Work-Life Balance?

I've been doing some research on work-life balance and tips for achieving it. What I have found is a lot of strong opinions and blame. Americans put in too many hours at the office: everyone starts their arguments with this statement. But some of these complaints are just rants, with no solutions presented. Others place blame, with the obvious target most frequently being the employer. Harsh words about the corporation "stealing" our time are common. Some writers add blame to Americans for inter-related reasons like credit card debt and overemphasis on consumerism. They say that Americans started it, and as a result of their own greed, must put in extra hours at the office. The most depressing allegations are that overwork is an addiction in the employee, that must be treated with psychotherapy or a 12-step program. I know I made a statement in one of my earlier entries that I am a recovering workaholic and will need a 12-step program to recover from the damage. I was halfway joking, but it's thoroughly depressing to read that there are diagnoses like this that actually exist.

Something I have found interesting is that a lot of the common arguments do not apply to my current employer. I look forward to learning more about this subject.