Performance Addiction: The Dangerous New Syndrome and How to Stop it from Ruining Your Life

By Arthur P. Ciaramicoli

Book Overview

"The best book I've seen on how we can stop sabotaging our need for balance. Compulsive achievers will find here everything they need to gain the sense of satisfaction that's eluded them. This book is a must-read for men and women struggling with the mystery of why they're not happy. This is a most wise, helpful, and important book, and it's wonderfully readable."
-Mira Kirshenbaum
author of Everything Happens for a Reason and The Emotional Energy Factor
"Every perfectionistic, hypervigilant person wondering why peace of mind is so elusive should read this book. Dr. Ciaramicoli totally nails the issue of performance addiction and offers all the help you need. A life-changing book."
-Dr. Charles Foster, author of Feel Better Fast
"A much-welcome, reader-friendly, utterly unpretentious call to sanity. With clarity and disarming simplicity, Dr. Arthur Ciaramicoli exposes the futility and indeed the harm of our collective compulsive ride on the achievement treadmill. . . . Performance Addiction is a crash course in essential wisdom for today. Read it and give it to anyone about whose mental health and happiness you deeply care."
-P. M. Forni, Professor at Johns Hopkins University and author of Choosing Civility
"Integrating theory with compelling stories from his clinical practice, Dr. Ciaramicoli provides concrete, practical methods to address the growing problem of performance addiction."
-Richard Kadison, M.D.
Chief, Mental Health Services, Harvard University Health Services
Do you achieve goals without feeling fulfilled?
Do you think your hard work will win you love and respect?
Do you feel as if you're never doing well enough?
In this intriguing and prescriptive guide, Harvard Medical School instructor Dr. Arthur P. Ciaramicoli explains this new psychological issue, revealing the reasons why the label of success so rarely leads to happiness. Performance Addiction gives you action steps for freeing yourself from the obligation to excel, finding new meaning in your work and relationships, and going beyond material reward to obtain genuine, healthy accomplishment throughout your life. Through illuminating self-evaluations and writing exercises, you'll gain a stronger sense of self, learn to balance your work and your personal life, and at long last find the satisfaction that comes from breaking your patterns of addictive behavior and finding new, better ways to accept and give love.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471471194
• ISBN13: 9780471471196
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: Trade Paper Press
• Length: 235 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Extremely Worthwhile and Helpful Book

This book is very helpful, and many chapters are exceptional, particularly Image Love and Relationships, Exceptional Mediocrity, Meaning and Joy, and Balancing Work and Life. The way each chapter is introduced, the use of specific human examples, the questions provided to enable the reader to explore the depth of his or her own problem, and the suggestions offered for conquering performance addiction are superb. The realistic tools provided at the end of the book to enable the reader to assess progress in conquering this addiction are most useful.

What I have is enough -- thank you, Dr. C

This book not only addresses every performance addiction I have and identifies the likely source thereof, but so completely defines and explains all these hardwired individuals I work with. In the process of reading this book, I have been able to step back from the tension and pressure at work and say to myself, "phew, I do not have to be like that....what I have is enough....what I do is enough...the love I have is enough...."

Dr. C's Perscription to Happiness for Compulsive Achievers

I am an MBA grad with several years experience in the corporate world. I have been increasingly growing tired of the demands of my work, the pressure to excel in all aspects of my life and never seeming to have enough time to enjoy my children. My wife left me last year and in many ways I don't blame her. I have been wedded to the idea of success at all costs and I am paying dearly for my mistaken beliefs about what brings a person happiness and love. A friend saw Dr. Ciaramicoli give an interview about Performance Addiction and immediately thought of me and recommended the book. I was so relieved to hear of the many people in the same boat as I am. This book has changed my perspective. I have never been much for self help advice but the insights revealed by Dr. Ciaramicoli's clients describe my struggles to a tee and most importantly give me hope that there is a way out. This is an important book that all corporate execs should read. Signed, A Struggling CFO

Powerful and Insightful

I have been struggling with trying to perfect my body and get ahead all my life. In my family it was a way of life, and our society seems to support the idea that only the beautiful, wealthy people find happiness and love. I am so glad a friend in my woman's group recommended Performance Addition. I had never read anything so powerful and helpful. I had no idea that my obsession with my looks and getting ahead could be an addiction. Most importantly, I don't feel alone as every member of our woman's group scored high on the quiz in the first chapter. The quizzes throughout and the writing assignments really make you think through the false ideas we have all grown up with in this "success at all cost" society. I thank Dr. Ciaramicoli especially for the chapter on "Parenting and Performance Addiction" as it would break my heart to pass this affliction on to my daughter. The chapters on "Image Love and Your Relationships" and "The Lure of Glamour" are must reads. The stories are insightful and very real and make the book come to life with real people that I could identify with. The author's idea of sharing the answers to chapter quizzes with someone close to you took courage, but it really helped me to open up to my husband and he to me. I HIGHLY recommend this book for everyone who is struggling with trying to have a meaningful life with balance. Signed, A Grateful Housewife From Maryland

Performance Addiction - Excellent Read

I saw Dr. Ciaramicoli's interview on CNN and immediately thought he was talking about me directly. I am a young professional who has struggled, along with all my friends, to look better and better and to climb the corporate ladder at the same time. I am constantly tired and worn out, and find myself having less and less fun as time goes on. I keep trying harder to meet the standards, I thought people would respect and yet all the hard work just makes me feel exhausted, even when I succeed the good feeling only lasts for a short time. I had no idea that this trend was a new addiction in our society. I bought Performance Addiction, took the quiz in Chapter one and scored in the severe category. Every one of my friends, I have given this quiz to has scored moderate to severe. I am so thankful that someone has identified what I have been experiencing and given me a way out. I have found this book so interesting and helpful, I can relate to so many of the stories of Dr. Ciaramicoli's clients. The chapter on Image Love and Your Relationships and The Lure of Glamour gave me insights I really need to practice and the final chapter Balancing Work and Life will be my bible for a long time to come. I recommend this book to every perfectionist who wants to get off the treadmill and enjoy life. A Corporate Executive from Boston