Look for work When the job eats the soul

Work as addiction - Many people are workaholics

11/11/2013

While most people look forward to the after-work hours and the weekend to relax, workaholics can not switch off in their free time and continue to think about the job. The work is an addiction to her. Bonn's occupational psychologist Stefan Poppelreuter told the Swiss Agency for Alcohol and Other Drug Problems that work addiction, such as buying addiction, gambling addiction or sex addiction, belongs to the group of non-substance addictions and is often associated with behavioral obsession, often with marked features of compulsive personality disorder.

According to the expert, show at work addiction „numerous parallels with substance-based dependencies: The affected suffer a loss of control, they are unable to abstain, suffer from forced abstinence from withdrawal symptoms, show a development of tolerance and eventually fight with psychosomatic and psychosocial problems.“ For those affected, work is the whole life. Not infrequently they call themselves with some pride as a workaholic.

Workaholism: The work expires
Work psychologist Stefan Poppelreuter explained that job craving can not be tied to quantitative criteria such as the number of weekly working hours, but individual disposition plays a crucial role here. „If someone has fallen for work, if his thinking and acting is only about the work, if he can no longer control the duration of his work and continues working on vacation or in the hospital, if he responds with sweats, palpitations, despondency or irritability to non-working phases and the working time constantly increases, then this indicates a craze for work“, explained Poppelreuter. Furthermore, be accompanying „usually psychosomatic disorders such as headaches, functional heart problems and sleep disorders as well as psychosocial problems such as family conflicts or loss of friendships“ to observe.

About 400,000 work addicts in Germany
Despite good job performance, workaholics are often dissatisfied with their own performance and are perfectionist even in trivial matters, the expert reports. In addition, they have difficulty delegating activities and not infrequently lead their high standards of aggression, which is why work addicts are not usually team players, so Poppelreuter on. The inclination to work addiction is often already recognizable in school. The sufferers feel despite good grades always the urge to do even more for the school. If the desired grade is not achieved, this leads to considerable inferiority feelings of the work addicts. The Bonn industrial psychologist estimates that around one in seven Germans is potentially at risk of developing a pathological work fixation. About 400,000 people are acutely addicted to work in Germany, reports Poppelreuter.

Break up diseased fixation on the work
According to the Bonn-based industrial psychologist, the goal must be to enable controlled work to be possible for those affected to be free from their workaholism. Here, the distinction between work and leisure, the targeted use of time-outs and regular relaxation essential prerequisites to overcome the craze, explained Poppelreuter. First, however, those affected must admit their pathological fixation on the work. It is also important that the workaholics learn to take private appointments as important as professional ones, stressed Poppelreuter. Not infrequently, the work is used by the workaholics to escape from emotions. The affected „They open up in the work and in clear hierarchical structures because this world gives them the illusion that they have everything under control. In the partnership or in dealing with children they would have to give control“, explained the Bonn industrial psychologist and added: „Absurdly, those who hide behind the clock around the clock for such motives often defend themselves against the family I'm only doing it for you!.“

Self-help groups to overcome workaholism
Assistance in overcoming the craze for work offers the initiative „Anonymous workaholics“ (AAS). Here, those affected can also seek a self-help group in their environment, where they can communicate with other work addicts. In addition, on the website of the ASS also an overview of the conspicuous signs by means of which an industriousness can be identified. Essential points mentioned here are for example: „You take too much and work to the point of exhaustion.“; „You judge yourself and your day almost exclusively on the amount of work done - more than not yet done.“; „Your perfectionism often paralyzes you completely at work.“ or „You can not separate between free time and working hours and think in your free time constantly to work.“ (Fp)