Part 5: Working Ourselves to Death

In our last blog entry, we discussed three different manifestations of work addiction. The work addiction can manifest in the most traditional way by infiltrating our paid jobs (The Paid Workaholic). Work addiction can also infiltrate our attempts to stay physically fit (The Fitness Fanatic). Our third manifestation is when work addiction infiltrates our day timers affecting every activity and leaving us charged with adrenaline while trying to beat the clock (The Hurried Sick). In this entry, we continue our discussion by examining three more.

The Heroic Housekeeper:
For the Heroic Housekeeper, projects are the name of the game. However, the Heroic Housekeeper tends to start many projects but finishes very few. This is due to the fact that there is an unrealistically high set of expectations s/he has about her/his ability to accomplish goals. Typically, the Heroic Housekeeper has more short and long term goals than can be realistically achieved in the time allotted. The Heroic Housekeeper’s mantra is “My worth is contingent on the number of projects I can cross off my list.” Thus, s/he pushes him/herself and others to get the projects done. And when the projects don’t get finished, the Heroic Housekeeper feels a tremendous sense of let down.

The Volunteer of the Year:
The Volunteer of the Year has parlayed his / her work addiction into a tendency toward activism. Sometimes his / her work addiction is combined with an addiction to rescuing or fixing others. The Volunteer wants to be in the thick of as many opportunities to make a difference as s/he can. The mantra of the Volunteer of the Year is “I am what I change.” or “I am the difference I make.” Thus, s/he is willing to be involved even at the expense of lost time, money, relationships, and personal growth. Volunteers of the Year are compelled to serve because they are what they do and if they are not doing anything, then they lose their sense of identity.

The Militant Hobbyist (aka the Hobby Nazi):
As work addiction infiltrates any and every area of life, it has a certain way of destroying any attempts one might make to have fun without any strings attached. The Militant Hobbyist is someone whose work addiction has married the fun things one might do to enjoy life. Militant Hobbyists (aka Hobby Nazis) know how to turn leisurely activities into forced marches. In fact, the further along the addiction progresses, the more exhausting normally fun activities become. The Militant Hobbyist spends inordinate amounts of time perfecting the particular hobby being indulged. In the process, s/he loses sight of the therapeutic value of recreation and makes it all about perfecting the craft. The mantra of the Militant Hobbyist is “I am what I perfect.” As soon as the hobby is perfected, that is perceived as a conquest. Subsequently, there will be a tendency to move on to some other form of recreation all for the sake of perpetuating the addiction.

As you can see, work addiction is just as serious a progressive disease as any other addiction. It can manifest in many ways by permeating one or more parts of a person’s life. If someone does not arrest his or her work addiction, it tends to piggy back on just about any area of a carrier’s life. If you suspect that you might be a workaholic, The Bridge to Recovery can help. Call us at 877-866-8661 or visit us online at www.thebridgetorecovery.com.