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specific time to worry, say 5 minutes every hour and the entire time
must be spent on the worry (which isn't permitted any other time).
For jealousy and suspicions, see chapter 7. For more serious obsessive
disorders, see chapter 5 and a therapist.
Time management is a skill; see chapter 13.
Tics have been eliminated by massed negative practice, i.e.
forcing the tic to occur rapidly over and over while experiencing
something unpleasant, such as smelling salts (Hersen & Eisler, 1973).
Toilet training, while not self-help, has been taught rapidly using
attention, shaping, and lots of rewards (Azrin & Foxx, 1976).
Workaholism
Workaholism is an addiction to work; it has been called the least
recognized and, therefore, one of the more dangerous addictions
because it often looks like wholesome hard work which is praised and
rewarded. How can you tell the difference? Workaholism as a word
should probably be limited to an unhealthy over-involvement with
work that results in neglect of the family, poor relations at work,
absenteeism and nonproductivity, eventual burnout at work, and/or
health problems due to stress. In such cases, it is obviously a disorder.
There are probably several kinds of workaholics (Killinger, 1997),
including the people happily and highly invested in their work ("I love
it but the wife doesn't like it and I miss being with my kids") and
employees driven to overwork by fears, threats, perfectionism,
compulsiveity, or competition. The happy 10-hour-a-day person who
feels his/her life work is important and has a good family life,
meaningful relations at work and with friends, would not be seriously
labeled a workaholic. Robinson (1998) describes the unhealthy
workaholic personality but in this book mostly discusses dealing with it
in Cognitive therapy. In an earlier book, Robinson (1992) suggests
self-help methods for slowing down, deciding what is important in life,
and re-building strained relationships (see other books below).
Certainly liking your work is better than hating it, but few jobs are
worthy of all your time even if you love it. If you work more than 50
hours a week, you need a honest understanding of why you are
driven. Do you really enjoy your work that much or is it a way "out of
the house," "a way to make up for your inadequacies and low self-
esteem," "a control compulsion," or "an escape from the spouse?" Are
you driven by some need--power, control, status, money, success,
compulsive perfectionism, or a guilty conscience? If your motivation
isn't clear, talk with your family or even your colleagues or see a
therapist. Try to find the right job, relax, exercise, and don't neglect
your family (Fassel, 1993; Morris & Charney, 1983; Oates, 1979).
Often greater efficiency is more important than long hours. As an
example, see study skills in chapter 13. Although it is just getting
