Workaholism: addiction to work

Workaholism is an English neologism born from the contraction between work – which means work in English – and alcoholism to designate addiction to work, referring to the much more socially recognized addiction to alcohol. Called “boulomania” or ergomania in French, it is an irrepressible need to work that has become so strong that it constitutes a danger to health, well-being and social relationships.

It is therefore a real behavioral addiction without substance (as is the case with gambling for example) which has long been perceived positively in the world of work, in particular. Workaholic employees were often valued by organizations which praised and encouraged their excessive involvement. Today, the harmful consequences of workaholism and the suffering that results from it are much better known and taken care of, although there is still a lack of global prevention strategies regarding this disorder within structures as well as at the national level.

Many reasons other than workaholism can explain the tendency of certain people to work beyond reason, such as simply the need for money. However, what differentiates the workaholic person from others is the establishment of a compulsive relationship with their work. In other words, the individual must really feel obliged to work constantly regardless of the external pressures he may be subjected to. This phenomenon can, on the other hand, be the result of an internalization of these pressures and/or also be explained by certain personal predispositions which interact with the experience of work, but the source of addictive behavior is above all internal.

This compulsive tendency to work translates into actions by spending excessive time on one's work, particularly in comparison with the time allocated to extra-professional activities such as leisure or social and family activities. Faced with this, many workaholics say they really feel an uncontrollable need to work and it is therefore a real necessity for them to devote as much time as possible to their work.

One of the other main indicators of workaholism is the inability to disconnect from work. Workaholic professionals only think and talk about their work, even outside of their professional context. As a result, there is a real encroachment or even a form of colonization of work on other areas of life.

Although workaholism can be expressed in different forms depending on the people but also the work contexts, there are several classifications of workaholic workers. There are two main ones in the scientific literature.

The first typology is characterized by an approach from the angle of job satisfaction. Indeed, she distinguishes two types of workaholics based on the satisfaction they can derive from their excessive behavior on a professional level. We thus find:

• Enthusiastic workaholics who feel a very high level of constraint compared to the rest of the workers, demonstrate a very higher involvement in their work but say they are fulfilled in their professional life. The problem with this type of profile is that they end up only feeling satisfaction in their work and thus disengage from other areas of life.
• The compulsive workaholics who are dominated by the constraints they apply to themselves. They force themselves to work beyond organizational and economic requirements even though this brings them very little or no satisfaction.

The second categorization was established on the ratio between the number of projects started compared to that of work completed. 4 typical profiles of workaholic workers stand out:

• Tireless Workaholic: literally works day and night. He is fully committed to each project initiated with a peak of adrenaline that corresponds to the delivery deadlines. Once finished, he jumps straight into another project, leaving no time for other possible activities.
• Bulimic Workaholic: this one is at the origin of little work but always wants to finish everything. Consequently, his activity level fluctuates and it is especially when deadlines approach that he sets to work tirelessly. From the outside, the bulimic workaholic appears to want to avoid work, when in reality he works mentally obsessively.
• Workaholic with attention deficit: tends to get bored quickly. As a result, he keeps launching projects and adding new tasks that he cannot complete.
• Reveled Workaholic: is an obsessive perfectionist. He is deeply anxious that the finished work will not be perfect and that is why he never stops working. He also has great difficulty completing his tasks, which has a very serious impact on his productivity.

The causes of work addiction are very difficult to determine. It is a complex phenomenon that develops through the personal and professional history of the subject. Certain elements nevertheless constitute factors strongly favoring its appearance. They are of two types: environmental and individual.

Environmental factors

We are talking above all about the work organization. Indeed, companies for which the culture and climate are marked by incentives in different forms for competition between employees and overtime will be more likely to generate workaholism among their employees. In addition, new means of communication and the digitalization of work tend to increasingly blur the boundaries between work and non-work. Here again, structures that do not pay particular attention to possible abuses are more affected by workaholism.

Individual factors

First of all, certain personality types are more exposed to workaholism than others. Studies show that particularly extroverted people and those with a very fast pace of activity are on average much more invested in their professional life. It is also possible that these addictive behaviors come from obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Work then becomes the object of obsession which then gives rise to compulsive behavior and therefore this uncontrollable need to work constantly.

Another individual determinant has been highlighted by research, namely the presence of certain irrational beliefs. For example, if you believe that it is absolutely necessary for you to be liked by others or to be the best at everything, then it will become vital for you that your work is completely impeccable. You will then be constantly under pressure to impose a strong demand on yourself for perfection which will in fact be unrelated to the work itself. These beliefs are therefore at the origin of dysfunctional behaviors which may provide momentary balance and satisfaction in the very short term but will cause great distress subsequently.

The negative consequences of workaholism impact all areas of life of the workaholic person. His general state of health, his relationships with those around him and even his work are disrupted by this addiction.

