20 questions to confirm "Are you a workaholic?"

(AVAVA)

Researchers have found a link between working three to four hours overtime and increased risk of heart disease in a study published in the online edition of European Heart Journal on May 12. Workaholics are prime candidates for heart disease as well as other health, social and family problem. Find out if you are at risk with this 20-question quiz.

Workaholics Anonymous (WA), a support group to help workaholics overcome their addiction and find a work-life balance, has created this list of questions:

1. Do you get more excited about your work than about family or anything else?
2. Are there times when you can charge through your work and other times when you can't?
3. Do you take work with you to bed? on weekends? on vacation?
4. Is work the activity you like to do best and talk about most?
5. Do you work more than 40 hours a week?
6. Do you turn your hobbies into money-making ventures?
7. Do you take complete responsibility for the outcome of your work efforts?
8. Have your family or friends given up expecting you on time?
9. Do you take on extra work because you are concerned that it won't otherwise get done?
10. Do you underestimate how long a project will take and then rush to complete it?
11. Do you believe that it is okay to work long hours if you love what you are doing?
12. Do you get impatient with people who have other priorities besides work?
13. Are you afraid that if you don't work hard you will lose your job or be a failure?
14. Is the future a constant worry for you even when things are going very well?
15. Do you do things energetically and competitively including play?
16. Do you get irritated when people ask you to stop doing your work in order to do something else?
17. Have your long hours hurt your family or other relationships?
18. Do you think about your work while driving, falling asleep or when others are talking?
19. Do you work or read during meals?
20. Do you believe that more money will solve the other problems in your life?

According to LifeTwo, a blog for "midlife improvement," if you answered "yes" to the bolded questions you may need to work on your priorities and seek greater balance between life and work.  

If you find that you are continually preoccupied with work, uncomfortable delegating, neglecting other aspects of life, merge other aspects of your life into work and 'sneak' work then you may want to actively discuss the problem with loved ones or a therapist.

As with any addiction admitting you have a problem is the first step. To learn more about how to get help or help a workaholic friend or family member find a WA meeting in your area (available online, phone and in-person) worldwide from Argentina to Slovenia, visit WA's site: Workaholics-Anonymous.org.

Full study, "Overtime work and incident coronary heart disease: the Whitehall II prospective cohort study": http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org