Anxiety Epidemic: Are we importing anxiety into our mind and life?

1. Anxiety Epidemic: Are we importing anxiety into our mind and life?

2. Nearly one in five -- 40 million American adults -- suffer from anxiety disorders, the most common class of psychiatric ailment we have. By comparison, a mere one in ten are plagued with mood disorders like depression, the second most-common class of psychiatric problems. - Daniel Smith, author of the new anxiety memoir Monkey Mind

3. "According to the 2002 World Mental Health Survey, people in developing-world countries such as Nigeria are up to five times less likely to show clinically significant anxiety levels than Americans, despite having more basic life-necessities to worry about… What's more, when these less-anxious developing-world citizens emigrate to the United States, they tend to get just as anxious as Americans.” - Taylor Clark, author of Nerve

4. No! Even when the economy were in great shape, as it was in 2004, Americans spent $2.1 billion on anti-anxiety meds, almost double the amount spent in 1997

5. cintamaparimeyamca pralayantamupashritah kamopabhoga-parama etavad iti nishcitah “They believe that to gratify the senses is the prime necessity of human civilization. Thus until the end of life their anxiety is immeasurable. ” (Bhagavad-gita 16.11)

6. Stanford psychology professor Hazel Markus asked Indian and American participants to report how many choices they'd made while doing a series of small tasks. "Though everybody made the same series of decisions" -- choosing a desk to sit at, choosing a pad to use, choosing whether or not to eat free candy, …

7. …"Americans thought that they'd made twice as many choices as the Indians, 20 compared to 10. Too much choice can paralyze people and make them anxious.”

8. aneka-citta-vibhranta moha-jala-samavritah Thus [they become] perplexed by various anxieties and bound by a network of illusions. (Bhagavad-gita 16.16)

9. "Anything about a decision that ... [is] less than perfect is a rebuke to the decision maker,“ - Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less.

10. "For Chinese (and other Asians), sense of self and self-worth are not tied up so much with notions of individual autonomy and choice. So a bad pair of jeans is just a bad pair of jeans. In the U.S., it's a bad pair of jeans AND a statement about you. Think how much weightier your decisions are if every one you make tells the world something about who you are.“ - Barry Schwartz

11. ishvaro 'ham ahambhogi siddho 'ham balavansukhi adhyo 'bhijanavanasmi ko 'nyo 'stisadrishomaya I am the lord of everything. I am the enjoyer. I am perfect, powerful and happy. I am the richest man, surrounded by aristocratic relatives. There is none so powerful and happy as I am. (Bhagavad-gita 16.14-15)

12. W - Work W - Watch S - Shop Let’s stop being a part of World Wide Stupidity

13. Are we seeking these in materialism? I – Identity S – Shelter P – Pleasure Understand ISP: I (am a) Spiritual Person

14. When we decrease our materialism and don’t bother unduly about superficialities like fashion & status, we cut off the channel that feeds anxiety

15. When we decrease our materialism and don’t bother unduly about superficialities like fashion & status, we cut off the channel that feeds anxiety

16. When we connect with Krishna who is the eternally unchanging and unchangeable shelter, we find a refuge of serenity in a storm of anxiety.