| The Definition of Workaholism A workaholic works or keeps busy with activity compulsively and leaves little or no time to be alone and quiet. Therefore, we usually don't know who we are and what we really feel and want. Work and activity are the primary focuses in our lives, often excluding others. We workaholics usually don't respect time, underestimating how much time it will take to do something, or trying to do several things at once. Because we have an overwhelming need to be active and productive, we enjoy seeing how much we can do in the least amount of time. It makes us feel worthwhile and alive. Work is our drug of choice. Not realizing how powerless we really are, we seek to control all phases of our lives. We take responsibility for the outcome of our work and worry about how it will make us look. We try to control people, and if we could, the outcome of everything. We usually have little faith in the ability of others, of Higher Power, or of universal wisdom. After years of this, naturally, our health begins to fail from stress, exhaustion, and related problems. We may find ourselves alone and isolated, having not bothered to form meaningful relationships. Our love was for work, activity, and perhaps money, which we believed would solve our problems. |