From the author: The article was first published on the website Now the concept of “workaholic” is familiar to almost every city resident, and a considerable percentage of city residents know from their own experience what the desire to work, work and work again is like. Almost all experts agree that workaholism is a type of pathological addictive behavior. This means we can describe some of the symptoms of this addiction. A person becomes obsessed with work, which takes up most of his time. There is a decrease in interest in other areas of life (family, friends, hobbies, recreation, etc.). Days off from work cause a workaholic to feel discomfort, and even suffering, akin to withdrawal symptoms in chemically dependent people. He is only physically away from work, because he is constantly bothered by thoughts related to his official duties. These thoughts are present during conversations with loved ones, watching television, or while performing various household chores. Usually such people do not go on vacation for a long time. Emotional involvement and interest appear only during work. The performance of professional functions occurs despite harmful consequences (physical, mental and social). But turning to a specialist (psychologist or psychotherapist) about addiction, as a rule, does not happen. More often, clients complain of fatigue, irritability, emotional lability, decreased mood, anxiety, sleep disturbances, sexual dysfunction, lack of interest in life, deterioration of relationships with loved ones, and the appearance of psychosomatic symptoms. In my opinion, this is due to the fact that, firstly, as with other addictions, the addict’s destructive lifestyle becomes clear to those around him much earlier than to himself, since a system of denials operates. And secondly, dependence on work is a socially acceptable and even encouraged form of behavior. Therefore, it is not often possible to hear from a client a formulated request for freedom from workaholism. The reasons for the formation of work addiction are varied and in many ways similar to the reasons for the formation of other addictions. In this article we can only look at some general trends. Addiction is a universal response to any emotional stress, an attempt to cope with it. It often turns out that “going to work” is an attempt to avoid difficult and painful experiences and situations. Most often, these situations are associated with loved ones and unsettled personal life. For example, difficulties in the relationship between spouses encourage one of them or both to “plunge into work headlong” and allow them to avoid painful experiences and the need to do something about it, make any decisions about it. Sometimes the reason for being overly involved in work can be unresolved grief due to the loss of a loved one. A person tries to protect himself from pain by taking on more and more work and obligations. It also happens that a person “runs to work” because of the unsettled personal life. And then there is always a reason to say to others and to yourself: “Oh, I have so much work now that I have no time for my personal life.” Although this phrase could sound differently: “I now have an unsettled personal life and, in order not to feel something about this, I load myself with a lot of work.” Workaholism is often a disease of managers. The desire to control excessively and the inability to delegate authority, which is often behind the inability to trust, lead to the fact that the manager begins to practically “live at work.” Also, a significant role in the formation of dependence on work is played by social and family attitudes that encourage people not to feel tired: “start a job - finish it to the end”, “don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today”, “a doctor is a 24-hour profession” and a lot others. Behind the desire to receive recognition of one's merits at work may be a lack of this recognition from others.?