Monday, August 02, 2010
Most Popular Life News Story: Workaholism, a 21st Century Problem
From University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Work nearly destroyed Bryan Robinson’s life.
Nearly 20 years later, Robinson related his struggle with work addiction in his book “Chained to the Desk: A Guidebook for Workaholics, Their Partners and Children, and the Clinicians who Treat Them.”
“I used work to defend myself against unwelcome emotional states,” writes the UNC Charlotte professor and psychotherapist, “to modulate anxiety, sadness, and frustration the way a pothead uses dope and an alcoholic uses booze.”
His experience led him to study work addiction — what he calls “the best-dressed problem of the 21st century” — and its consequences.
A workaholic’s behaviors are distinct from that of the healthy worker. Robinson said workaholics tend to be separatists, preferring to work alone and focusing on the details of their job. They often attach their egos to their work. Healthy workers see the bigger picture and work cooperatively with others toward common goals. Workaholics often create or look for work to do, whereas healthy workers enjoy their work. While they sometimes work long hours, they focus on getting the job done efficiently.
Read the full article here.
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