Do workaholics run away from the problems in life? Psychologist's opinion

Workaholism is not equal to the love of work, the psychologist is sure. This is a painful addiction when a person suffers from excessive zeal, an uncontrollable desire, an obsession with working.

“And it does it to the detriment of all other interests and vital matters,” notes Igor Savitsky. – At some stage, a person can enjoy, but in the end there are consequences. This process is comparable to gambling, there are similar mechanisms between them.

Workaholism is not a separate illness - at least, in the International Classification of Diseases there is no such concept. However, there is a problem.

According to our interlocutor, this is a way to resolve everyday complexity. Faced with discomfort, anxiety, situations that are difficult to resolve, a person seeks salvation, escapes from reality. Someone hangs in the computer, someone is immersed in reading, someone chooses ALCOHOL . However, it is important to understand: running away from some difficulties, you can acquire others.

“Let's take a life situation,” Igor Savitsky gave an example. – If tense emotional relationships arise in the family, one of the spouses begins to spend more time at work, explaining this by the increased number of tasks and business trips. As a result, a lump of reproaches grows, which often leads to even greater misunderstanding and even the breakup of the family.

Moreover, the workaholic has a strong internal conflict. On the one hand, love for a spouse and children, obligations to them, on the other hand, a painful predilection for official duties that cannot be controlled. A person feels guilty before the household, worries, his interests and values ​​suffer.

- If we consider workaholism as some kind of attempt to escape from real problems, we can offer a standard psychological approach. It is necessary to analyze what exactly has become unbearable, what you want to run away from, and why only painful addiction gives pleasure. It should be an honest inner conversation with yourself. Everyone will surely have their own reasons. If a person admits that the situation is unhealthy, he can turn to specialists, including our center.

The psychologist named the symptoms that indicate a problem.

– There are three main criteria by which, in my opinion, one can clearly diagnose workaholism. First, an inner sense of compulsion. As if something is resisting inside, but the person forces himself to work. Secondly, constant, even on weekends, thoughts and conversations about official business. Even alone with yourself, you can’t have a normal time, recover, take a break from social contacts, which is especially important among the bustle of the city. Thirdly, work above the norm, to the detriment of other areas and interests in life.

If these symptoms are present, we can talk about painful addiction. How quickly it will progress depends on many factors. For some, the condition worsens very quickly, literally in months, destroying the personality. Others have been doing well for years.

“In my medical practice, I have never met patients with complaints about workaholism,” notes Igor Savitsky. – Probably, this is a kind of unique situation. Besides, it is not as destructive as ALCOHOLISM. In general, work is a socially recognized, socially approved privilege.

| Photo from open Internet sources.

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