My Strange Addictions
Dear friends,
Every single living being is different in their own ways, and we all have our own quirks and idiosyncrasies. People have their habits and sometimes they do strange things that others may not understand. Reading up on some of these habits, as well as unusual and weird addictions may actually help us to understand them better and allow us to figure out how their minds operate.
Personally I certainly do not find them amusing or entertaining because most of their addictions involve harming themselves either physically or mentally. What is sad is that they do not have the clarity and determination to cut off their addictions. I hope they will soon break off their unhealthy habits and live a healthy life.
I would like to thank Martin and Pastor Jean Ai for taking their time to help me with this article.
Thank you,
Beatrix
1. Toby Sheldon – Justin Bieber look-a-like
35-year-old Toby Sheldon, whose legal name is Tobias Martin Strebel, has spent over 100,000 dollars to look like Justin Bieber. In one of his interviews, he said that he was jealous of Justin’s flawless face back then and even though he was not a fan of Justin, he decided to risk everything, including his life, to look like Justin.
Toby has undergone quite a significant number of surgical procedures including liposuction, lip lifts, fillers, fat injections and eye lifts. He has also endured at least six hair transplants to get the perfect Bieber bangs, just so that he can experience being his idol.
Unfortunately, his life did not end up that well. In August 21, 2015 Toby was found dead in a motel after he went missing three days earlier. While officials say that prescription drugs were found in the room, the actual cause of death has yet to be confirmed.
“I didn’t necessarily listen to his music or fawn over him as a celebrity, but his face was just so flawless; every change I made was modeled after him.”
~ Toby Sheldon in a statement made in 2012
2. Keyshia – I love chewing dirty diapers
Keyshia’s obsession began four years ago when she started hoarding dirty diapers and taking them everywhere. “It has to have pee in it,” she explains, pulling a diaper out of her drawer and enthusiastically inhaling its odour. “The heavier ones that have more pee smell better.”
Before having her first child, she would get soiled diapers from friends and even strangers, and says that the taste is similar to that of sour candy.
“I love it, it just tastes amazing. I have one when I’m cooking in the kitchen, I have one in my drawers, I have one when I’m sleeping, I keep some in my trunk, I keep some in my pocket book.”
~ Keyshia
3. Vladimir – It makes me feel younger
52-year-old Vladimir is obsessed with putting leeches on himself and letting them drink his blood. The addiction started after he got into a car accident five years ago and became convinced that the leeches would heal him and make him stay young.
He will attach up to 12 leeches on his body at any one time, risking his life with infection. Although the addiction may cost him his life, Vladimir believes that the leeches cleanse and purify his blood and he feels younger each time he lets them drink his blood.
“It makes me feel good. It makes me feel younger.”
~ Vladimir
4. Lacy Wildd – I’m proud to be plastic
This mother of six children has spent over 250,000 dollars on breast augmentation surgeries. In mid-2014, she started preparing herself for surgery to enhance her breasts to a QQQ cup.
To support her breast augmentations, Wildd has had to have pig skin sewed inside her abdomen. She has also had internal bra surgery done to support her breasts and make sure that her skin can support the weight. In her own words, she stated that “it feels like guitar strings.” To sleep, Wildd has to lie at a 30-degree angle or she will feel like she is being suffocated.
Wildd has also had her buttocks enlarged, eyes made wider, nose made thinner and a myriad of other surgeries performed on her body.
“I want to be the adult Barbie, like the extreme Barbie.”
~ Lacy Wildd
5. Amy and Becky Glass – It feels like we are married to one another
Obsessive twins Amy and Becky, from Los Angeles, are so close they have not been apart for more than 30 minutes in 15 years. The 46-year-old twins share everything, including a bedroom, the same mobile phone, joint Facebook account and once even shared a boyfriend.
Over the years, as their obsession has grown, they have gone to extremes to be mirror images of each other and even wear the exact same t-shirts every day in slightly different colours. They have said that they are not interested in relationships anymore and feel like they are married to one another.
Amy and Becky have been measuring out every bite of food and sip of drink using scales and measuring cups for 19 years, to ensure their body shapes and weights stay the same.
“At one point I weighed a little bit more than Becky, so people would say that I was the bigger twin and we hated it. We decided to go on diets and we have both weighed the same weight ever since.”
