself into activities…My definition of addiction is: any behavior that gives you temporary relief, temporary pleasure, but in the long term, causes harm, has some negative consequences and you can’t give it up despite those negative consequences.
