Workaholism:work addiction

What is work addiction ?

The workaholic is a person with an excessive need to work , what causes problems and interference in their health , their happiness and their personal relationships. Workaholism is also called workaholism and suffering this addiction , workaholic .

Workaholism belongs to the category of units not linked to substances or toxic addictions . However, not much different from the classical forms of dependence, especially in regard to the trend of physical, mental and social destruction.

Overall, workaholic , workaholic or , seeks to alleviate feelings of anxiety, emptiness and low self-esteem with devotion , is working hard to be worth much . Workaholics tend to behave in an authoritarian manner , both in the family and in the workplace, often developing a stress syndrome that contributes to worsening the situation , then , and to address the physical and mental exhaustion , often resort to use of substances such as coffee, tranquilizers and alcohol.

characteristics of this addiction :

High involvement in work activity.
Impulse to work due to personal or internal pressures.
Poor ability to enjoy the task performed.
Search for power or prestige .
What is at stake is the addict 's self-esteem and social recognition . It is not uncommon under workaholism feelings of inferiority and fear of failure hide .

Symptoms of workaholism

The symptoms experienced by people addicted to work are no different from those in other psychological addictions problem denial , cognitive distortions of reality, need for control, increased tolerance and withdrawal symptoms during holiday periods (irritability, anxiety , depression, etc. . ) .

Not all intense dedication to work, even outside of an urgent business need at a critical economic situation , reveals the existence of an addiction. Hardworking people , but not addicted , enjoy work , are very productive , they spend a lot of energy and enthusiasm and try to balance it with the dedication of time to the family , social relationships or hobbies . In addition, periods of work overinvolvement are objectively demand for it , usually temporary. By contrast, addicts work interferes negatively in physical health, personal happiness or family and social relationships. Lacking control over dedication to the obligations , invest a lot of time and thoughts, even when they are away , at work , that becomes the priority element of everything around them. In fact, there is a high labor involvement even in routine activities that could be performed by others.

Negative consequences of workaholism

In these circumstances the negative consequences are of various types : damaged family relationships, social isolation, loss of sense of humor, lack of interest in " non-productive " relationships, sex scheduled and not spontaneous , failing health , cardiovascular changes related stress, etc. . The overwhelming need to devote time to his life and work and a central excessively leads the addict to feel dissatisfied or irritable when away from work activity , holidays and weekends, for example. Moreover, these people tend to continue their excessive involvement in work despite suffering from stress or various health problems and hide their work-related and family to avoid social disapproval thoughts. In sum , there is a deficient quality of life , too few free time and a sleep rhythm subject to large variations.

Treatment of workaholism

The goal of treatment  is that the person achieves fill the void that tries to cover his addiction , regain control of your emotions and improve your self-esteem. Also, special attention to the necessary cognitive restructuring is provided, given the impact of cognitive distortions in the origin and maintenance of the disorder.