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Work addiction: ‘It becomes a defence mechanism that gets hard-wired over time and goes against us as it progresses’

The concept of overworking is often instilled in us from our most formative of years

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Geraldine Walsh
Thu Nov 23 2023 - 06:01

Surviving in a society that is preoccupied with hustle culture, continuous output and building successful careers has amplified an excessive need to work, often beyond our limits.

Part of an Irish Times series about addiction

It is not a new behavioural addiction, having first been clinically considered in the early 20th century. However, the more it is researched, the greater understanding we have about how and why it occurs and how to treat it.

Work is widely perceived to be a productive and positive activity, with the short-term behaviours of a workaholic often considered to be beneficial as self-driven, motivated actions increase productivity and self-esteem. But the long-term effects are questionable and will outweigh any positives, as it affects health and personal lives.

Work addiction is not operationally defined in the same way as workaholism. More research is needed in the area, yet it is currently understood that the enjoyment one derives from being a workaholic in whatever instance is not explicitly comparable to the transition from finding pleasure in one’s work to the compulsion and loss of control associated with addiction.

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“In our world focusing on achievement, understanding work addiction asks for a deeper exploration than merely recognising long hours at the desk,” says Mary McHugh, psychotherapist and founder of Irish Online Counselling. “Many people are not drawn into overworking out of pure ambition but out of escapism. The seeds of work addiction are sown early in our lifespan out of a primal need to get things right, to be validated and praised. It becomes a defence mechanism that gets hard-wired over time and goes against us as it progresses within us.”

[ Divorce, depression and burnout: the price paid for working excessively long hours ]

Work addiction doesn’t simply happen, but can evolve over time as personality traits develop and change, and underlying psychological needs are amplified. The concept of overworking is often instilled in us as we develop our understanding and work ethics from our most formative of years. For instance, study addiction has been recognised as a precursor to or an early sign of work addiction.

“Our behaviours as a work addict often mirror behaviours that were once coping strategies for us as a child,” says McHugh. “Early signs can include a compulsive need to prove oneself and get recognised for it, like that of a child seeking praise and validation from a caregiver.

“Overworking to fill emotional voids left by unmet childhood needs, reminiscent of a child finding ways to cope with their needs not met unconditionally. Or an inability to disengage from work, like how a child might over-immerse in play to escape and avoid distressing realities or situations.”

However, the contributing factors of work addiction go beyond personality traits and also include the structural characteristics of the work and the workplace environment.

“Put simply, to be healthy we need to have balance: equal measures of work, sleep and play,” says McHugh. “We have a 24-hour day so it’s very easy to see how we are in regards health in our life. Demands in today’s culture and lifestyle put us under immense pressure and push us from the equilibrium and can throw us temporarily off-kilter. However, when we fill our life up with work, it becomes an addiction, and we use it as an escape from engaging in life and relationships.

“This can be detrimental and have massive reverberating effects on our families and social circles. It can be an unconscious coping mechanism to avoid, sooth an underlying stress within the person. It can also be generational in that: this is the only way that I know how to be.”

As with any addiction, the symptoms and signs of work addiction are varied, but can include poor physical health, including cardiovascular issues and a weakened immune system. Physical symptoms such as sleep and stomach issues, headaches, itches and body twitches along with body stiffness and sexual dysfunction can occur.

Behavioural changes can include irritability, agitation, anxiety, OCD, feelings of guilt, loneliness, detachment, burnout and an inability to concentrate or discuss family issues. A person may have a preoccupation with work or conversations tend to always be about or come back to work. Additionally, events may be missed due to work, and they may neglect their personal life.

“It can be very subtle to begin with,” says McHugh, who says that a person with work addiction may believe they are putting their full focus into work, but become blinded to the life issues that occur around them, using it as a way of coping when the pressure of life builds. “A person immerses themselves further in work, fulfilling a need within them that keeps everything else at a distance. However, a person may slip deeper into addiction by using it as an escape from all the underlying issues that are the root of the addiction.”

The proud identification of being a work addict counters the very real complications for a person suffering with addiction. It is a legitimate mental health condition

Measuring work addiction is not straightforward. While it has similarities to other behavioural addictions, it is fundamentally different as it typically requires a person to continue the activity for possibly eight-plus hours a day with positive benefits such as financial security, professional development, self-satisfaction and achievement, feeling valued, and creating and building relationships. Recognising a work addiction requires observing the differences between healthy working habits and behaviours and addictive, compulsive behaviours.

McHugh advises that the first step in dealing with a work addiction is to recognise that there is a problem. “This stage of awareness may only happen when the body is firing very strong messages to the brain that all is not okay,” she says. “If we are lucky enough to catch what the body is saying and we are willing to take action, the results are very promising.”

A person struggling with an urge to work that is affecting their health and wellbeing can find safe and protective environments to learn about their addiction, the process of recovery and find suitable treatment options by discussing the issue with a GP or counsellor that may include making lifestyle changes, balancing life activities, avoiding stressors and triggers and understanding potential underlying causes.

“With the help of a counsellor, you can explore ‘the why’ of your work addiction,” says McHugh, “navigate to the roots of where it may have begun and build a relationship with yourself where you become more present to the triggers that shut you out from you and into work. Mindfulness is an excellent tool, as it is evidence-based to help change the pathways in the brain so that the taut muscle of your work addiction becomes weakened and the muscle for wellness and ease becomes stronger, making that over time your default muscle. Group work and programmes specific for work addiction are very helpful and enable you to see that you are not alone, and that for all of us is such a relief.”

Work addiction comes with many misconceptions. The proud identification of being a work addict counters the very real complications for a person suffering with addiction. It is a legitimate mental health condition that has been known to damage a person’s health, relationships and ability to function. But help is available to develop a way further away from the habits and routines of overworking.

Addiction series

Mental health