~ Amy Glass
6. Jennifer – I love eating mattresses
Jennifer has been eating mattresses for more than 20 years, saying she eats about a square foot of mattress each day. First, she ate her own mattress and then she moved on to her mother’s. It is claimed that she has eaten almost eight mattresses in 20 years.
She will keep going until the mattress starts to smell funny or when there is nothing left but the springs. She eats so much mattress foam that she regularly clogs up her toilet which leads to more concern from her family.
Happily, Jennifer vowed to give up her mattress-eating addiction when she got checked by a doctor who told her she would die if she continued.
“I start out with the good stuff. The good stuff to me is the pillow top itself.”
~ Jennifer
7. Michelle – I drink human blood as much as I can
Meet the 32-year-old “vampire”, Michelle. Her addiction to drinking blood started to develop when she was a teenager and used to cut herself. Since then she has stopped self-mutilation, but the craving for blood has not gone away. She buys pigs’ blood from the local market but even that it is not enough to satisfy her cravings.
Michelle prefers to drink blood directly from the “donors” but makes sure that it is from someone she has a close relationship with. Despite her strange addiction, she insists that she is not a “vampire”.
As part of the show’s process, she visited a doctor and was advised to stop drinking blood as the risk of picking up diseases like HIV and hepatitis is very real. Sadly, the doctor’s advice has not been enough to end her addiction towards drinking blood, which she has no intention of stopping.
“I drink human blood as much as I can. Everyone has their own flavour, their own taste.”
~ Michelle
8. Allison – I can’t stop eating tires!
For the past nine years, 22-year-old Allison from Atlanta, USA has been gorging on two feet of rubber each day. Her rubber addiction began as a child when she munched her dolls’ feet. She has also stated that the tires are like “beef jerky”.
She keeps little bowls of tire shavings around her house for snacking whenever she gets the urge. Allison has also admitted that she suffers from stomach issues from time to time due to her addiction but she cannot seem to kick her habit. Sometimes when she cannot find any tires, she makes do with rubber bands as another option.
Her husband Sammy works in a tire factory, and was concerned about her addiction and pleaded her to see a doctor. She eventually underwent several X-rays to make sure there was no permanent damage to her stomach. Fortunately, the test results came back with an all-clear. Since then, Allison has cut down her addiction to eating tires as doctors told her that there is a higher chance she could get cancer from all the chemicals she is ingesting every day.
“The texture of the rubber pieces is like beef jerky. It’s a work out for your jaw.”
~ Allison
9. Carrie – It tastes like water to me
For the past eight years, 57-year-old Carrie has been drinking her own urine as she believes that it will cure her cancer. She has also washed her eyes with it, poured it in her nose with a neti pot, brushed her teeth in urine and she even saves some to rub it all over her skin.
“It tastes like water to me,” Carrie told her friend. “When you are nasal drinking, the pain is different than any pain you have experienced,” said Carrie, who lives in Colorado Springs, USA.
10. Casie – I’m addicted to eating my husband
31-year-old Casie, who was widowed just two months before filming the show, is unable to stop herself from dipping her finger into her husband’s urn and taking a lick of her beloved’s ashes. She said that she first tasted the remains of her husband when she transferred the ashes from a temporary cardboard box into a special memorial urn.
Casie carries the urn full of ashes everywhere she goes. She takes “him” to the movies, to the shops and to restaurants. She also added that whenever she is out grocery shopping, she will always buy the things that he likes. At home, she tailors her domestic chores to suit her husband’s tastes. Despite her peculiar habit, Casie finds comfort in having his ashes at her side.
“Some of it spilled out on my hands. I didn’t want to just wipe him away, so I just licked it off my fingers. I take my husband everywhere. To the grocery store, out shopping…When I go grocery shopping, I buy the things that he likes.”
~ Casie
For more interesting information:
- Amazing Things You Didn’t Know About Them
- Wonder Woman
- Ten Counterproductive Behaviors of Well-Intentioned People
- Psychological Tricks: How To Make People Like You Immediately
- Valak – The Conjuring 2 Demon?
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This is kind of hard to believe and shocking to imagine the weirdest addiction of people in this planet, they are extremely strange. People can become addicted to actions, feelings, or behaviors, not just substances. There must be something behind of every addiction, I don’t think they are crazy or mentally ill, it’s their weird enjoyment for a short time.
