Are you suffering from Affluenza

Wikipedia has this definition of Affluenza 
Affluenza, from affluence and influenza, is a term used by critics of consumerism. Sources define it as follows:

affluenza, n. a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.

affluenza, n. 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses. 2. An epidemic of stress,overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by the pursuit of the American Dream. 3. An unsustainable addiction to economic growth.

Proponents of the term consider that the prizing of endless increases in material wealth may lead to feelings of worthlessness and dissatisfaction rather than experiences of a 'better life', and that these symptoms may be usefully captured with the metaphor of a disease.

Oliver James the writer of the book "Affluenza" describes it as:

an obsessive, envious, keeping-up-with-the-Joneses - that has resulted in huge increases in depression and anxiety among millions. 

His book has some interesting points which give us a picture of the bane we are facing around the world where we are expected to perform in our workplaces and become what is perceived as successful by the world at large. Being perceived as successful becomes so important to us that we start to neglect a lot of things which could actually make us happy, like staying home with our kids, or painting or travelling the world, and creates untold stress in both us individually and in the society. He gives examples of highly developed societies with gender equality to a great extent (like Denmark) where women are forced to leave their kids home and go to work because they are expected to. That is what fulfills them. This he argues, is a wrong notion of fulfillment on the one hand, and on the other, women are over stressed because they end up doing everything in the house and out. His solution is that dads take more time out and devote it to their kids. Only if mums and dads share the burden of childcare, will the working solution be also a happy one. He also advocates being happy with what one has and not aspire to more, as "more" never quite ends. He also warns of having our kids pushed into schools and day care centers too early, something which most of us, including myself, have no choice about.

Another book about this subject is Affluenza: When Too Much is Never Enough is a 2005 book by Professor Clive Hamilton and Richard Denniss. According to them most Western society is addicted to over consumption and it is costing them their relationships, happiness and health. Lifestyle diseases are an inevitable outcome of this.

So how do you know if you have Affluenza? Here are some questions which Oliver James poses in his book. If you answer "Always" to any of these you are highly affected.

• Recently, have you felt so down that no amount of anything made you feel more chipper?
• Have you felt irrationally worried about things?
• Recently have you been so irritable or jumpy that feeling relaxed is impossible?
• Recently have you felt pathetic or useless or incompetent?
• Is living your normal life exhausting?
• Have you recently cursed yourself for being stupid, fat or lazy?