(With thanks to Tara Brach).
Introduction
A now common exchange:
"How are you?"
"Busy...too busy,,,or...crazy."
Being busy may very well keep us from doing what matters most, or it may lead us to do things we later deem unwise (such as inappropriately expressing anger). It is also a common way to avoid mental/emotional realities we don't want to face.
Being busy is a problem for almost all of us. Ned Hallowell, one of the foremost experts on Attention Deficit Disorder [which he suggests might also be described as "attention surplus disorder"], states that our American society is now mimicking the symptoms of ADD, and has written a book about it, titled: CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap!
Similar to ADD, people who are 'crazy busy' get easily distracted, sidetracked, have trouble prioritizing, and tend to procrastinate. There's just too much demanding their attention - advances in technology, longer work days, escalating demands, and higher expectations at home.
He describes this as "culturally induced ADD."
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"Rush, Rush, Rush" might be thought of as the motto of America, at least in the big cities. This takes a heavy toll: We are the most powerful empire the world has known - and we are paying a substantial price for having climbed to the top of the heap.
The Mental Health Foundation released the following statistics (which do not take into account the interaction between physical maladies and poor emotional/mental health).
The Advisory Board reported that an estimated 40 million Americans take psychiatric drugs. (advisory.com).
More than eight in 10 adults who were taking psychiatric drugs reported long-term use, the researchers wrote.
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