| We all kid around about somebody being a | | | | special because of this, and it is because of this that |
| workaholic. The truth is, being a workaholic is nothing | | | | you'll put in double shifts or work weekends; anything |
| to joke about and is a very serious addiction. | | | | to stay on the job. |
| Addiction to work, while still something that affects | | | | It is said that many of these people literally work |
| people with addictive personalities, has different | | | | themselves into the grave. This is actually quite true |
| underlying causes than your typical addiction, which is | | | | as these are the kind of personalities that have a |
| why work addiction isn't taken as seriously as other | | | | very difficult time retiring and unless they are forced |
| addictions, resulting in fewer support groups and | | | | to retire will continue to work right until their very |
| treatment. | | | | last breath. |
| A person addicted to work may become so for a | | | | But there is another type of work addiction that is |
| variety of reasons. One of the most common is | | | | probably even more sad. These are the people who |
| boredom and sometimes borderline depression and | | | | work constantly because they are afraid that they |
| anxiety. These people find their minds are in constant | | | | will lose their jobs and be poor. Most of these people |
| turmoil. The notion of just being able to sit and watch | | | | probably had difficult childhoods and came from poor |
| TV or listen to the radio doesn't even occur to these | | | | families. They know what it was like to be poor and |
| people. They have no real interests other than the | | | | the last thing they want is to go back there. But |
| work they do. Being away from that work, no | | | | then there are those who grew up in rich families and |
| matter how stressful it may be, is like being a fish | | | | possibly they were told by their rich folks that they |
| out of water. The only time they feel like themselves | | | | had to make it on their own. These people are |
| is when they are working, especially if they have a | | | | petrified that they won't be able to do it and |
| job of authority where people look up to them. This | | | | because of this fear work around the clock to make |
| is very common among professional athletes and the | | | | sure that they succeed. Many of these people |
| reason many have such a difficult time retiring. | | | | actually become very well off and yet always live in |
| Suddenly, the fanfare is gone. They are no longer | | | | the fear that they will wake up one day and it will all |
| special. They no longer feel important. This is why we | | | | be gone. |
| have professional athletes playing well beyond the | | | | Unfortunately, there is little help for the workaholic. |
| years where they are still productive. | | | | Society views them as go getters and successful. |
| For a factory manager, while the prestige certainly | | | | We don't, as a society, view it as a problem. But it is |
| isn't the same, there is still that feeling of your | | | | a problem, one that will continue to grow as it |
| workers looking up to you, especially if you are a | | | | becomes more and more difficult for people to pay |
| personable kind of manager. The times at work are | | | | their bills at the end of the month. |