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Is Being Hardworking And Extremely Tolerant Of Work Overload A Mental Condition?
Question: If someone I know is working too hard and tolerating it (not making changes) are they mentally ill or does that constitute any medical condition that can be addressed? If they have not shown an example to others re: this within a year or two, is that a mental illness or are they just very socially irresponsible? THANK YOU!
Brief Answer:
Could you kindly elaborate
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. I do not think we can categorise them as mentally ill, but in my opinion it could simply be a 'hard working' individual, 'dedicated', 'someone with a great deal of responsibilities', 'someone who wants to keep themselves busy', etc.
By tolerating, what exactly did you mean? Do you mean that this person is not happy with working so much or is being forced to work so much or has a comfortable life and does not have to work so hard, yet is doing so? Could you be so kind as to elaborate on this? Thank you so much.
I look forward to hearing from you in order to help you further. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to you.
Best wishes.
Could you kindly elaborate
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. I do not think we can categorise them as mentally ill, but in my opinion it could simply be a 'hard working' individual, 'dedicated', 'someone with a great deal of responsibilities', 'someone who wants to keep themselves busy', etc.
By tolerating, what exactly did you mean? Do you mean that this person is not happy with working so much or is being forced to work so much or has a comfortable life and does not have to work so hard, yet is doing so? Could you be so kind as to elaborate on this? Thank you so much.
I look forward to hearing from you in order to help you further. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to you.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you! Perhaps this: by tolerating, I would rather say they are showing signs of it, they look like they work harder than most people and than one might say was optimum or acceptable.
And I assume you have addressed the question about setting an example; in your answer here, this also did not fall under the category of mental illness...persisting with this behavior?
And I assume you have addressed the question about setting an example; in your answer here, this also did not fall under the category of mental illness...persisting with this behavior?
Brief Answer:
A rather long explanation, my apologies
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.
Perhaps, if you don't mind I can take a few examples from my life and my father's. My father has always been a family man, he loves crowds and he just admires the untiy his family brings. He loves to throw parties at our place just so he can have the entire family under one roof.
But after a few unfortunate circumstances, he had to relocate and set base in a whole new country. He didn't take us along as we all had our education, work, etc. He has lives alone ever since and once even didn't visit us for almost 7 years straight. He did this because he has a family and commitments and responsibilities. I would categorise this kind of a person responsible and family-oriented. He hated living alone, staying so far away, and may be even his job. But he did it for us, so he could provide us with what we needed and wanted. No mental illnesses would even be suspected in such a scenario.
When I started working, I had a horrible boss. He was mentally abusive of his entire staff. We used to rejoice on ending our shift and dread coming back to work the next day. But I never skipped work and never called in sick. This was because of the ethics my father passed on to me. To be strong and dedicated to your job. I went through a lot at my first job, but waited for a good opportunity and left, and haven't looked back since. But I still ended up working there for 29 months.
So may be the person in speaking is tolerant, may be he/she has responsibilities, may be he/she needs the money, may be he/she does not want his/her family to think he/she is a quitter, etc. There can be a dozen reasons for this. I hope you understood what I am trying to say.
As for the second part of your query about setting an example, my answer is yes. This also does not fall under any category of mental illnesses.
I sincerely hope I have explained things in a manner best understood by you ma'am. If I haven't please do not hesitate to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to help.
Best wishes.
A rather long explanation, my apologies
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.
Perhaps, if you don't mind I can take a few examples from my life and my father's. My father has always been a family man, he loves crowds and he just admires the untiy his family brings. He loves to throw parties at our place just so he can have the entire family under one roof.
But after a few unfortunate circumstances, he had to relocate and set base in a whole new country. He didn't take us along as we all had our education, work, etc. He has lives alone ever since and once even didn't visit us for almost 7 years straight. He did this because he has a family and commitments and responsibilities. I would categorise this kind of a person responsible and family-oriented. He hated living alone, staying so far away, and may be even his job. But he did it for us, so he could provide us with what we needed and wanted. No mental illnesses would even be suspected in such a scenario.
When I started working, I had a horrible boss. He was mentally abusive of his entire staff. We used to rejoice on ending our shift and dread coming back to work the next day. But I never skipped work and never called in sick. This was because of the ethics my father passed on to me. To be strong and dedicated to your job. I went through a lot at my first job, but waited for a good opportunity and left, and haven't looked back since. But I still ended up working there for 29 months.
So may be the person in speaking is tolerant, may be he/she has responsibilities, may be he/she needs the money, may be he/she does not want his/her family to think he/she is a quitter, etc. There can be a dozen reasons for this. I hope you understood what I am trying to say.
As for the second part of your query about setting an example, my answer is yes. This also does not fall under any category of mental illnesses.
