How To Survive A Workaholic Spouse

When your partner's real partner is work, here's what to do.

In Pictures: Nine Ways To Survive A Workaholic Spouse

Sarah Morris Smith used to spend 70 hours a week selling Mary Kay cosmetics while her husband, John, a part-time sales associate at Walgreens, stayed home with their infant daughter. "He always did the housework and cooking," says Smith. "I'm sure he resented doing all those chores."

Smith admits that her workaholism ripped her marriage apart. She and John still live together, though they are legally separated. No longer with Mary Kay, Smith works well into the evenings as a recruiter for nSight, a business consultancy in Burlington, Mass.

"I think we might have had a chance if we had shared hobbies or scheduled time together, but I come home and monopolize the computer," says Smith. "Even down-time is work time. I'm giving him primary custody of our daughter because I know my work habits are not fair to her."

In Pictures: Nine Ways To Survive A Workaholic Spouse

In Pictures: Seven Work-Stress Relievers

Sarah and John's situation is all too common. Addiction to work is a marriage killer: Unions involving workaholics are twice as likely to end in divorce, according to a study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. And for couples that choose to gut it out, the psychological toll can be devastating.