I had a friend in my primary school who eats mud during rainy days, she told me, it smells good and she enjoys doing it during her play time. I found it strange but has she grow up in different environment she forget about her addiction. So, I strongly believe, all behaviors can be changed when the person gains self-awareness and actually wants to change. Thanks for the interesting sharing and recall of my childhood friend.
https://bit.ly/3unJo8V
It’s like biting fingers, blinking eyes constantly, shaking legs all the time, drinking alcohol, smoking etc.. every addiction is bad, no matter it’s something that would harm yourself or others. I do hope they realised what they are doing and get rid of it.
I feel that there are several factors leading to addiction. Some of the most common ones are, if one has a genetic predisposition, then there is a high possibility of falling for substance abuse. Another reason is trying to escape a tragic experience or stress. This show focuses on a group of people who are addicted to the most bizarre things you can’t think of. Obsessions can range from relationships with inanimate objects to eating something like couch cushions or aches.I feel really sad for the these people because they are hurting themselves physically and mentally.
People with wired addiction did surprice people around them but important thing they need to careful their own healthty. We should not jugde people habitual what they like and treat them as physical person. Accept them as they are with respact just like others. Each person have their special way what their like.
Everyone has our very own addictions many of them are just so common that we thought it’s normal because many people have it.
We should never discriminate another person for having special addictions as these addictions do not developed in one day, they has been with us for days, weeks, months, years & lives after lives. We shall do is to encourage, help & consistent to be a better person & help another person to be better too.
Such weird addiction really triggering my thoughts of the root problem could be having depression. Some people aware they having depression and try finding methods to ease this sufferings, hence they uses all sort of ways they could think of until they feel comfortable with it. From there on, it turns into like regular regime. I think it harmful because addiction can destroy us physically and mentally.
We are all addicted in our own ways. Although I find the post ‘weird’ in their own ways, we shouldn’t ‘judge’ them. Being attached may not be right but we just need to find the ‘balance’ to understand. All of us may not be ‘perfect’ but we try.
It’s really shock to see that how people attached to the thing that can fulfill their senses. Yes, in samsara, as human we tend attach to many things. Especially those which can fulfill our senses. Some attachments do no harm to us. But some are. It even harms people around us. Buddhism teaches us impermanence, even things and human that we attached to are impermanent. May more people can learn Dharma, so that they understand, what are attachments and the things that they attached to are impermanent.
Almost everyone of us is addicted to something or some things we find pleasing and desirous. I think addiction may be in the form of taste, smell, sensation, sight, sound. Like for example alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, shopping, travelling, gambling and so on. Chemicals in substances play a big part in the addiction, making it a big challenge to shake off the addiction. I also think that addiction stems from one’s mind, not necessarily the object or objects. Usually a person may stop their addiction if they were told that it would endanger their life but they may find another form of object to substitute for what they gave up. Seeking professional advice, counselling, medical treatments could help but one has to really want to stop in order to end the addiction.
Those addictions in the article I find it weird. Addictions can be mild or serious. Mild ones I would say like for example addicted to coffee, tea, ciggerette, etc. Serious one I would say like for example drug addictions or people who likes to kill. All addictions stems from our attachment onto something. Strong attachment to something will do us no good.
From this article, one thing is sure is addiction leads to suffering and harm the addict’s life and the people who love the addict. Our children of this generation is addicting to video games. It has caused the children with less time to focus on their education because the video game it time consuming, and the parents is worry about them.
In fact, addiction is something like collection of attachment. In Buddhism that is way to overcome attachment. Therefore learning Dharma can help you to overcome the addiction.
It’s hard to justify each one of their so called addiction which I felt is more like obsession. There are so many different level of minds in humans living in this realm of desire. There are probably more people out there with very peculiar and perhaps more stranger form of “addictions” out there.
Addictions are bad news. The addictions described in this article are strange and beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
However, in one way of the other, we are addicted to something. I have seen obsessively clean people. Now that kind of cleanliness addiction seem to be fine, however to be obsessed is not quite the same. These cleanliness obsessive people cannot even stand to see a speck of dust and they really get bothered to distraction.
How about alcoholics, quite common. So common that there are centres organised to help them. Same goes for drug addicts.
