Workaholic workaholism makes you sick

Workaholic: Job addiction makes you sick

07/13/2014

The Japanese term „Karoshi“ stands for death through revision. Until a few years ago in Europe it was assumed that this phenomenon does not exist here. But in Austria as well as in Germany already every ninth employee should be addicted to work.

Every ninth employee is addicted to work
Death by revision, in Japanese as „Karoshi“ does not exist in Europe. One of them was convinced until a few years ago. But how „The standard“ According to the Austrian Ministry of Social Affairs, every ninth employee in the Alpine republic is now addicted to work. The situation in Germany looks similar. Thus, the AOK had pointed out last year that in this country at least every ninth employee is addicted to work.

Workaholics can not stop thinking about work
People suffering from workaholism, also known as workaholics, feel uncomfortable when holidays are coming up. Basically, workaholics will not let go of their thoughts on the job in their free time. According to scientific definition, such as the University of Bremen (study „workaholism“), is workaholism „a progressive pathological fixation on work or work, which includes significant loss of control and withdrawal symptoms.“ The addiction was earlier than „Manager illness“ They are now more and more employees, workers and the self-employed, who run the risk of becoming addicted to work.

Working hard does not cling to quantitative criteria
The Bonn psychologist Stefan Poppelreuter had declared last year that job craving can not be fixed by quantitative criteria such as the number of weekly working hours, but here play the individual disposition a crucial role. He explained: „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.“ In addition, be accompanied „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. In addition, stomach problems and stomach aches can occur.

Work is getting more and more important
Frequently, as part of a permanent work priorities, for the work itself, as well as for the well-being of those affected lose. According to research, the boundaries between performance-oriented work and work addiction are in any case fluid. Quasi a process that is usually divided into four phases, such as „The standard“ writes. Thus, in the initial phase, the feeling of efficiency prevails, the urge to drive and a willingness to prove oneself are important drivers. The results of work done would be considered „High“ experience, whereby work gets an ever higher status in life - often even after own interests, the partner or the family and friends.

Work through weekends and holidays
However, this high status requires that success experiences gradually become less frequent; thus become „automatically“ worked more and searched for justifications for the high labor input. Not only that discomfort sets in without work and deadline pressure, but sufferers also suffer from being superfluous. There are also missing sleep and relaxation phases. First physical complaints, such as hypertension or chronic pain, occur. In a third phase, which is called chronic, sufferers increasingly tear more work themselves. Also, delegation is then no longer and on weekends and holidays then already worked through. On top of that arises a discrepancy between unfinished work and increasingly scarce mental and physical resources.

Labor addiction can be deadly
Workers often resort to coffee, stimulants or other medications. Many also encounter the stress with alcohol, cigarettes or drugs. Depression and anxiety can occur; not least because the social network, such as family and friend, is leaving. The addiction can slip away completely if the worker or the work addict is in this critical stage, in which concentration disorders and performance degradation are already so serious. Then, severe depression associated with burnout is often diagnosed. The heaviest forms of workaholism are fatal, due to heart failure, heart attack or stroke. In Japan, people seem to have been dealing with the problem for some time. As „The standard“ writes that there are already more than 350 treatment centers for workaholism there. Even in Europe, the self-help groups would be more and more. (Ad)