Issue 10 March 2011


Quantum


HEALTH


Almost Addictions By Joan Parisi Wilcox W


hat is an “almost addiction”? It’s a tenacious need, one not for substances, such as alcohol, drugs, food, or nicotine, but for something that feels comforting and familiar. It’s an almost compulsive reliance on entrenched ways of being that detract from, rather than enrich, our lives. If beliefs influence biology, then these thought and behaviour patterns may be changing our brains just as addictive substances do. They also surely impact our mental and physical health, and our quality of life. So this essay is an exploration based not in science but in a personal musing about a few human behaviours and beliefs that appear to be innocuous but that can gain control over us just surely as addictive substances can. Buddhism says that the key to life is awareness. By bringing “almost addictions” to awareness, perhaps we each can bring into the light of clear-seeing those we are willing to own and so illuminate new paths to growth and healthier ways of being. This selection of three “almost addictions” barely scratches the surface of those I could have chosen, but they are representative of core issues many of us struggle with.


www.quantumhealthmagazine.com My Family, Myself


I remember as a teenager being angry with my father for some of his behaviours and attitudes, and promising myself I would never be like him. And, then, of course, as an adult I was aghast as I found myself unconsciously sounding and acting just like him in certain circumstances. It took years for me to unlearn those patterns–and the healing process continues. However, it started with owning that I was my father in certain respects.


If there is one area where most of us have to unlearn unhealthy or unhelpful patterns, it is our family history. It’s no wonder we sound or act like our parents, or primary caregivers whoever they might have been, for youngsters’ developing brains are like sponges. Almost all of our adult beliefs are formed in childhood, and we tend to go through life without reviewing those patterns to see if they are still working for us. To explore the roots of this issue–and find ways to easily and quickly resolve issues–I invite you to revisit Chris Walton’s article in last month’s issue and his book Incredible You. One of the points he makes is that patterns are not good or bad, they just


Quantum Health 41


Joan Parisi Wilcox


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