Workaholics may be the last to know they have a problem. But what can friends and family members do to help the person continually glued to their cell phone?

While bosses may describe the workaholic in glowing terms, neglected children and grown-ups crave the attention of the stressed-out worker. Unfortunately, the workaholic may not even realize they have a problem.

Sid Kirchheimer writes on WebMD, "Workaholism is the respectable addiction." Kirchheimer goes on to explain that, in Japan, workaholism is called karoshi or "death by overwork."

He also points out that in the Netherlands, people are actually getting sick by trying to stop working -- a phenomenon called "leisure illness." Employees there are apparently so conditioned to overwork that, on weekends and vacations, they actually become ill from trying -- without success -- to relax and unwind.

Workaholics typically continue to work past the point of exhaustion, causing them to make mistakes and work even harder to fix them. They set goals that, upon completion, are not satisfying. This leads to a chronic cycle of obsessive goal chasing, which, in reality, is much, like the hamster running on the wheel -- hectic movement that leads nowhere.

Recognizing that workaholism is a treatable, neurotic behavioral disorder is the first step in helping a person realize that his lifestyle is out of balance and poses serious health risks. 

Typically, workaholism is fueled by underlying issues, which can include perfectionism, an unmet need for control, fear, and low self-esteem. Frequently the workaholic will work to avoid other issues, and this avoidance becomes a behavioral pattern that becomes very difficult to break.

Addiction experts say there are reliable steps to break the cycle and help people learn to relax.

• Therapy that can help the workaholic find the underlying problem can be the first step to healing.
• Join a support group of people dealing with the same problem.
• Learn to hand-off responsibilities to others.
• Set boundaries at work and don't let pressure from higher-ups make you break those limits. If you say you're leaving the office at 5, leave, no matter what.
• Make promises that you know you can't break. If you say you're going to be at the soccer game at 6, be there.