Another common one, cigarette addiction. Bad one too, but again so common that it is not weird.
Thank you, Beatrix for this article highlighting such queer unusual addictions.
Looking at the extreme addictions, I cannot help but exclaim that human’s behaviour and action do come in varieties beyond our wildest imagination. Who would imagine someone who is addicted to eat mattress or tires? These are things that are not even edible to start with. I believe the deeper psychological diagnosis is require to find the root cause and perhaps help them deal with it, if that is something they would like to achieve. Because after all the addictions are harmless to others. Except maybe the one who is obsessed with drinking human blood. Thank you, Beatrix, for this sharing.
This is very interesting article to read. I knew people have some wearied addictions any of the strange addictions involve eating, drinking or otherwise ingesting something unhealthy into their body
This is enough to upset her family. Wait until they find out someone been slowly eating his remains mattress etc ha ha ha ..I feel really sad for the these people, Its obviously because they are not well. They aren’t hurting anyone and seem pretty happy with each their and own self..
People of all kinds, and in all times, need something to make their lives meaningful and to have meaning, life must come to contain some excitement or a purpose which becomes the driving force in life. Unfortunately, not all will come to see and find their real purpose in life and end up hanging on to things which are perceived to bring them such meaning in life with hopes that those things will lead them to happiness and satisfaction in life. Some of those perceived things may fit into the conventional accepted forms (e,g. obsessions with monies, cars, properties, jewellery, latest gadgets etc) to bring them the “high” whilst as indicated by the article, some deviate from the norm, opting for things which challenge the boundaries of accepted norms.
Interestingly, obsessions which are deemed acceptable are celebrated as mark of success whilst those not fitting into the norms are viewed negatively, if not condemned as affront to societal decency. At the end of the day, it is not so much of the object of obsessions but rather the obsessions itself that is problem. It keeps us anchored to the misery that entails once the rush or the high factor diminishes, be it from the deprivation of the object of obsessions (when we are no longer able to get the items) or the saturation of the feeling (when we become bored after a while, where no longer feel the “high” even with the object of obsession).
This also goes to show the impulses of attraction and aversion as a basic form of selfishness. Any addiction is essentially an overactive desire which is harmful to self as addicts identified so strongly or solidly with the source of their pleasure that they believe life without it is not possible or is unthinkable. To at least some degree, they have lost control of their life.
In this sense, am in favour of the pragmatic solution expounded by Buddha which is to deal with the problem as-is and to reduce the extent and power of one’s current addiction. Not the easiest thing to do as one would need to confront and accept the harsh truth that addictions are predominantly a result of one’s own actions and therefore we personally responsible for that state and any recovery from it. No change is possible for those who are unwilling or unable to move in the direction of accepting these facts.
Thank you for such a thought-provoking article.
This is interesting, such addictions are just a bit more extreme than what we are normally used to. But we are all addicted or feel aversion to many things in our lives.
Thank you for this very interesting topic,Beatrix. It’s really disgusting for some of these strange addictions. Especially the one chewing on dirty diapers. But for the one drinking on urine is quite common for chinese as i personally know some people who believes in drinking baby urine for health reasons. But some end up drinking their own urine because they cant find baby urine.
The addictions feature here is of the extreme kind. Most are risking their lives with their addiction. Most of us have some kind of addiction thought our addictions may be regarded as normal but nevertheless can be harmful. We may be addicted to substance, food, habits and perception.
We are fixed on these addictions due to some kind of self gratifications that needs to be satisfied. Some addictions are ingrained that we and others may not event recognise; these we call “character”.
Overall, this is a very interesting article that opens up our minds.
Thank you Beatrix for sharing this information. Honestly, I was quite stunt after reading some of the addiction, like eating tire, ashes, mattress, urine, and…. diapers?? I think all these addiction is a kind of sickness. Or, maybe can I say it’s mental problem? I always tell my wife and friends, there’re really many kind of people in the world, all sorts of funny people. This article really tell the truth. Other than this article. I came across a video that a man was addicted to snakes’ venom. I came across some other article / video before like things that people phobia, like, people phobia to clown, which is the most common one. I’d watched a video before that a girl was phobia to potatoes, and another man was phobia to tomatoes. I mean, strange, right? Those are the food we eat. And here, people are eating the things that cannot be eaten 🙂 Recently I came across a video showing a girl was phobia to sunlight. It’s like the sickness that Count Dracula got before. Sunlight will actually hurt their skin. Poor girl.
