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Some folks crave coffee, while others are obsessed with social media, exercising, or even food. These minor cravings and weaknesses aren’t really a problem until they start taking over your whole life. The moment an innocent love for something turns into a dependency, it’s probably an addiction.
You’re probably imagining something sinister, like a person addicted to illegal substances. There are actually so many obsessions that are equally as bad but not discussed as much, which is why we put together this list.
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Overworking. You’re not a hero, you’re a victim.
DennyS (denzoren) 1 month ago
Preaching to the choir. I stopped this after being laid off my last job. Worked so much it messed up my health.
#2
One terrible addiction that nobody really talks about is constantly checking your phone for notifications, even when you know there aren’t any. You keep unlocking your screen, scrolling through the same apps, refreshing feeds, hoping for something new. It’s like your brain is searching for a little hit of excitement or distraction, even though deep down, you know there’s nothing there. It can eat up hours of your day without you even noticing, and it leaves you feeling restless and anxious when you can't reach for your phone.
#3
Overthinking. It creeps up on you, and suddenly you're stuck in loops, replaying the same scenarios in your head. People rarely talk about how exhausting it really is.
Ace 1 month ago (edited)
An affliction, but not an addiction; it's not something you have any immediate control over. I'm not addicted to my chronic pain, nor my (ex-)depression either.
Toothless Feline 1 month ago
Agreed. Some people are prone to it because that’s just how their brains work. You can learn to control it to a certain extent, but that’s not the same as kicking an addiction.
Load More Replies... DennyS (denzoren) 1 month ago
It is very exhausting. Especially when you over think and over explain.
Birgit M 1 month ago
You're not alone, I know these nasty twins very well, too! I made a bit of progress with less overexplaining, but overthinking is even harder to fight...
Load More Replies...
Robert Trebor 1 month ago
I'm not just a master of overthinking, I have a doctorate in overthinking. I constantly overthink the previous overthought.
Child of the Stars 1 month ago
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I work full-time overnights, go to school part-time, and I have two kids. It's a lot on my plate. But I love and am enjoying every single one of those things. But the exhaustion I feel at bedtime is wildly different from the exhaustion of anxiety. I feel accomplished and good about myself and my life instead of fearful.
Coffee Comma Black 1 month ago
Been dealing with this regarding a single issue for almost a year. I’m tired.
You might have heard the word "addiction" used many times to describe instances where people can’t do without alcohol or harmful substances. That’s what happens when a person has a strong dependency on substances. Besides this, people can also become fixated on certain behaviors and objects, which is called non-substance addiction.
This second type of dependency isn’t really taken seriously, and sometimes, people even joke about gambling or Internet addictions. The problem is, even if they’re not as visible as substance-based compulsions, they bring about similar urges, which is why they’re so scary.
#4
Always being in a relationship and not being capable of being alone?
#5
Here's one I haven't seen someone mention yet: exercise.
People don't think of it as an addiction because it's generally good for you, but once you get past the point of diminishing returns, being a gym rat just eats up your time.
An old friend of mine would get cranky if she didn't get in *four to five hours* of working out every single day, and she didn't listen when I told her that doing that much wasn't necessary for being healthy.
#6
Religion. If your giving away substantial amounts of money a month to a religious organisation in hopes of a better afterlife, it’s close to being a cult.
It’s difficult to know when exactly an innocent love for something has turned into a dependency. To make it easier, here are a couple of signs that you can look out for:
- Lying about the extent to which you engage in that behavior
- Keeping on doing the same things even if they negatively affect your life
- Stealing or selling things to get money to fund your compulsion
- Finding that everything else pales in comparison to the feeling you get from the thing or behavior
- Noticing that your sleeping and eating patterns have changed as a result of your obsession
Addictions like overeating, gambling, excessive exercising, shoplifting, and gaming are just a few of the many non-substance addictions that can creep up on a person. They stimulate the brain’s reward system to such an extent that it can keep you hooked on the intense and joyful feelings that come after.
#7
Processed foods and junk food.
Captain McSmoot 1 month ago
This! People in the U.S. want the government to do so much, but they don't push for this. The European governments demand more from their food producers and get it. As a result, they don't have all of this added c**p in their foods, whether processed or more natural.
#9
I'll get hate for this, but the people who are genuinely addicted to gaming.
All of us seem to be chronically on the Internet, scrolling through endless media almost mindlessly. Apart from wasting a couple of hours in our day, you probably wouldn’t imagine that social media could have such a terrifying hold on someone’s life. Internet addictions are more common than you’d imagine.
Among the youth who’ve grown up accessing the net, studies have found that nearly 5.8% of adolescents and 2.8% of young adults have an Internet-related addiction. It isn’t just that they’re constantly consuming content—the problem is that such an obsession has also been associated with depression, anxiety, and disturbed sleep patterns.
#10
Compulsive buying.
DennyS (denzoren) 1 month ago
Growing up poor and having spending anxiety will definitely stop this lol
#11
TikTok/endless scrolling social media feeds. S**t has irreparably f****d my brain. I have to watch everything on max speed now… sometimes even a 1-2 minute TikTok video is too long for me, let alone a 10+ minute YT video.
