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

How readers can slow down and reduce their perfectionism - the feeling that it's never good enough Why do so many of the most accomplished, successful, and admired people in the world remain unhappy and unfulfilled in spite of their achievements? According to Harvard Medical School instructor Arthur Ciaramicoli, they suffer from Performance Addiction - the belief that perfecting appearance and achieving status will secure the love and respect of others. Using insights gleaned through his research and clinical practice, Dr. Ciaramicoli shows the reasons why the label of "success" so rarely leads to happiness. In this intriguing and prescriptive guide, Ciaramicoli shows the psychological factors that lead to Performance Addiction, gives readers self-evaluation quizzes so they can determine if they have it, and then provides action steps and a prescriptive program to help Performance Addicts achieve happiness and success at home and at work. Arthur Ciaramicoli, PhD, EdD (Hopkinton, MA), is a clinical psychologist and Instructor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School. He has a substantial private practice, does corporate lecturing, and has appeared on The O'Reilly Report as well as numerous national radio programs.

""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.