Workaholism is the respectable addiction in our society but it's costing organizations in terms of loss of productivity, poor relationships and employee engagement. During this recession, with the increased pressure on workers to perform, the problem is getting worse.

In Japan, workaholism is called karoshi -- "death by overwork" -- and it's estimated to cause 1,000 deaths per year, nearly 5% of that country's stroke and heart attack deaths in employees under age 60. In the Netherlands, it's resulted in a new condition known as "leisure illness," estimated to affect 3% of its entire population, according to one study. Workers actually get physically sick on weekends and vacations as they stop working and try, in vain, to relax. In a June 27, 2009 article in the Globe and Mail, Tarla Grant examined the issue of workaholics. She cites Statistics Canada which reported that 1/3 of Canadians considered themselves workaholics.

In the U.S., and Canada workaholism remains what it's always been: the so-called "respectable addiction" that's dangerous as any other-- whether or not they hold jobs."Yes, workaholism is an addiction, an obsessive-compulsive disorder, and it's not the same as working hard or putting in long hours," says Bryan Robinson, PhD, one of the leading researchers on the disorder and author of Chained to the Desk and other books on workaholism. Workaholic's obsession with work is all-occupying, which prevents workaholics from maintaining healthy relationships, outside interests, or even take measures to protect their health.

In a June 27, 2009 article in the Globe and Mail, Tarla Grant examined the issue of workaholics. So who are these workaholics? According to Grant, there is no typical profile, although Baby Boomers are more susceptible to being workaholics than Generation Y workers. Most workaholics are successful. And workaholics are more likely to be managers or executives, more likely to be unhappy about their work/life balance and work on average more than 50 hours per week. They neglect their health to the point of devastating results and ignore their friends and family. They avoid going on vacation so they don't have to miss work. And even if they do go on vacation, they aren't fully present because their mind is still on work.

One thing that we do know is that workaholics tend to seek out jobs that allow them to exercise their addiction.The workplace itself does not create the addiction any more than the supermarket creates food addiction, but it does enable it. Workaholics tend to seek high-stress jobs to keep the adrenaline rush going.

Research shows that the seeds of workaholism are often planted in childhood, resulting in low self-esteem that carries into adulthood. Many workaholics are the children of alcoholics or come from some other type of dysfunctional family, and work addiction is an attempt to control a situation that is not controllable. Or they tend to be products of what can be called 'looking good families' whose parents tend to be perfectionists and expect unreasonable success from their kids. These children grow up thinking that nothing is ever good enough. Some just throw in the towel, but others say, 'I'm going to show I'm the best in everything so my parents approve of me.'"

The problem is, perfection is unattainable, whether you're a kid or a successful professional. Anyone who carries a mandate for perfection is susceptible to workaholism because it creates a situation where the person never gets to cross the finish line, because it keeps moving farther out.

Here's the irony. Despite logging in mega hours and sacrificing their health and loved ones for their jobs, workaholics are frequently ineffective employees. Workaholics tend to be less effective than other workers because it's difficult for them to be team players, they have trouble delegating or entrusting co-workers, or they take on so much that they aren't as organized as others.

Research indicates four distinct workaholic "working styles":The bulimic workaholic feels the job must be done perfectly or not at all. Bulimic workaholics often can't get started on projects, and then scramble to complete it by deadline, often frantically working to the point of exhaustion -- with sloppy results; the relentless workaholic is the adrenaline junkie who often takes on more work than can possibly be done. In an attempt to juggle too many balls, they often work too fast or are too busy for careful, thorough results; the attention-deficit workaholic often starts with fury, but fails to finish projects -- often because they lose interest for another project. They often savor the "brainstorming" aspects but get easily bored with the necessary details or follow-through; and the savoring workaholic who is slow, methodical, and overly scrupulous. They often have trouble letting go of projects and don't work well with others. These are often consummate perfectionists, frequently missing deadlines because "it's not perfect."

Where workaholism affects organizations is the lack of knowledge by managers. Many companies often confuse workaholics for hard workers, in essence enabling them on their path to self-destruction.

So how do you know if you're a workaholic? Grant identified 5 warning signs. See if these describe you:

1. Compared to 5 years ago, work is a regular part of your evenings and weekends;
2. You spend less time with family, friends, community and being engaged in regular activities such as exercise;
3. You eat faster, talk faster, walk faster. You feel like you're constantly trying to "catch up."
4. You're developing skeletal and muscular problems because of the amount of time you spend sitting or standing, under stress;
5. Your focus and concentration is not good, and your productivity is actually declining.

Ray Williams is Co-Founder of Success IQ University, and President of Ray Williams Associates, companies located in Vancouver and Phoenix, providing leadership training, personal growth and executive coaching services. He can be reached at rwilliams@successiqu.com