Colloquially, a workaholic is a person who is addicted to work. This phrase does not always imply that the person actually enjoys their work, but rather simply feels compelled to do it. There is no generally accepted medical definition of such a condition, although some forms of stress, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder can be work-related. Although the term “workaholic” usually has a negative connotation, people wishing to express their devotion to one’s career in positive terms sometimes use it. The “work” in question is usually associated with a paying job, but it may also refer to independent pursuits such as sports, music and art. A “workaholic” in the negative sense is popularly characterized by a neglect of family and other social relations. The term has no clinical definition, however.
Workaholism in Japan is considered a serious social problem leading to early death, often on the job, a phenomenon dubbed karÅshi. Overwork was popularly blamed for the fatal stroke of Prime Minister of Japan Keizo Obuchi, in the year 2000.
The word itself is a play on “alcoholic”. Psychologist Richard I. Evans, currently distinguished professor of psychology at the University of Houston apparently coined the term. Dr. Evans may have originated the term workaholic in an interview with him, published in the house publication for oil company Esso, in the 1960’s, and widely distributed throughout the world. In response to a question by the Esso interviewer regarding the concern by the corporation for workers who were often overworked, Evans replied that such individuals can almost be likened to alcoholics and might be described as “workaholics”. James J. Kilpatrick, a nationally syndicated columnist, read the interview and referred to Evans and his creation of the term workaholic in his column, which Kirkpatrick described as a useful new term. It should be noted that “workaholic” is often also attributed to psychologist Wayne Oates because of his 1971 book, “Confessions of a Workaholic.” It gained more widespread use in the 1990s, as the result of a wave of the self-help movement that centered on addiction, forming an analogy between harmful social behaviors such as over-work and drug addiction, including addiction to alcohol. Although “workaholic” is not an official medical or psychological term, it remains in widespread usage to refer to those whose expenditure of time on work and work-related issues leads to the detriment of their bodily health, social lives, family and domestic life, or leisure time.
Workaholism in Japan is considered a serious social problem leading to early death, often on the job, a phenomenon dubbed karÅshi. Overwork was popularly blamed for the fatal stroke of Prime Minister of Japan Keizo Obuchi, in the year 2000.
The word itself is a play on “alcoholic”. Psychologist Richard I. Evans, currently distinguished professor of psychology at the University of Houston apparently coined the term. Dr. Evans may have originated the term workaholic in an interview with him, published in the house publication for oil company Esso, in the 1960’s, and widely distributed throughout the world. In response to a question by the Esso interviewer regarding the concern by the corporation for workers who were often overworked, Evans replied that such individuals can almost be likened to alcoholics and might be described as “workaholics”. James J. Kilpatrick, a nationally syndicated columnist, read the interview and referred to Evans and his creation of the term workaholic in his column, which Kirkpatrick described as a useful new term. It should be noted that “workaholic” is often also attributed to psychologist Wayne Oates because of his 1971 book, “Confessions of a Workaholic.” It gained more widespread use in the 1990s, as the result of a wave of the self-help movement that centered on addiction, forming an analogy between harmful social behaviors such as over-work and drug addiction, including addiction to alcohol. Although “workaholic” is not an official medical or psychological term, it remains in widespread usage to refer to those whose expenditure of time on work and work-related issues leads to the detriment of their bodily health, social lives, family and domestic life, or leisure time.
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