Get up in the morning, go to work, come home.
It is a routine of life that is familiar to all of us, and it can be defined as a life mission - also for the purpose of earning a living, but also for a sense of self-realization.
During a period of unemployment, for example, there are mental difficulties, because the person loses his sense of fulfillment and self-worth.
The psychologist Alfred Adler talks about three circles of a person's life in which he must function in order to gain good mental health - the circle of society and the community, the circle of the family and the circle of work.
According to the theory, for a person to feel significant, a contribution to society is necessary.
Society is actually a tribe, under whose protection the person receives protection, education and culture, and in order to deepen the feeling of belonging to the tribe - he has to give back.
The sense of identification is a main component that causes employees to invest, so for example it has been proven that a sense of affinity increases the productivity of employees, more than material bonuses.
The feeling of belonging increases the productivity of employees, photo: GettyImages
Nowadays, workplaces understand very well that the workplace is a person's second home, where he is most of his waking hours, and they make sure to cultivate a sense of affinity and belonging, to ensure loyalty and devotion.
A good employee is an employee who is dedicated to his work, and does it thoroughly while seeing the needs of the organization and others.
A situation where an employee invests in his workplace and receives a sense of meaning and satisfaction (and of course a livelihood), while the workplace is satisfied, which is an ideal situation.
The problem begins when the person invests in work at the expense of family and society.
He may reach a state where he feels better than the satisfaction at work, and will neglect the other circles of his life, hobbies, friends, relationship and family.
In the remaining circles, he does not feel valued as much as at work, so he will try to reduce meetings and social events.
Staying up late, photo: GettyImages
Today we live in a capitalist society, which sanctifies addiction to work because it is profitable for organizations and companies.
It must be remembered that even though "work addiction" sounds like a positive thing, it should be treated as an addiction to all intents and purposes.
Addiction contains the same characteristics whether it is drugs and alcohol or work.
Of course the consequences are not the same, but the psychological structure is the same.
Addiction is an activity that a person does in overdose in order to feel good, because we are addicted to rewarding things.
Addiction will always involve rewarding use or overdoing, which comes at the expense of fulfilling our duties in other areas.
Work addiction is a term that refers to a situation in which a person develops dependence on work, and compulsion towards his occupation.
Like any other addiction, work addiction is based on fear or unwillingness to face the tasks of life (starting a family, making connections and integrating into the community and society).
In the Adlerian method, addiction is seen as the result of behavioral remnants that originate from the desire for attention, control, reward or an unrealistic perception.
Thus, the person suffering from workaholism "enjoys" special attention from employers, clients or colleagues, and is addicted to the feeling.
The same compulsive component of the workaholic is created out of insecurity, and a distorted feeling that one must work obsessively in order to be worthy of work and keep the workplace.
Work addiction requires treatment, photo: GettyImages
Those people hold an unrealistic view that they "must" work overtime and stay late, "because they have no other option."
If so, the addiction to work gives a person the possibility to avoid the life task of raising children or finding and building a relationship under the pretext of earning a living and taking care of the financial field.
As mentioned, the social "prestige" of work addiction helps the addicted person to continue cultivating his addiction and neglecting important aspects of his life in the name of "making a living".
5 characteristics of work addiction
Spending free time at night, on weekends, on days off and on holidays at work or in matters related to it
Neglecting social relationships and reducing friends and intimate relationships
Neglecting the family and responsibilities at home (spouse, mother or father)
24/7 availability for work needs, and constant engagement on mobile and emails regarding work
Neglect or lack of interest in any field and lack of hobbies and other interests
Aral Har Tov, photo: SomeBuddy website
How do you deal with work addiction?
First, we must recognize the existence of an addiction problem, and turn to emotional therapy that will help us understand the basis and our difficulties from which it was created.
It must be remembered that addiction is actually a creative solution that the person chose in order to alleviate his suffering.
Adlerian therapy is a humanistic therapy, associated with positive psychology that seeks to find the solutions to difficulties from the strengths and abilities, therefore in the treatment of work addiction according to the method, the therapist will examine together with the patient what is behind the difficulty, and they will try to find other creative solutions that will answer it.
Arel Har-Tov, MA Adlerian psychotherapist and criminologist, member of the Somebuddy community
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