Help The Workaholic

QUESTION: What are some ways I can help the workaholic?

ANSWER:

You can help the workaholic once you understand the condition. A workaholic is someone who has a compulsive desire to work. A workaholic can never have enough work to do; they always want more to do. Workaholics can view their compulsive behavior to work as both a pleasure, or in certain situations as a burden.

Workaholics can be helped, but it will take some time and effort by both the workaholic and the person trying to help them. How can you help someone avoid becoming a workaholic? The first thing you must do is to recognize some of the warning signs of a workaholic.

Workaholics are usually the ones that:

• Have a hard time relaxing.
• Take their work home and even to bed with them.
• Try to do work on vacations and weekends.
• Love to work more than 40 hours a week.

If someone you love has any one or more of these symptoms, it does not necessarily mean that he/she is a workaholic. It does mean that a revaluation of life is in order.

Help the Workaholic – Practical Tips
If you suspect someone is a workaholic, here are some things you can do to help him or her.

• Be alert for the warning signs and point them out to the person. Most of the time, he/she will not readily admit to being a workaholic. But, if you lovingly point it out maybe he/she will see the error.
  
  
• If the workaholic admits to his/her problem, seek a support group like Workaholics Anonymous or a church based support group.
  
  
• With permission, help prioritize his/her life by making sure that time is taken to relax and have fun. Make sure to positively reinforce behavior that is not work related.
  
  
• Personally commit to do your part. Refrain from contributing to the workaholic’s behavior by demanding too much in the way of material possessions or money.
  
  
• Look for ways to show the workaholic that your love is based on who he/she is, not what they do. Show the workaholic that self-worth is not based on material possessions.