Psychological Portrait Of The Client "Workaholic"

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

"Hard worker"

General portrait. What he sees. Who and what surrounds him. What problems does it face?

Male, 40-50 years old.

Businessman, manager, business owner.

Children - adults, adolescents

Married / divorced. Financially secured (own housing, more than one, car, commercial real estate).

A brief description of. What surrounds him. The context of life.

In practice, his world has narrowed down to the job, the activity he is in. A significant bias towards the business sphere of life, within which it tries to realize other human joys: relationships (friendships, partnerships, sexual relations), recreation - events, parties, corporate events. Work, business is a supervalue, absorbing and replacing other spheres of life - home, family, friendships, hobbies, education, cultural development, leisure. Intense rhythm of life. Fishing, a bathhouse, raising children, going to the country with his family, caring for loved ones are a forced stop for him. Doesn't know how to relax, enjoy simple things. The inclination to take risks, does not feel fear, rest too, chooses extreme, with bright, strong incentives. He makes decisions quickly, not on the basis of emotions, at the same time does not change them, does not apply alternatives - either yes or no. Black and white perception of the world. Not prone to sentimentality. Categorical. Straightforward. Vulnerable, but hides it behind sarcasm, sense of humor, callousness, cynicism.

What does he look like.

Well-groomed, self-confident. Fit, does not look like her age. Expensive, but simply dressed. Prefers comfort. No longer needs to demonstrate status through expensive brands. Or, on the contrary, due to health problems (busy work schedule, abuse, heart problems) may be overweight, heavy, puffy, but constantly trying to get in shape, preferring minimal physical activity (not the gym, but massages, body wraps, myostimulation, etc.).

Who surrounds him

Subordinates, partners. A couple of childhood friends who are not related to his business, most likely not from his circle, with whom he rarely meets. People who need something from him (interview, sponsorship, partnership, patronage). People who depend on him. Relatives - sisters, brothers, elderly parents, who, most likely, are helped financially, practically support them. If he is married, then, most likely, the relationship is distant, the loss of intimacy with his wife. The crisis associated with the "empty nest" syndrome - children have grown up, but they are not happy. Two options for relationships with children - either they distanced themselves and use the father financially (he feels it, annoys him), or the child does not try to arrange his life, depends on him, has become addicted (play, drug addiction, alcoholism), and he tries to control. The spouse is either a housewife, or lives by her own interests, she does not understand his problems.

What types of offers he sees every day.

VIP offers, high-quality individual approach, exclusivity, uniqueness. It is difficult to surprise with something. Proposals that are focused on his status, designed to support and emphasize his (status), but do not take into account his true, simpler, human needs. He can buy and acquire everything, but in reality, there is little that pleases. Receives a lot of invitations to various events as a sponsor, guest, expert.

Environment. What problems does every day face. What he hears. Who influences him.

Economic, financial, social instability, drastic changes in legislation (how to bypass taxes, permits, regulations, etc.), relations with power structures, the retention of these relations (dependence on the current government, local administration). A constant situation of risk, the need to make decisions in an unstable and rapidly changing environment. Extreme environment and rhythm of life. His daily task is to preserve face, reputation, power, to maintain status in the hierarchy of social relations, which causes enormous daily tension and stress. Communication overload - you have to interact with a huge number of different people, therefore emotionally not included.

Faces problems: incompetence of employees, subordinates, inability to let go of control over everything and everyone. Lack of qualified employees who can be trusted, the need to solve the smallest tasks. On the one hand, all his spheres of life, due to instability, complexity and extremeness, must be completely under control, on the other hand, he cannot control everything, not everything depends on him, and not everything in his life lends itself to strict, rational accounting. and control. Especially situations related to family, emotional life. This factor is a strong source of psychological stress and constant anxiety.

The greatest influence is exerted by:

Competitors - sports excitement, the need to compete, to assert themselves, to maintain a reputation, face, status, to win, to be the first, the best.

The people on whom he depends (power, administration, officials) create an internal conflict between the inability to adapt, to accept other people's rules, and the need to do so.

The family, for which he either fights, creating himself motivation and incentive to continue doing what he is doing. (the desire to feel necessary, significant, needed, valuable). Or runs away from her in "business".

Women - the motivation for achievement, the opportunity to feel alive, interesting, attractive. The desire to feel loved.

Psychological picture. Personality traits

Rational. He tries to foresee, calculate, take into account everything. Often overestimates himself, his resources, the strength of the opportunity.

