Work Addiction

We’ve all used the term before – workaholic, but do we really think the person we are referring to has a work addiction? As the twilight of modernity has descended upon us, more and more people have developed a work addiction. Longer hours, the chase after money, or just plain trying to escape from issues in their personal and social lives are all contributing factors to sparking a work addiction.

Work addicts exhibit the following behavior:

• Approval-seeking
• Low self-esteem
• Control issues
• Authority issues
• Perfectionism
• Escapism
• Preoccupation with work
• Lying

Work addiction may not be deadly, but it can cause career burnout, dissonance with the outside world, divorce, and social seclusion. The most effective treatment for work addiction is therapy, yet it goes well beyond that since the reasons for work addiction are entirely subjective, the root cause may be deeper than suspected. The hardest par of treating work addiction is getting the addict to realize they need help since so many other people are suffering from the same addiction.