Are You A Workaholic?

The average workaholic finds it difficult to relax or take a holiday. They will spend evenings and weekends working and will constantly worry about what is going on at work. They will be the last one out at night and will turn up for work on bank holidays. When away from their office they will telephone in 3 times a day. They will have difficulty sleeping and may wake up at night to carry on working.

They won’t eat properly and will either gain or lose weight. Their home life, hobbies and friendships will all suffer. They’ll be edgy and restless when they aren’t working and their physical and mental health will deteriorate. They will have an increased risk of developing a heart attack, peptic ulceration or any one of the other problems known to be associated with heavy pressure and stress. They will have an increased risk of developing depression or some other serious mental problem.

Many people are pushed by regular stresses into an addiction to a workaholic lifestyle. They get hooked on the adrenaline “kick” that they get from working. In the short term the workaholic can be a great asset to a company, but they have little long term value and really need advice and support at an early stage.

Section taken from “Stress Management Techniques”, by Dr Vernon Coleman.

If you fall into this category or know someone who does we would encourage you/them to seek professional help as soon as possible.