Addiction — it’s a word that tends to conjure up images of dark alleys and desperate individuals, but the reality is so much broader and sometimes downright bizarre. Did you know that anything that lights up our brain’s reward center could become addictive? Yup, from classic substances like alcohol and drugs to the hilariously strange, like drinking blood or munching on paint chips, the list of potential addictions is as eclectic as it is concerning! In this article, I’ve rounded up some of the wackiest addictions out there, proving that when it comes to cravings, humans can really surprise you. So, buckle up for a wild ride through the quirky world of addiction! LEARN MORE.
I think that it’s important to start out with the fact that addiction to anything is a mental illness. Yes, some people do weird things for attention, but most of the time, whatever lights up the reward center for the brain can become addictive.
This is why there are so many things that we can get addicted to. I’ve compiled some of the weirdest ones in this article, so prepare yourself.
Addiction to hair pulling, or by its medical term, trichtillomania, is an impulse control. People have the urge to pull their hair out from either their head, eyelashes, eyebrows, arms, wherever.
People who have this condition also usually have some sort of anxiety. Pulling their hair makes them feel better.
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If you don’t think there are vampires walking this earth, just wait till you hear about this addiction. Yes, drinking blood is an addiction, just ask Dracula.
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A woman from Pennsylvania has drunk blood every day for the last thirty years. She says it makes her feel alive and keeps her beautiful. I just feel like there are other methods to achieve those things.
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If this reminds you of the phase about kids eating Tide Pods, you’re not alone. That’s all I can think about.
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But, apparently eating soap or detergent can be an addiction for some people. It’s not a good one as it can liquify your bowels and kill you.
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Look, I could probably write seventeen articles about what it’s like to be addicted to drinking coffee. But, coffee enemas? No thanks.
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Taking caffeine through your bottom can make it absorb quicker in your bloodstream. This is why some people will opt to take drugs in their, uh, bottoms, instead of their mouths.
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It’s fairly normal to have a weird addiction at 24 years old. Heck, it’s kind of out of the ordinary if you don’t have a weird obsession at that age.
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But, a girl named Lacey takes it to another level. She has an addiction to rubbing doll heads on her face. She literally does it all day long.
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Some people drink their pee for “urine therapy” while others just like the taste, I guess. There’s a woman from Florida who drinks her own pee, and also uses it to wash her eyes, teeth etc.
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She claims that it tastes like water and has no plans of stopping anytime soon. No thank you.
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Honestly, this one weirds me out. I can handle most of the stuff on this article, but this is incredibly creepy.
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Luis Squarisi is a 42-year-old Brazilian man who is addicted to smelling dead bodies. His addiction has taken over so much of his life that he ended up having to quit his job.
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There’s actually a medical term for people who are addicted to eating glass— hyalophagia. Many people who have this addiction aren’t so much fawning over the taste, but rather the attention.
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They also end up sustaining serious injuries for doing it (surprise). This isn’t my first choice for a nice dinner.
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If you’re reading this one and think you’re guilty of this addiction, you’re probably not wrong. I mean, refined sugar is scientifically as addictive as many drugs.
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If you don’t think your body is addicted to sugar, just try to go without it for a few weeks (that includes natural sugar). You’ll have awful anxiety, cravings, headaches, tiredness… the list goes on.
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We have all body parts that we wish looked a little different. From noses, to lashes, to boobs — it’s very normal. But, some people’s addiction to plastic surgery takes it to a different level.
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They become obsessed with an imperfection and see the plastic surgery route as the only possible option.
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We all have our own tastes in music. It’s not weird if you’re a country music guy, or a rock guy, or a pop guy. But, a man in Sweden took it to an obsessive level.
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He was so addicted to heavy metal, and it took over so much of his life that he is legally allowed to qualify it as a disability. He receives unemployment benefits because of it.
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Surprisingly, this is fairly common. Some people use nasal spray WAY too much. People will use nasal spray to clear their passages, but if you’re addicted, you will use it with no purpose.
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In many cases, this will actually end up making your congestion worse. Very, very, very weird if you ask me.
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Thankfully, the idea of smoking a cigarette is slowly disappearing. But, apparently eating the ash is here to stay.
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Many people claim that they are addicted to eating cigarette ash. Even worse? Some people claim to like to eat the ashes of a loved one after they’ve been cremated. Yuck.
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It’s safe to say that having a solid work ethic is something that many employers look for. But, some people become obsessive over their work to a point of fault.
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Without a work-life balance, you risk emotional disconnection in relationships and your social life will plummet significantly. Be careful with it.
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The Center for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that many people around the world have an addiction to chewing ice cubes.
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There’s an actual benefit to chewing ice cubes though. At least you’re going to be getting your daily amount of water, which I think has been upped to like seventeen thousand liters a day now.
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It’s pretty normal to love your car. I mean, I hope you at least LIKE your car since you probably spent a lot of money on it.
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But, there’s a 27-year-old who is obsessed with his car. It’s to the point where he actually will try to have sexual relations with it. Yes, you’re reading that correctly.
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Have you ever looked at a painted wall and gotten a little hungry? Well, me neither, but apparently it’s a thing.
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Some people pass on Lays chips, pass on Doritos, but eat paint chips. It’s obviously pretty terrible for you, so don’t do it. Often time addiction starts when you’re a young kid just experimenting.
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If you have any form of social media, this shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise. I mean, the platforms are literally designed to be as addictive as crack.
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Social media addiction can have a seriously negative impact on someone life. If they try to quit SM, it can have lasting psychological damage to them.
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Snorting white powder is unfortunately fairly normal in some groups of friends. I don’t think I need to elaborate. But, a 28-year-old named Jaye is putting a new twist on it.
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She snorts baby powder at least 10 times a day. She developed this addiction over 16 years ago. Yikes.
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There are people who have a serious addiction to balloons. One man named Julius from Michigan has over fifty thousand balloons.
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He’s been collecting them for decades now and says that he keeps them for sexual desires. I don’t know what that means exactly and I don’t want to know.