I sincerely hope I have explained things in a manner best understood by you ma'am. If I haven't please do not hesitate to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to help.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
If forced to work, or forced to work with a chance for change but is not changing, or to the point of it showing say in high normal blood pressure rather than normal, do any of those examples change your answer?
The answers have been very helpful to me for perspective. If the person in question here for this example here has changes in skin and appearance of muscles and posture, and their routine is much less than it could be, say they do not set the table fully and take a lot of shortcuts so the house is not organized, and some things have to wait more than they would normally tolerate under the same circumstances, would your answer be the same for this person? Those are all the things I question.
Also, if they could ask their father for money or try to find out about the will but say they need no extra money, is this anything signaling mental problems related to the whole issue being addressed here at this site?
If too many questions please just let me know and I will ask this as a different question but it really is all just the same question, do these relate to mental problems and how?
One other thing, if they are not keeping things up with an expensive house but do not talk about money with their family is this in itself a symptom? Thinking these all fall under the category of your earlier answer, but want to clarify. Thank you again!
The answers have been very helpful to me for perspective. If the person in question here for this example here has changes in skin and appearance of muscles and posture, and their routine is much less than it could be, say they do not set the table fully and take a lot of shortcuts so the house is not organized, and some things have to wait more than they would normally tolerate under the same circumstances, would your answer be the same for this person? Those are all the things I question.
Also, if they could ask their father for money or try to find out about the will but say they need no extra money, is this anything signaling mental problems related to the whole issue being addressed here at this site?
If too many questions please just let me know and I will ask this as a different question but it really is all just the same question, do these relate to mental problems and how?
One other thing, if they are not keeping things up with an expensive house but do not talk about money with their family is this in itself a symptom? Thinking these all fall under the category of your earlier answer, but want to clarify. Thank you again!
Brief Answer:
Another scenario put forward
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again XXXXXXX
Please do not worry, you may discuss as many questions as you wish all in one query. Just address them once a time so I can concentrate on each. :)
Let me put forward another example in response to your first paragraph, there are 3 clerks in my operating theatre, out of which there has to be one head who organizes it all. I cannot choose the head as the management does so, but all three of them are equally as hard working and dedicated to their job.
Recently there was news that one of them was to be made the head of the clerk department (do not know what the designation would be called). And so all of them though they each had an equal chance. They worked hard and were at their usual best during the days leading to the announcement of the new head position. One of them (Lets call her Lady A) had applied for this post 11 year ago, and was hoping her prayers were finally going to be answered. Lady B had the most experience and had been working in the same department for over 20 years of her life, she practically lived there. Lady C was the youngest of the three, and so was the quickest and the most diligent.
Lady C finally got the raise. Lady A and Lady B made a lot of sacrifices over the years, missing family time, rushing things in the house, not always being there for their respective husbands or kids, etc. And had even developed conditions diabetes, gout, varicose veins, etc; due to our hectic routine and long hours of standing.
The above mentioned scenario would match that mentioned by you in your first paragraph and so I would still consider them to be motivated, responsible, hard-working and dedicated. They just wanted a raise so they could rise one level on the ladder of financial status. This would not be a reason to place them on a psychological or psychiatric scanner, and so I would still rule this out from being categorised as a psychological condition.
Please write back to me, as my answers cannot be this lengthy. I shall then address the other two response of yours, and anything you have in addition.
Thank you,
Best wishes.
Another scenario put forward
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again XXXXXXX
Please do not worry, you may discuss as many questions as you wish all in one query. Just address them once a time so I can concentrate on each. :)
Let me put forward another example in response to your first paragraph, there are 3 clerks in my operating theatre, out of which there has to be one head who organizes it all. I cannot choose the head as the management does so, but all three of them are equally as hard working and dedicated to their job.
Recently there was news that one of them was to be made the head of the clerk department (do not know what the designation would be called). And so all of them though they each had an equal chance. They worked hard and were at their usual best during the days leading to the announcement of the new head position. One of them (Lets call her Lady A) had applied for this post 11 year ago, and was hoping her prayers were finally going to be answered. Lady B had the most experience and had been working in the same department for over 20 years of her life, she practically lived there. Lady C was the youngest of the three, and so was the quickest and the most diligent.
Lady C finally got the raise. Lady A and Lady B made a lot of sacrifices over the years, missing family time, rushing things in the house, not always being there for their respective husbands or kids, etc. And had even developed conditions diabetes, gout, varicose veins, etc; due to our hectic routine and long hours of standing.
The above mentioned scenario would match that mentioned by you in your first paragraph and so I would still consider them to be motivated, responsible, hard-working and dedicated. They just wanted a raise so they could rise one level on the ladder of financial status. This would not be a reason to place them on a psychological or psychiatric scanner, and so I would still rule this out from being categorised as a psychological condition.
Please write back to me, as my answers cannot be this lengthy. I shall then address the other two response of yours, and anything you have in addition.
Thank you,
Best wishes.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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