Health consequences

Workaholic people are on average in poorer health than other professionals. Their irrational and compulsive tendency to work exposes them, among other things, to particularly high levels of stress. We thus find in this population numerous digestive problems (bloating, heartburn, abdominal pain, reflux), cardiovascular diseases (coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes) and Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). To try to keep up, many workaholic professionals turn to substance use developing new addictions that contribute to the deterioration of their health.

On a psychological level, the workaholic individual lives constantly under pressure. He is in a state of permanent stress which causes very high levels of anxiety and then exposes him to the symptoms of anxiety disorders such as insomnia or greater irritability. The workaholic lifestyle is not sustainable over time and leads inexorably to physical and mental exhaustion. Workaholism is, therefore, one of the main causes of burnout and can also lead to severe depression when one no longer feels able to work at all.

Social consequences

On a social level, the workaholic person gradually loses all motivation to engage in sociable behavior. She isolates herself from her friends, abandons her hobbies because she is unable or no longer able to find interest in activities other than her work. Family and love life are therefore also very complicated because they are totally disinvested, which causes suffering for those around them who often find themselves in total incomprehension.

Professional consequences

Contrary to popular belief, the overinvestment and exceptional work capacity of workaholics actually have negative effects on performance and productivity. Permanent stress as well as the progressive deterioration of their health mean that these professionals cannot function optimally both cognitively and emotionally to be able to meet organizational demands. Their attitude very often proves problematic within a work collective because they often have the obsession of wanting to control everything. They are psychorigid and irritable which tends to generate tension and regular conflicts.

The concept of workaholism is still relatively new, which makes it quite difficult to accurately assess the population most affected by this disorder. However, studies currently show that men are more affected by this addiction than women. Another element: managers and executives would be the most likely to develop excessive behavior at work, particularly continuing to work even after the day is over. 

It is even more complex to quantify the share of the population that suffers from this condition. Research carried out in a Parisian company indicates that 12% of employees are workaholic. However, these figures should be considered with caution given the small sample size.

There are two main scales to measure your level of workaholism which are the WART (Work Addiction Risk Test) and the DUWAS (Dutch Work Addiction Scale).

The WART

This test consists of a series of 25 statements in relation to which we must estimate to what extent they can apply to us, by choosing between 4 modalities ranging from “Not at all true” to “Always true”. It evaluates five dimensions:

• compulsive tendencies to work hard;
• the need for control over tasks;
• lack of communication and social isolation;
• the impact of work results on self-esteem;
• the total inability to delegate.

Scores above 67 normally indicate work addiction.

The DUWAS

On a social level, the workaholic person gradually loses all motivation to engage in sociable behavior. She isolates herself from her friends, abandons her hobbies because she is unable or no longer able to find interest in activities other than her work. Family and love life are therefore also very complicated because they are totally disinvested, which causes suffering for those around them who often find themselves in total incomprehension.

The central problem in dealing with workaholism comes from the fact that workaholic people are almost never aware of being workaholic. It is only after the onset of burnout or depression that they generally begin to question their dysfunctional relationship with work. Burnout specifically appears, to a certain extent, as a sanction for addictive behavior in the long term. To return to the comparison with alcoholism, a lifetime of excessive alcohol consumption often leads to illness. The difference is that in the case of alcohol, we know more or less what we are exposing ourselves to while we know very little about the risks of excessive work. This is why the first area of ​​support involves awareness raising at all levels to facilitate awareness.

You can self-test

Then, if you feel concerned by the symptoms listed on this page, you can start by self-testing with the WART or the DUWAS which are both available online in French version. As a reminder, if your WART score is above 67, this means that you are likely at significant risk of developing a work addiction. For DUWAS, you are considered “workaholic” if your total exceeds 28.

In all cases, it is essential to try to manage your emotions and thoughts in order to regain more control over your behavior regarding your work. To do this, relaxation is a very good tool. Applying the hygiene-dietary rules also promotes a return to balance.

Exposure therapies to deal with workaholism

However, to put a lasting end to addictive behavior, it is preferable to be accompanied by a professional. Cognitive-behavioral therapies have notably demonstrated their effectiveness in the treatment of anxiety disorders, depression and burnout. The cognitive restructuring exercises that they implement are very suitable for working on anchored irrational beliefs at the origin of certain work addictions.

Therapies by exposure to virtual reality (VRET) make it possible to work even more effectively on the behavioral aspect of addiction. Indeed, work being the subject of an obsession in the case of workaholism, certain work situations act as triggering stimuli of your compulsion to work excessively. By being exposed in virtual reality to these situations, you will gradually become desensitized, which means that the emotional response responsible for your inappropriate behavior will tend to disappear. Virtual reality is also a perfect environment for practicing relaxation techniques, emotion management which will allow you to regain full awareness of your real needs and finally be able to listen to them.

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