Bryan E. Robinson

Connotations of the term “workaholic” often involves two countervailing nuances: a positive one that appreciates the value of hard work and a negative one that points out a neglect of personal issues. Many of us in the United States, with all our appreciation of a Protestant work ethic, can suffer from this disease – yes, disease. It can cause pain in the worker along with pain and loneliness in their immediate family (partners and children). Robinson, himself a recovering workaholic and a counselor of workaholics, describes in this book signs to diagnose this problematic behavior and treatments to help alleviate its burden.

Because it is not defined in the DSM (psychologists’ Bible), Robinson defines workaholicism as an addiction, one with biochemical and behavioral impacts. It influences the hormonal makeup of the workaholic as well as the culture around the workaholic. Each of Robinson’s twelve chapters begins with a testimonial about how this problem has significantly impacted someone’s everyday life. Readers can easily identify themselves or those around them in these stories.

Most distressing to a psychologist like Robinson is how workaholics tend to destroy their lives outside of work to support their addiction to work. They obsess about work even when they’re not working. Their relationships are built to feed into their work. Partners and children are not allowed to be themselves but instead must support the ambitions of the workaholic in a codependent manner. However, because both workaholic and family work incredibly hard, this disease often masks in professional success and social admiration. Still, as Robinson carefully records, the pain and dysfunction remain, and clinicians can help.

I come from a heavily workaholic family of origin but have slowly and deliberately adapted my habits away from constantly obsessing about work. This book affirmed many of these changes, wrought over decades, as positive ones. It also pointed me to ways that I can continue to change and become more impactful – both in my work and in my life outside of work.

Work is not evil, but how we approach it can become problematic. Workaholics and those close to them, along with clinicians who treat them, can benefit from reading this book critically. Robinson claims that many clinicians overlook symptoms of this addiction because they themselves are workaholics. Work-life balance must begin at the root, and even the innocent victims of the disease (both partners and children) must examine themselves to ascertain how they’ve enabled the workaholic’s behavior. This book is a great way to undertake such a self-examination.… (altro)