20 Wacky And Mind-Boggling Addictions People Actually Have

Many of us have our own favorite and personal pastimes. Some of us like to read books, paint pictures, play sports, listen to music, watch TV, and so on. Others, though, develop some strange fetishes that completely boggle the mind. The following list comprises a handful of such people who have developed some odd addictions. But, of course, the sayings “To each his own” and “Whatever makes you happy” come to mind, so let’s restrain ourselves to appreciating the randomness that comes along with being human.

Addiction To Funerals

Brazilian Luis Squarisi, 42, has attended nearly every funeral in his town for the last 20 years. He even quit his day job. “The first thing I do every morning is turn on the radio to find out if anyone has died. If I don’t hear anything I call the hospitals“, he said. And his fellow townspeople don’t seem to mind. A funeral director commented, “We don’t want him to go to therapy, everyone expects to see him“.

Drinking Blood

Michelle, a tattoo artist, makes her Bloody Mary’s with actual blood. She often gets the blood from her friend’s arm. Michelle once said, “I get cravings like someone craving a cigarette. I drink it while reading, relaxing or painting. It’s like having a hot toddy“.

Tanning

For some people, tanning is more than skin-deep. Trisha Paytas, a self-confessed “tanorexic”, has spent $45,000 keeping herself golden. She uses tanning beds every day, most often just once but sometimes twice daily.

Wigs

Wigs! Yes, some people are addicted to wigs. What’s more, there’s even a “Wig Addicts Anonymous” group out there to help people who have the addiction.

Reading

An addiction to reading is a real thing. Those afflicted read so much and so often that they experience a sharp disconnect from people and society. Don Quixote had this problem, of course: he read so many tales of knights and chivalry that he eventually believed them to be true. If you start seeing dragons in place of windmills, seek help.

The Web

Clinics like reStart treat people who are addicted to the web. Ironically, reStart has clinics situated near various Microsoft Headquarters. Sometimes patients get caught smuggling in things like smartphones. Those most addicted develop sleep and eating disorders, as well as a reduced attention span.

Soap Operas

Soap operas are designed to be addictive, but for certain people the addiction controls their lives. Some will watch the same episodes over and over again; others’ social skills may wither away; and some will experience financial problems.

Eating Glass

This one will make your throat constrict: Josh, a 27-year-old in Ohio, is addicted to eating glass. He says he gets a warm and tingly feeling when he chomps down on a serving. His snacks of choice: champagne glasses or light bulbs. Many stage performers, such as Michel Lotito, have been known to eat such things, but Josh does this just for his own personal pleasure.

Huffing Gasoline

In Williamsport, Pennsylvania, 44-year-old lady named Theresa is addicted to whiffing gasoline. She says she takes hits approximately every ten minutes and keeps a bottle on hand at all times. She claims there is something pleasant in the way the fumes tingle her nose and the back of her throat. Theresa’s boyfriend says she gets cranky when she is unable to take a hit.

Eating Cigarette Ashes

A lady named Bianca originally had the addiction of eating pottery, which she says her body craved. Now, though, she has developed an addiction to eating cigarette ashes—and the ironic thing is that she doesn’t smoke. What gets her is the texture, which she finds grittier than the pottery.

Heavy Metal

Roger Tullgren of Sweden is addicted to heavy metal, his favorite in particular being Black Sabbath. The odd thing is that Sweden actually recognizes his addiction and provides him with disability pay. He works as a dishwasher, and his employer has to let him play loud music at certain times.

Plastic Surgery

Unfortunately, people get plastic surgery for the wrong reasons—and often the end result is the opposite of what was sought. Case in point: Jocelyn Wildenstein. She caught her husband in bed with a young Russian model, but instead of seeking divorce, Jocelyn tried to win back her husband through plastic surgery. Well, one poor surgery led to another, and she has spent nearly $4 million on trying to improve herself.

Eating Dirt

Known as geophagy, those afflicted are addicted to eating dirt. This one is often a sign of nutritional deficiencies, as those afflicted often eat dirt that is rich in magnesium, potassium, and phosphorous. Furthermore, pregnant women in Africa sometimes eat clay to meet certain nutritional needs.

Lying

Those addicted to lying often derive a sense of power from getting away with a lie, or sometimes they lie because they suffer from low self-esteem. When these people are presented with cold, hard facts, they often continue to maintain their position.

Eating Toilet Paper

As it turns out, some people get addicted to eating copious amounts of toilet paper. A blogger at Experience Project claims he or she has been eating toilet paper for nearly 14 years. He says, “My preference is Angel-Soft double-sheets. For whatever reason, I love the way it smells and tastes…When I go to check ups at the doctor I’m very healthy, and after eating it I feel fine“.

Animal Hoarding

This addiction has its own show on Animal Planet, titled Confessions: Animal Hoarding. Similar to hoarders of various things, animal hoarders will collect pets to the point where it is harmful to the owners and pets alike.

Couch Cushions

Adele Edwards, a lady who eats couch cushions, claims she can eat an eight-by-eleven chunk of the inner foam in a day. “I just take little bite-sized pieces and snack on it all day“, she has said. Throughout her couch-eating career, Adele has eaten seven couches and two chairs. This addiction has been diagnosed as a strange case of Pica.

Coffee Enemas

“So how do you like your coffee…Wait, really!?” People like Trina and Mike Elliot prefer to get their caffeine jolt via coffee enemas. They make their coffee the normal way, but then place it in a bag and use a Vaseline-coated hose to get the coffee into their respective colons. Doing so bypasses the stomach and digestion, which usually slows down the rate at which drugs enter the bloodstream.

High Volumes

People can develop addictions to particular decibel frequencies. In 1998, researchers at Northeastern University in Boston found music could cause mood changes, cravings and even arousal. The more someone liked a song, the likelier they were to crank up the volume. Addicts sometimes experience withdrawal symptoms when they are forced to turn down the volume.

Chewing Ice

Consuming unnatural quantities of ice is called pagophagia, and it is classified as a form of pica.