We are really fortunate that we have an opportunity to know Rinpoche and to practice Dharma. By learning and practicing Dharma, it keeps our mind stable and clear. We know what is right, what is wrong. Or maybe in this case, what is normal, and what is abnormal 🙂 Maybe we have some addiction or habit that offends other people also, but by practicing and learning more in Dharma, let’s hope we can get rid of the bad habit and addiction one day.
Thanks again Beatrix for sharing. _/\_
Hi Tek Lee, thanks for your comment! You pointed out a lot of examples of other things that people can be addicted to, and also various things that people can be scared of.
What I want to encourage you to think about is, how come not everyone reacts to those objects in the same way? How come some people are attracted to tomatoes, and other people HATE tomatoes to the point of being scared of them? Like you, I have also seen videos of people being so scared of some foods that when you show it to them, they shake uncontrollably and cry.
And what are the things we are attracted to, that people hate and what are the things that people hate, that we are attracted to? How come some people are attracted to Dharma, but some people can say all sorts of bad things about it?
Is it a fault of the object? If it is a fault of the object, then everyone should see the same fault, not just a few people. So let’s not talk about how something is normal and abnormal, but more about the human mind because what people find ‘normal’ is what society around them decided is normal 😉
So how some people can be attracted to something that other people dislike, this actually reflects our human mind (instead of the quality of the objects) and how we perceive things. Anyway, just my little two cents…hope it helps to encourage your thoughts a little further 🙂 🙂 thanks again for your comment!
Thank you Pastor Jean Ai _/\_ Actually yes, totally agree with what you said. Sometimes I wonder, by saying others abnormal, maybe I am the abnormal one? Just like what you mentioned, we accepted dharma and we practice dharma, to us, we’re always not doing enough, but to some people, we might be acting over “normal” if they look at it from their “normal” comfortable daily life and perception. Sometimes, when my wife told me what other people perception about us and think of what we do, i would jokingly reply her, “Well, maybe we are the abnormal one.” 🙂 Thank you again Pastor Jean Ai _/\_ 🙂
Thank you Beatrix Ooi for sharing with us about this article. I must said is very disgusting type of addiction, this is the first time I come across this kind of addiction I just do not how a person can drink their own urine this is really out of their mind I think is very bad for their health this is like a way to kill yourself. I think we are glad because we have Dharma that make us contemplate on this precious human rebirth that will actually make our life more meaningful because we do understand why we are here but unfortunately a lot of people out there do not have Dharma so they will find their life no purpose then they feel bore so in order to overcome this meaningless life so they develop some strange addiction in order to make their life more interesting .
As I scroll down and read further, I found myself disgusted and horrified by all the addictions listed, and saying to myself luckily I wasn’t born with mental instability as i certainly wouldn’t want to be either one of them!
But then I stopped – it got me thinking – How about myself? They may find their kind of addictions ‘normal’ as the addictions already integrated as part of their life. And how about myself? Do I have any sort of ‘addictions’ that myself is unaware of and deeply rooted and need my immediate attention? Do i irk people unintentionally due to addictions I myself not aware of?!
Certainly there are! But then again, I’m grateful that I’m living at a time and place where I get to meet with the teachings of Rinpoche who constantly helping sentient beings, waking everyone up from this illusory dream!
Thank you Beatrix and everyone to produce this easy to read yet profound article for readers to contemplate on our end – our addictions and how we gonna do about it! _/\_
An interesting article, never thought such addiction exist.The urine drinker & dirty diaper is quite gross for me. I hope all of them to rehab and be well soon.
Addiction is because of habituation and strong cravings. Just can’t imagine there are people out there with so many weird and harmful addictions. This is the first time i came across people who love chewing dirty diapers, eating mattress foam, tires and rubber bands, her own husband’s ashes. All these staff are very harmful to the body and especially can damage the digestive system. The one who love to drink blood sound so grouse, what will happen if she can’t find donor to satisfy her need? Will she become like drug addicts can suddenly run amok and kill people for their blood? Actually all these people should seek medical and psychiatric treatments soonest possible. Thank you Beatrix for posting this eye opening article.