Distrustful, suspicious. Striving for hyperresponsibility and hypercontrol. He gets satisfaction from hyperresponsibility, this is the basis of his self-esteem and self-concept.

Quite distant, autonomous, not inclined to closeness (it is unsafe, and the world is hostile). A limited number of informal and friendly ties (the higher the status, the more limited the circle of non-business communication)

He is categorical, aggressive, more inclined to solving problems by force, domination than to compromises. Prone to sharp affective reactions, outbursts of anger, more often with close people, subordinates, because it is necessary to suppress aggression, discontent and irritation in situations of business, formal interaction. In a business, formal field, aggression is not presented to real addressees (this is incompetent, associated with a manifestation of weakness), but accumulates, displaces and splashes out in a “safe” space, on loved ones.

Powerful, authoritarian. The style of leadership in business is also applied in the family. Ambitious, high level of aspirations, as a rule, corresponding to high self-esteem. Painfully susceptible to criticism, refusals.

The external locus of control is inclined to ascribe success and achievements to himself, but is painfully susceptible to failures, criticism, therefore he does not try to look for reasons in himself, is not able to recognize his own incompetence and shortsightedness. Looks for the causes of failures outside (circumstances, the result of someone else's malicious intent).

The impossibility of complete control over the life situation, excessive rationalism, is combined with magical thinking (belief in omens, fortune telling, astrology), which create the illusion of control over life circumstances.

What is important to him. Emotional condition. Motives. Dreams. Aspirations. Major psychological problems and conflicts.

The crisis associated with the loss of life meanings. Has recognition, respect, achieved everything, but lost interest in life, lack of representation of further personal development in society. It is important for him to understand why he lives, reaches the heights. Value and meaning - to leave a legacy, your mark in life, an inheritance to your loved ones. To see how his business lives and develops. Transfer your experience, knowledge, resources to heirs, students. Appreciates sincerity, devotion. Afraid of betrayal, "stab in the back." Strives to maintain the status quo. There is a constant shortage of time, so everything that saves and optimizes it is important and valuable. Confidentiality issues are valuable.

Emotional condition:

Constant tension, anxiety. He rests a little, does not know how to relax. Even on vacation, he solves work issues and does not know how to really take care of himself. The connection with the body is broken, he feels bad and recognizes his own needs. Lack of balance between want and need (should). As a result, feelings of guilt, resentment, annoyance (suppresses).

Family problems:

dysfunctions associated with the fact that the business sphere has almost completely supplanted everything else from life, he spends very little time with his family, and even so, he is absorbed in his work problems, avoiding contact with his wife and children. As a result, there is no emotional closeness, the relationship becomes functional. The usual authoritarian style of behavior affects the level of conflict in the family, relatives resist and protest against his authoritarian and tough behavior. Has problem children who are unable or unwilling to “continue the work of a lifetime” - addicted, infantile, leading an antisocial lifestyle, with a suppressed will to live, depression, serious health problems (various options). Relationships with children are cold.

From constant high tension has sexual dysfunction, libido is sublimated and realized through power. Cheating, connections on the side, but rather having not romantic, but "business", functional character, in order to relax, relieve tension, change the environment, without serious emotional investment and worries.

His main pain, frustration, conflict:

Lack of joy and sincerity in life. A constant race to maintain a high status, without understanding the meaning of why. Relation to oneself, on the part of loved ones, as a source of income, without a warm, sincere feeling. Not understanding by loved ones, lack of harmony and understanding in the family. Fear of loneliness, emptiness and meaninglessness of being. Feeling of lack of freedom, limitedness, with all your resources. The desire to "have time for everything." Conflict between "want" and "must". Weak points - chronic stress, time trouble, hyperresponsibility, accumulation of a load of unresolved problems, which are expressed in psychosomatization: muscle clamps, osteochondrosis, panic attacks, risks of heart attacks. A tendency to abuse, addiction.

Thinking is concrete, black and white.

As a rule, he is not inclined to admit that he has problems. If a request to a psychologist is formed, then it is very superficial, "as if" on a petty matter, some troubles that I would like to eliminate or improve: stress relief, normalization of sleep, fear of public speaking, aerophobia, etc.

He wants quick and concrete results - techniques, tools.

A small, abandoned, forgotten boy lives inside the client. Together with him, desires, needs, the ability to rejoice, admire, sincerity, delight, empathy, responsiveness, vulnerability, sensitivity are abandoned and forgotten. Access to this "inner child", its defrosting, opens up opportunities for the client, to feel alive, to return the meaning and joy of life.

If you recognize yourself in the portrait - contact the specialists.