10 Bizarre Addictions That Are Harmful and Shouldn’t Be Taken Lightly

What comes first in your mind when you hear the word addiction? The addiction to mobile phones, drugs, and any other thing can be harmful to the body. It is a disease that alters brain chemicals and affects both mind and body. But, I am not talking about the addictions that are commonly seen, like addiction to alcohol, watching porn or of tobacco, I am taking your attention to weird things that are odd and are hard to believe.

Some of the addictions you see would make you think that people do this for grabbing the attention; unfortunately, they become addicted.

You can be addicted to anything, but these folks have some bizarre addictions that you might have never heard of.

1. Drinking Human Blood

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No, don’t be shocked. It is true, a woman named Julia Caples from Pennsylvania drinks human blood every day; sometimes, she drinks up to half a gallon a month. She is a goth. Drinking human blood keeps her beautiful and feels alive.

Another woman named Michelle featured on the show My Strange Addiction and insisted that she needed to drink human blood. During the shoot, she said that she began drinking her blood when she was a teen. Later, she bought pig blood to hold her over. But she loves human blood most.

People who feed on human or animal blood do so to maintain health and vitality. Drinking blood is processed by the body, the same as water. It goes into the stomach, small intestine, and then into the bloodstream. But unlike vampire bats, a human body doesn’t have the right mechanism to digest blood. Consuming excessive human blood may lead to stomach aches and vomiting.

That is not the only case when a human drank blood; here are some more real-life vampire cases noticed.

2. Shopping Addiction - Oniomania

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How often do you shop? I shop when I have my birthday or usually on occasions. But if done too much, it is medically recognized as addiction with a name Oniomania.

You might have met people who are shopaholics, but sometimes these people do not have control over their lives and go into debt for unnecessary things. If you are the one who is into debt and hide purchases from family, does unnecessary online shopping, it's time to stop this right now and should consider your true motivations.

CBD (Compulsive Buying Disorder) occurs in the late teens and is generally chronic. It affects women more than men. Like other addictions, shopping too leads to problems in other areas of life.  Almost everyone does shopping, but it is recorded that only 6% of the US population has a shopping addiction.

Are you addicted to this kind of shopping?

3. Drinking Pee

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Eww, but that’s true. You can’t imagine drinking your pee, but one woman says she can’t get enough of it. She not only drinks her urine but also washes her eyelashes and cleans teeth with her urine. She even said that she would drink pee nasally using a Neti pot. Dr. Keith Ablow (a psychiatrist) believes that Carrie has OCD. She claims that her urine tastes like water and would not stop tasting it.

You would be shocked to know that the practice of drinking urine goes back to millennia. Reports dating back to ancient Rome and ancient Egypt suggest that urine has been used to cure cancer and acne. Urotherapy or urophagia is still practiced in several parts of the world. It was also published that once a doctor tested for diabetes in the urine by drinking it. Would you ever drink your urine?

4. Piercings

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Trends come and go, but piercing is one of the trends that would never go outdated. While some people are addicted to plastic surgery, others are addicted to piercing.

Piercing has been a part of several traditional practices and beliefs. Right from the piercing eyebrows to ears and lips to the tongue, it is now seen on the nipple rings and genitals. Getting tattoos inked also falls under this category.

While there is not an official name for this addiction, some people can’t get enough of it and get every inch of their body pierced. It is an ongoing fashion trend and could only be safe if you follow the guidelines given by the professionals. Before you plan for piercing, make sure that know these facts about piercing.

5. Eating Glass - Hyalophagia

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How could this be an addiction? Josh, who was featured on the show My Strange Addiction, said that he was addicted to eating glass. A person who eats glass admits that he/she do this to gain the attention of people, but also sustain injuries. Josh told that he likes wine glasses, light bulb, and champagne glasses as they are thin, and eating glasses is like eating sharp rock candy.

People with Pica (an eating disorder) eat items that have no nutritional value. They might eat up dangerous items like pieces of metal or harmless items like ice. It usually occurs in children and pregnant women. The unusual craving in people is a sign that their body is trying to replenish low nutrient levels.

6. Playing Video Games

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It is one of the most common addictions noticed in people. Those who are addicted to video games withdraw from real relationships often and focus on game achievements.

Do you know people have even died because they couldn’t give up on the game to go to the bathroom and to eat? According to studies, males under the age of 30 are usually addicted to video games.

If you are a video game lover, don’t forget that playing games are only fun for max 2-3 hrs, it shouldn’t be an addiction. Also, have a look at the popular video games with huge Kickstarter funding that attracted video game lovers.

7. Eating Laundry Detergent

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Yes, you can laugh, but this is also an addiction to a few people. While eating the regular soap is not very harmful and won’t kill you, but it liquefies your bowels. People have died from eating laundry detergent, and this disorder is another form of Pica disorder. This warning doesn’t stop people from eating detergent and is more common than most people think.

This disorder is usually seen in people with zinc deficiency or with developmental disabilities. It is usually noticed in kids, but also seen in adults. Many people cope with stress by using food. But having an addiction to eating laundry detergent is something I found weird.

Do you know someone who doesn’t like eating foods like pizza or delicious dishes but gets excited when he/she sees laundry detergent?

8. Thumb Sucking

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It is common to see a kid sucking a thumb, but seeing an adult doing this is weird. Sucking a thumb may cause several dental problems like protruding teeth, malocclusion, and sickness. Aside from being embarrassing, it is like having an addiction to drugs that is very difficult to give up. Thumb suckers are more prone to infections than those who don’t.

Kids less than 2 or 3 years old sucking a thumb don’t require any treatment, but in 4 or above, sucking may change their emotional environment and treatment should be done to correct the underlying problem. Thumb sucking disorder is not only found in humans, but in ring-tailed lemurs, chimpanzees, and other primates.

9. Pulling Hair - Trichotillomania

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Pulling Hair or Trichotillomania is a disorder where people pull their hair from eyelashes, arms, and beard or from anywhere. They experience high levels of anxiety and pull hair. People who suffer from this disorder sometimes also chew or eat their hair.

Bald patches left on the head may affect one side more than the other. It is not clear what causes this disorder, but it could be a chemical imbalance in the brain, changes in hormone levels, or a type of self-harm to seek relief from emotional distress. This disorder occurs to such a degree that hair loss can be seen.

According to the experts, sufferers should visit a psychologist to know the cause of the disorder. Trichotillomania is estimated to affect 1-4% of people. It begins in childhood or adolescence.

10. Eating Ashes

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Although this disorder is not common, it is noticed in children as well as adults.

A woman who eats the ashes of her cremated husband was featured on the TV series ‘My Strange Addiction.’ She was so saddened by her husband’s death that she would carry his ashes everywhere she goes. One day, accidentally, the ashes got on her finger, and she licked them. Since then, she started consuming the ashes of the human body.

While children with this Pica disorder may eat substances like cloth, plaster, and paint adults and teens consume animal droppings, soil, or clay. According to the experts, sufferers should visit a psychologist to know the cause of the eating disorder.

Final Words

You are probably wrong if you think that only playing video games and using a mobile phone is an addiction. Any addiction, be it of sucking a thumb or drinking urine, is bad and also harmful for health.

Did you find these addictions shocking? I am shocked. Do you have this kind of addiction or know anyone with a strange addiction like these? What was your reaction to it? Share your views below.