There’s no doubt that the modern digital age has presented us with a fast-paced world. We are more inclined to be in a rush than we are to slow down and take our time. In part, that is the fault of digital technology. Not too many years ago, we lived without text messaging, picture messaging, or even the internet on our phones. Loading email on a flip phone took far longer and was considerably more difficult than the ease of the handheld computers we have today in most smart phones. Pictures don’t require development, we can make movies on the fly, and order nearly anything for two day delivery with the touch of a single button- which is actually just an image on a screen. Quickly, we’ve adjusted to living life in a fast-paced way. Everyone seems to be on a race to the present while forgetting that they’re already there. Distracted and stimulated by beeps, tweets, vibrations and notifications, we can get lost in the digital storm of instant gratification. Consequently, we find ourselves becoming addicted to hurrying and lose sense of our ability to take things slow and accept things only as they come.
Inc online writes “There is an addictive frenzy to our technology…that is leaving little room for context, personal centering, or contemplation of the meaning of our activity…we can easily succumb to the escapist frisson and excitement of our own high-risk balancing act and the adrenaline rush of our often fearsome process.” Though the article is talking about hurry addiction for entrepreneurs, we can relate as survivors of trauma and individuals seeking recovery in our lives. We are aware that there is an element of addictive frenzy in our lives which helps us stay so busy that we have little time left for becoming fully present with ourselves. For trauma survivors, this can be a much sought after experience. We look to avoidance and denial at times to try and ease the pain of what we have been through in our lives. The author describes what living with an addiction to hurrying through trauma is like when they write about the “escapist frisson and excitement of our own high-risk balancing act and the adrenaline rush of our often fearsome process.” Recovering from trauma is exciting because it excites the nervous system. We balance so much in our lives when we live in trauma recovery and we can experience the thrill of facing our fears, confronting our trauma, and finding a way to thrive. The “thrill” of trauma recovery can become a new form of “hurry addiction” for us and we seek the comfort of taking risk in life- trusting, loving, and living in a thorough way.
Learning to be is part of the process of trauma recovery. Stop the cycle of merry-go-round treatment and find the solution you’re looking for in trauma treatment. Through effective residential treatment, Khiron House helps you find the path you need toward health and wellness in recovery. For information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).
