What is Alcoholic?
In the case of an Alcoholic person, there exists compulsive drinking and other alcohol abuses. Alcoholics find it impossible to stop drinking, and as a result, they become addicted to it. The physiological ramifications of alcoholism can be harmful.
Alcoholism harms the heart, liver, gastrointestinal system, and central nervous system, and so can result in death. Alcoholism can result in not only physiological but also psychological disorders. Compulsive drinking can cause increased stress, anxiety, and hypertension. When a person becomes hooked to alcohol, his behaviour alters dramatically. He may begin to abuse people, lie, and even go bankrupt as a result of his increasing need for alcohol for comfort.
Alcoholism is also more likely to be passed down through an alcoholic‘s genes to offspring. As a result, a child of an alcoholic will grow up to be an alcoholic. Genes can cause AUD or Alcohol Use Disorder. One might seek therapy for alcoholism by going through detoxification, rehabilitation, and maintenance. However, if the person is unwilling to recover from alcoholism, treatment will be ineffective.
What is Workaholic?
A workaholic does not use drugs or other apparent substances to become addicted. He becomes addicted to his job and has difficulty maintaining himself when he is not working. He has a persistent desire to excel at work, and he puts pressure on himself to achieve his professional goals and go above and beyond
in his work. Workaholics are known for putting in extra hours at work and always talking and thinking about work and business matters. Since they are continuously thinking about excelling at work, their thoughts about work get so intense that they begin to overlook other elements of their lives and ignore friends and family. Workaholism is also linked to various psychological issues. Workaholics face depression, loss of appetite, anxiety, hypertension, stress and panic attacks.
The majority of Workaholics experience difficulties in their lives, such as the death of a loved one, a breakup, or a divorce, and to cope with the stress, they engage in work, which subsequently develops into workaholism. A workaholic’s conduct can include things like walking, eating, talking quickly, withdrawing from social situations, and having rage difficulties, among other things.
Cognitive therapy, anger management, meditation, and stress management therapies can all be used to help a workaholic. Psychotherapy is crucial in the treatment of a workaholic, and the good news is that it does not cause withdrawal symptoms.
Difference Between Alcoholic and Workaholic
- A person who is hooked to alcohol and other substances is known as an alcoholic, but a person who is addicted to work is known as a workaholic.
- An alcoholic would pass on his addiction gene to his children, whereas workaholics have no such genetic influence.
- Alcoholism would result in physiological and psychological complications. Workaholics, on the other hand, have no significant physiological concerns except psychological ones.
- Alcoholism can be treated by detoxification, rehabilitation and maintenance stages, whereas, workaholism can be treated by psychotherapy, anger management and other psychological therapies.
- In alcoholics, there are behavioural changes such as lying, binge drinking, and abusing others. Workaholics, on the other hand, may exhibit behaviours such as temper issues, withdrawal from social life, and working excessively after work hours.
Comparison Between Alcoholic and Workaholic
| Parameters of Comparison | Alcoholic | Workaholic |
| Definition | An alcoholic is someone who is addicted to alcohol and finds it difficult to stop drinking. | A workaholic is someone who is addicted to work and finds it difficult to live a regular life in the absence of work. A workaholic is someone who is always focused on work and isolates himself from social life. |
| The term proposed by | Magnus Huss coined the term ‘Alcoholic’. | Wayne Oates coined the term ‘Workaholic’. |
| Genetic influence | An alcoholic person would influence his offspring through genes to get addicted to alcohol. | Workaholics show no signs of hereditary impact. |
| Treatment | Detoxification, rehabilitation, and maintenance are the three stages of treatment. | Treatment for Workaholics includes cognitive therapy, anger management and psychotherapy. |
| Prognosis | In the event of alcoholism, the outlook is bleak. | Workaholics have a more favourable prognosis. |