workaholic

A person who manifests a compulsive need to work, even at the expense of family responsibilities, social life, and health. [by analogy with alcoholic] Although increasingly recognized as a source of emotional distress, social malfunctioning, and physical illness, the pathologic need of some people to invest all their energy in goal-directed and intensive labor has not been deeply studied, nor is it named or defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). The w. may engage in physical or mental work or a combination of the two, and may work for an individual or a company, be self-employed, or even engage in volunteer activities without remuneration. The typical w. seems incapable of relaxing, and uses work not only as a source of livelihood but also as a form of recreation, substituting it for leisure pastimes such as socialization, hobbies, sports, and artistic and cultural pursuits. In this sense, work assumes the function of an addictive drug. Workaholics tend to postpone or omit meals, stay at work after others have gone home and even keep working until late at night, put in excessive amounts of overtime (sometimes failing to claim due compensation), and abuse nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, and other agents to assuage stress and withstand fatigue. The w. lifestyle is a common feature of various personality disorders, including a compulsion to achieve success, recognition, or advancement in one's chosen field of endeavor; a morbid absorption in the acquisition of wealth; and a need to immerse oneself in work as a distraction from the stresses or dissatisfactions of daily life. Some w. behavior is driven by family, social, or cultural expectations. Many workaholics manifest a compulsion to work even in childhood; some seem to be influenced by the example of a successful, driving parent, relative, family friend, or public figure. In Japan, death from overwork (karoshi) is formally recognized as a compensable form of occupational disorder. Japanese courts have ruled that deaths from heart failure, stroke, and even suicide are examples of karoshi.

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work·a·hol·ic .wər-kə-'hȯl-ik, -'häl- n a compulsive worker