Workaholics Anonymous Quiz: Are You A Workaholic?

Workaholics Anonymous has prepared twenty questions to ask if you suspect you are (or somebody you know is) a workaholic:

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?

LifeTwo's perspective is that many if not most of the questions above can be answered affirmatively by individuals who don't have work prioritization issues. However, #'s 14, #17 and 20 are certainly signals that the work-life balance is not sufficiently balanced and that some outside assistance might be beneficial. While it's possible that one is simply in a job or has a boss that requires too much of them, it can sometimes be hard to see this without the perspective of a third-party--particularly if the problem is within the individual or if the worker is using work to compensate for something else in their life. In this way organizations such as Workaholics Anonymous (and LifeTwo) can be useful resources for a life course re-correction the same way that Gambler's Anonymous and AA are able to help with those compulsive behaviors.

About Workaholics Anonymous:

Workaholics Anonymous is a fellowship of individuals who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their common problems and help others to recover from workaholism.

The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop working compulsively. There are no dues or fees for W.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. W.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stop working compulsively and to carry the message of recovery to workaholics who still suffer.

By the way, if you responded "yes" to several of the questions above, Workaholics Anonymous reminds you to relax and to know that you are not alone. Your recognition of the problem is the first step toward your recovery.

The second step is to peruse the articles on this site as there is a lot of information that should be very beneficial to you. If you are unsure how, a good place would be to click on one or more of the "tags" below or read this post.

This post is part of LifeTwo's Midlife Career Change FAQ covering all aspects of changing careers in middle age.