Workaholics Anonymous
Workaholics Anonymous (WA) is a
In 1983, one of the first formal efforts to create a fellowship around work addiction recovery began in New York when a corporate financial planner and a school teacher met. They formed Workaholics Anonymous to stop working compulsively themselves and to help others who suffered from the disease of workaholism. In their first meetings, spouses joined them and in retrospect were the first Work-Anon group, seeking recovery for family and friends of workaholics.
Workaholics Anonymous is an international fellowship of over fifty in-person, phone, and online meetings with over an estimated thousand active members. WA's World Service Office has a Menlo Park central address.[2] WA has developed its own literature, most notably the Workaholics Anonymous Book of Recovery,[3] but also uses the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) books Alcoholics Anonymous[4] and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.[5]
Definitions
WA defines
Some Workaholics Anonymous members have identified cyclical patterns where they spend time procrastinating necessary work, engaging in self-criticism, while creating so much of a delay that it necessitates frantic working at an unsustainable pace to meet a deadline. Once the work is completed, perhaps by the deadline or even shortly afterwards, the person becomes exhausted and burnt out, finding themselves having an even harder time beginning the work for the next deadline. This results in more frantic working as the next deadline approaches. In an analogy to terminology from Overeaters Anonymous, WA members describe this as "Work Bulimia", and the stage of burnout and procrastination as "Work Anorexia".
To help potential members decide whether or not they need the program, WA provides a questionnaire, asking things like "Do you get more excited about work than about family or anything else?" Answering "yes" to three or more of these questions is considered a good indication of problems with which WA may be able to assist.[7][8]
Recovery tools and strategies
The WA program is based on the
Meetings offer a consensual
Abstinence plans
In Workaholics Anonymous, abstinence "means to abstain from compulsive working, activity, worry, and
Meetings
In Workaholics Anonymous, meetings are a keystone of connection. In recent years, meetings have diversified in form, not only including in-person meetings but also now including online, email, and phone meeting for those suffering from the disease who are located in diverse areas.[11] There are meetings in France, Australia, England, Brazil, New Zealand, and twenty-three states in the United States.[12][13] Workaholics Anonymous via their website also offers networking and connection for member and hosts an annual conference for those who suffer. There is a sister workaholism recovery fellowship in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland called Anonyme Arbeitssüchtige (AAS) with thirty-four meetings and an annual conference.[14]
Literature
WA publishes the book The Workaholics Anonymous Book of Recovery, an upcoming Step Study Guide Book, and several pamphlets, and the quarterly periodical called "Living in Balance".[15] The following list is not comprehensive:
- Workaholics Anonymous World Service Organization (2005). The Workaholics Anonymous Book of Recovery. OCLC 153767048.
- Workaholics Anonymous World Service (1996). A Brief Guide to Recovery in Work Addiction. Menlo Park, California: W.A. World Service Organization.
- Workaholics Anonymous World Service (2004). Abstinence: Top Lines and Bottom Lines in W.A. Menlo Park, California: W.A. World Service Organization.
- Workaholics Anonymous World Service (1996). Turning Work Into Play in W.A. Menlo Park, California: W.A. World Service Organization.
- Workaholics Anonymous World Service (1996). Recovery in Workaholics Anonymous: Working the Steps. Menlo Park, California: W.A. World Service Organization.
- Workaholics Anonymous World Service (1990–2008). "Living in Balance: Quarterly Newsletter of Workaholics Anonymous". Menlo Park, California: W.A. World Service Organization.
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See also
References
- ^ The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Workaholics Anonymous World Service Organization, 1983.
- ISBN 0-8147-7480-6.
- ISBN 0-9771943-0-2.
- OCLC 32014950.
- OCLC 13572433.
- ^ ISBN 0-06-104228-5.
- ^ "How Do I Know if I'm a Workaholic: Twenty Questions". 2006-08-06. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
- ^ "Quiz: How do I know if I'm a workaholic? Think you're addicted to the office? Take Workaholics Anonymous' survey". 2007-08-03. Archived from the original on 2007-08-30. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
- ^ a b Workaholics Anonymous World Service (2005). "Tools and Principles of Recovery in W.A". Menlo Park, California: Workaholics Anonymous World Service. p. 6.
- ^ Workaholics Anonymous World Service (2004). "Abstinence: Top Lines and Bottom Lines" (PDF). Workaholics Anonymous World Service. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
- ^ NBC Weekend Today/NBC (2007-08-05). "Are you addicted to your work? Shackled to the cubicle? Weekend TODAY profiles America's many extreme workers (Online Video)". NBC News. Archived from the original on 2011-05-19. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
- ^ Johnson, Tory (2007-06-14). "You Might Be A Workaholic If...Some Signs You Might Need to Pull Back on Work". ABC News. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
- ^ Workaholics Anonymous World Service (2008-04-20). "Meetings". Workaholics Anonymous World Service. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
- ^ Anonyme Arbeitssüchtige (2008-04-20). "Anonyme Arbeitssüchtige". Retrieved 2008-04-20.
- ^ Workaholics Anonymous World Service (2007-12-18). "The Literature of Workaholics Anonymous". Menlo Park, California: Workaholics Anonymous World Service.