No other addiction seems as accepted, rewarded, and praised by society as the addiction to work.

Americans put in more work hours than any other industrialized nation in the world. U.S. employees have the fewest number of vacation days in the industrialized world, yet they have trouble taking even those days off.

According to The Families and Work Institute’s recent study, Overwork in America: When the Way We Work Becomes Too Much, approximately one-third of all U.S. employees are chronically overworked.

And the problem is not limited to America. Workaholism is a world-wide addiction. In Japan approximately 10,000 workers die each year from working 60-70 hour work-weeks. This is now known in Japan as Karoshi, meaning death from overwork.

Many think they have to achieve a certain standard or amount of work before they can be accepted. Since society measures us by what we do, our jobs are becoming our priority.

But when did a bleeding ulcer become a sign of success? When did a 70-hour work-week become a sign of efficiency? Even Jesus Christ needed helpers and time away to rest and relax. We don’t see him trying to do everything on his own, working day and night.

Working long, hard, and with satisfaction does not make one a work addict. An addiction is something you cannot do without. Work addiction is an unrestrained, unfulfillable internal desire for constant engagement in work.

Common symptoms of work addiction include forgetfulness or inattentiveness, stress, and fatigue. Many workaholics have feelings of low self-esteem or inadequacy, believing nothing they do is good enough and so they strive to do more and better.

Overwork may also provide temporary relief from the pain of a damaged relationship or from guilt or other feelings they may want to avoid. Excessive work can be a means to withdraw from relationships, to manipulate relationships by limiting one’s availability, or to regulate relationships so that not too much is expected.

Surprisingly, workaholics often don’t accomplish as much as their nonworkaholic counterparts. Because many workaholics are perfectionists, they may become so focused on inconsequential details they actually waste time. In other words, they are not usually concerned about being efficient; they simply want to keep on working.

Adding to the difficulty of recognizing an addiction to work is the belief that workaholism is a positive way of life, is not harmful to physical or mental health, is a result of our desire to provide a decent living for our family, and is making a worthwhile contribution to society.

The true cause of workaholism lies deep within, however. The roots are often in unmet or unfulfilled needs.

In fact, many workaholics actually feel a sense of panic, anxiety, or loss when they aren’t working. Overcoming an addiction to work isn’t easy, but it can be done. It’s important to rely on God’s power instead of your own. With him, it can be done; without him, it’s pretty iffy.

Some people have unwillingly become overworked—not because of an inner desire to do so but because their jobs force them to. Over the past decade, many workplaces have become increasingly more demanding of workers’ time.

Overworked employees are more likely to make mistakes, experience anger and resentment, and be under constant stress that spills over into their personal lives, affecting their health and family life.

If you are unwillingly overworked, it may be time to seek the Lord’s direction concerning new employment opportunities. The Lord does not want anyone—willingly or unwillingly—to be overworked.

In most overwork cases, however, the work has become an idol. Addressing workaholics, Solomon said, “Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:6). And, “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint” (Proverbs 23:4).

Recoveries Anonymous (www.r-a.org) and Workaholics Anonymous (www.workaholics-anonymous.org) provide helpful avenues of support from others who face the same addiction.

Some other work addiction remedies include:

• Establish clear boundaries between work and family life. You may find it helpful to set aside a brief time at the end of each workday to allow closure of work activity. Instigate an official transition time that closes the workday so that time off is really time off.

• Take time to play. Although you may feel rewarded by your work, play is equally important. Consider play as a necessary component of your life. Write it into your schedule just as you would a meeting.

• Leave your insecurities behind. Work is not a status symbol. The amount of hours you work or your level of “success” does not determine your worth as a person. The Christian’s identity is found in Jesus Christ.

• Slow down. If you find slowing down too difficult, you may have to force the matter. Find out how much vacation time you can take and then use it. Go on an extended vacation and leave work behind. Spend more time in nature, reading a good book, or traveling with your family. Train yourself to take life at a slower pace.

• Live in the present tense. Many workaholics claim they work so many hours because they are preparing for their future—a time when they can slow down and enjoy all life has to offer. In the meantime, they are missing out on the blessings of now. I once saw a sign that said, “Do not get so busy making a living that you fail to live.”

• Focus on the best. As someone once said, the enemy of the best is the good. You may have the strengths and skills for a particular task, but that doesn’t mean you have to be the one to do it. Strengths can become weaknesses when not coupled with moderation and balance. Some things may be good to do but they may not be the best; be more selective.

• Take an off-hours technology fast. On weekends, evenings, and holidays avoid checking e-mail and taking cell phone calls. It takes discipline and you may fail at times, but be determined to forgo technological devices when not on work time. If you don’t control technology, it will control you. Put your BlackBerry away and enjoy your family.

• Set life goals. We all have dreams, desires, and goals, and they don’t all involve work. Keeping a journal may be helpful. Put as much, if not more, energy into meeting your personal and family goals as you do your work goals.

• Value the gift of life. By taking time off, eating right, and exercising, you are saying to yourself—and others—you respect and value the life God has given you. Don’t ignore your health and don’t postpone family time—see them as the precious gifts they are. |L

Some people who work very hard are not necessarily workaholics. The difference is the non-workaholic knows how to set boundaries. He has an internal regulator that says, “Enough is enough.” The workaholic, on the other hand, feels lost without his work and doesn’t want to stop.

The following are signs of work addiction:

• You often work evenings, weekends, and holidays.

• You put off taking leisure time.

• You talk and think about work when you’re not there.

• You take work with you on vacation—if you take a vacation at all.

• You prefer working to socializing.

• Your work keeps you from your family and friends.

• You prefer work to being at home.

• You feel you have too much to do and not enough time to do it.

• Your family complains they don’t see you enough.

• You get irritated when interrupted while working.

• You feel guilty when you’re not working.

• You frequently take work home with you.

• You are the last person to leave work and the first one to arrive.