The saddest part of all is that they are so obsessed with their addictions that they cannot see the harm and the danger threatening them from these addictions. It is as though in their mind they have created n a world of their own and living in it.
How do people get wired so differently? The reasons for their addiction, and the lengths they go to to satisfy their craving and their addictions, are just so weird and painful to watch.Take for instance Toby Sheldon, who had spent over 100,000 dollars to look like Justin Biebe just because he was jealous of his flawless complexion!
It would be good if all of us contemplate on what is “I” and find that it is in reality an imputed “I” around which our lives and cravings revolve.
It makes me cringe and feel disgusted when reading about the strange addictions which people can have. But the fact of the matter is, those addicted are completely obsessed by these addictions and allows themselves to be harmed and mostly have no way out!! It is very sad.
The state of their minds have blocked out health, risks, harm, death. Their wanting is so strong and powerful, it defies all wisdom or logic. The negative karma manifested is so powerful !!
Thank you Beatrix for sharing this story.
When i was younger i used to love watching My Strange Addiction on TV. It was one of the most interesting things to watch at the time. But recently i have not been up to date with the series, but after seeing this post it has reminded me again about what an interesting topic this really is.
After reading this article and reading through all of the different addictions I have to say that the Justin Bieber look-a-like one has got to be the strangest xD. I know that there are many people who have obsessions with celebrities and idols, but to take it to the extend where they try to become them is unreal. And therefore it is the most interesting as well.
Very weird and really strange addictions…..cannot imagine its true after reading these strange individual addictions .they did it out of curiosity ,a sense of loneliness ,depression. and so forth. Whatever their action is, need to be treated as long term might ruin their lives.
Do hope they have will power and determination to cut off their strange addictions, to carry on with their daily life.They have always a choice to do what they have and,choose what to do to be on the right track in life.
Thank you Beatrix Ooi for sharing this article.
LOL. Beatrix, this is such an interesting article! I know the world has many strange things, but never have I thought about these kinds of addictions.
After reading this article, though these additions do sound strange to many people, everyone of us have our own addiction. Though our addictions may not sound as strange, our addictions are very “personal” to us, and we definitely hold them very dear to us.
From Buddhism, I learn that addictions or attachments most of the time are not related to things, but to a state of mind or feeling. Personally for me, the biggest addiction is to the comfort zone and the resistant to change. Also, from my observation, one person’s addiction may sound totally illogical to another person’s.
I pray that I can, over time, let go of my addictions to serve others better.
What an interesting article about addictions. I remember reading somewhere that addictions in general is a result of feeling inadequate about an aspect of their life. This manifests in being addicted to all sorts of things, shopping being one of the most common.
These addictions give them an instant sense of gratification to make up for an aspect of their life that they feel unhappy about. As such, in order to kick the addiction, they will need some sort of psycho-therapy to the root cause of their addiction.
Any kind of addiction is not healthy. It’s when you no longer can control the particular action and it completely takes over and controls you. The action becomes excessive, compulsive, extreme desire, attachment and craving. That is when you lose all rationality and control and harm sets in. Harming one’s self is harming a sentient being. Too much of anything may not necessarily be good, whether it be an object, person or behaviour.
Nagarjuna’s & Lama Tsongkhapa’s Middle Way is the path of least destruction.
I heard of people drinking their own urine as a way to keep one healthy, and there are a group of people advocates this as an alternative approach to cure some illness. Eating tyre, mattress and ashes sound “weird” for majority of people. The perspective of some habits or behavious are abnormal might change from culture to culture, times to times. We might laugh at people gone so far, spend so much to do surgery to make one look “perfect” in the way they want to. But there might be times, society view this as normal and essential, or only “polite” to make oneself look the perfect way majority of the people think.
Some cases mentioned in the post quite disturbing, such as the drinking blood habit. However, it’s still an obsession, whether it’s blood, plastic or mattress. May be not all the cases mentioned in the post, but the lady who carry and eat her husband’s ashes, lives her life exactly like her husband is still alive; most probably she refuses to face her life after the husband is no more. Facing the changes in our life may be is not easy, but get obssessed by the problem and refuse to face it may be is more harmful to ourselves or others. The price and effort to not to face the reality of life, is actually much more higher, but most of the time we did not realise it or we realise and still fear to move forward.
I think, we might have some abnormal habits that not go to the extent of obssession yet, or some obssession is by majority of the society, or widely accepted at this time by the society we are living in, therefore it’s not on the list…haha. It’s time to check and contemplate.
It is kind of sad that these people are so obsessed to something harms their health but yet they don’t realise it. I find the drinking blood habit very disturbing. If this obsession continues and gets stronger, she might kill someone just so she can have the blood. However, if their mind is strong, these people will be able to overcome their obsession and not letting it ruin their lives.
I suppose in the end, it all boils down to the attachment to one’s senses. If we look at the list, the majority is about eating or perception of self image. What they eat, or how they perceive themselves, the way it manifest that is just secondary.
To vegans, people eating meat is weird… to meat eaters, people who eat vegetables only are weird. A matter of perception. But when done in excess, and the attachment is so obvious even to the regular lay person, then it becomes a social issue lol.
But actually, everything we do with attachment is by itself ‘weird’. It is just a matter of whether it is accepted within social norms or based on people’s comfort levels to observe such actions.
I was extremely fascinated and disturbed by this series when I first discovered it. How i see it is that these people have a lot of unresolved issues of self-esteem and inability to get what they really want in life.
Hence, they somehow used these unhealthy and weird obsessions as a cop out or cover for the real issues at hand. All of us have our unhealthy and weird attachments that we cling on to in order to distract ourselves. It would a lot healthier for everyone to face their issues and when we come across something that we cannot change or help, we must be patient, tolerant and accepting.
Nevertheless, this series is an interesting insight into the human mind, where we can observe all the various manifestations of our ignorance and delusions. It is fascinating to see how different people manifest these.
When I read of these strange addictions, I think of the words and phrases like attachments, inability to let go and inhabitations.
The addictions mentioned by Beautrix are way out and weird but they are there and is there really any way to kick such addictions which are self generated?
Each and every one of us have developed our own special kind of addictions and habituations and some are obvious and some are secrets.
Therefore it is important for us to realise awareness so that whatever we indulge ourselves in we do not do harm to ourselves, our surrounding and to others.
Thank you Beatrix for sharing this article. It never crossed my mind that there are people who have such addictions and some of their actions are detrimental to their health and life.
I am grateful that I found dharma and it helps me to overcome my negative thought. I hope these people with various addiction would be able to seek necessary help to heal their mind and not rely on their addiction to relieve their craving and pain.
Thank you Beatrix for sharing this informative article with all of us. The addictions that are mentioned here are geared towards the extreme end. But when we think about it, we are all addicts. We are addicted to certain things in one way or another way.
The more obvious ways will be addictions to some thing that is about material things, in the cases above, to be eating something or going through surgery so that they will be able to be at “peace”. We are all slaves to our addictions. Some of us might be addicted to lying, some to stealing, some to cheating, some addicted to our computers, some to our phones, etc. etc.
There are many ways of getting rid of an addiction, but what we fail to see is that when we kick an addiction, we sometimes get hooked on to another addiction that we never thought of. This is just so interesting to ponder on.
Thank you Beatrix for sharing this with us. 🙂
Thank you Beatrix for sharing this article with us. We hear of addictions everyday, to cigarettes, alcohol, coffee, etc but those that you just shared are quite strange. Eating mattress and chewing dirty diaper?? I had known someone who drank his first urine of the day. Apparently some claim that it contains all the minerals collected as we sleep and so its good whereas the rest are dispelling waste. Maybe….but Carrie takes it over the top by even nose cleansing with it. Beatrix you are right that we should not be amused but feel for them as most bring harm onto themselves. And I can imagine their families suffering too with much worries on these Addicts.
I wonder if their addictions stem from their past karma with that strong sense of attachment or psychologically they feel something missing though unknowingly and thus replaced it with focus on addiction. Maybe if they had visit Rinpoche’s site for his teachings on the mind then maybe they will gain the realisation of their self inflicted sufferings to work towards stopping. Having a Guru like ours is so rare and to be treasured.
Common addictions such as smoking or alcoholism, or strange or rather more complicated addictions such as the above eventually bring misery.
Mindfulness training has proven to be effective to overcome these addictions. Read more here:
http://www.rehabs.com/pro-talk-articles/is-mindfulness-an-emerging-treatment-for-addictions/