Captain McSmoot 1 month ago
Maybe the reasoning behind why some people can't watch a 10+ minute video is because they genuinely aren't interested in what they're watching. The short format has a sneaky way of allowing people to watch way more videos they actually don't like simply because they know it will be over soon. I used to teach and I saw that my students with "a short attention span" could very easily watch long format videos if they were truly interested. The gargantuan problem with short format videos is that they distract for long periods of time; time that we won't get back. That time could and should be spent on realizing our interests and then pursuing them. Instead, we are left if loads of people who have no identity, no interests, nothing to offer themselves much less the world.
It might seem like a spiral once you’ve become obsessed with a particular behavior or substance, but there are ways to break the cycle. Experts say that the best thing you can do is find a healthy coping mechanism instead of the addiction. You can do this by observing what triggers your desire to engage in that behavior, and then take steps to substitute it.
Since these non-substance additions are often part of our daily routine, you can change the compulsion by changing up your day-to-day activities. It won’t be easy to completely turn everything around at first, but small steps can also make a big difference.
#13
Controlling other people.
I've had certain people do that so much to me, as though everything they do or think they know is the one correct way to do anything, dismissing my experience as invalid, talking over the top of me, being rude tf about it and treating with utter disrespect. I think it's an addiction to power.
#14
Alcoholism. People don't realize that it can with "social drinking". Going out with your friends. Getting drunk with your friends 3 times a week. Blacking out once a week. But you're not an alcoholic . Then casually drinking on the weekends by yourself. Then 6-8 on a Saturday. But you're not an alcoholic. Just one after work. Okay just two after work. 3. 4. But you're still going to work. Your bills are paid. Your relationships are mantained. You're not an alcoholic you just like beer. Working gets rougher, you feel exhausted/fatigued. Relationships start straining. You're drinking every day. Money is getting tighter because a 24 pack doesn't last more than 3 days. A bottle here and there. Going out with friends. You're drinking every. Day. Okay maybe you're an alcoholic. But how do you stop now?
Even if it doesn't get to the extent of drinking every day. Consistently binge drinking or drinking alone are slippery slopes. Denial runs rampant because most alcoholics I know are "functional alcoholics". Your liver doesn't care that you can hold a job. Your relationships will start to fail when you put alcohol first. You could feel so much better with sobriety.
Edit:spelling errors. Apologies, I'm on mobile so it's not the greatest setup.
#15
Gambling. People do crazy things if they've convinced themselves there is a slim but not too slim chance of being rich.
Nobody wants an obsession to completely take over their life. Sometimes the dependency may start from something as simple as starting a new video game and then spiral into something bigger if you give it power. The best thing you can do for yourself or the people you know is to keep track of these compulsions and try to nip them in the bud.
Do you have any examples of addictions like this that people seem to overlook or treat too casually?
#17
Screens. People can't live without screens any more. Phones, tablets, TVs, computers, smart watches...
Evagating Beewolf (she/they) 1 month ago
I feel like the more time I spend on screens the less able I am to read a long information dense work I could have read easily before. And my attention spans shortens. Sometimes I'll move my cursor to see how long is left in a 2 minute video. I'm worried the quality of my ideas is taking a hit, and given that I enjoy creative writing that's bad news. I don't know, maybe it's just generalized dissatisfaction. But my brain feels like it's molded itself to screens so it's so much harder to do things off screen. And there are so many things on a screen to read, but I'm not reading any of them. I'm just...it's like I'm not capable of deep reading anymore. I don't know. This is probably disjointed. But...it feels like the more screens (and I use tons of screens) I use, the more my brain rewires itself so I can't do deep reading, can't pay attention, can't think as well as I used to.
#18
Nose spray - it you use it for too long you will become incapable of breathing through your nose without it.
keyboardtek 1 month ago (edited)
Only the decongestant ones that shrink the tissue and have a rebound effect. The steroid type do not have a rebound effect and are useful if one has allergies.
#20
Smoking c******s. I've been told it's not addictive but I saw firsthand how it dominates and controls someone's life and how much it isolates them and causes problems in all of the relationships in their lives.
UncleJohn3000 1 month ago
You were told wrong, and are beyond clueless to accept that statement. Nicotine is one of the hardest to quit, as had been loudly proclaimed for decades.
#21
I havent seen anybody mention self harm, i mean why would anybody be addicted to pain? Yet it is an addiction.
#22
Ece Cenker 1 month ago
AND avoiding any solutions to the complaint, so that they can repeat the complaint endlessly.
#23
Buying a bunch of fresh produce with the full intention of eating healthy, only to let it slowly die in the fridge while you order takeout. It's like, "Yes, I'd love a side of guilt with that pizza, please.
UncleJohn3000 1 month ago
I called that my prophylactic approach to fruit and veggies. As long as I had some rotting in the fridge, I felt like I had it covered. Then I'd throw them out and get more. Now I only buy them for specific uses.
#24
Sport addiction in particular running or triathletes.
I do this as a hobby and am addict a bit myself but what I see in some extremes is truly shocking especially in the ultra world. Some that completely destroy their body and yet still cannot stop. Knew someone who had several fractures in their hip and kept running. Hours and hours of sport each day. Sacrificing family and jobs and just everything in their life except sport.
Its usually not seen as a problematic addiction because its good for you but it can 100% destroy your body and relationships with other. Sport is like a d**g. Working hard on controlling my addiction and its been fine but it takes a real effort. Some of us just thrive off those endoprhines.
Pferdchen 1 month ago
My wife worked with a sports surgeon / orthopedist who, incidentally, moonlighted for the local NBA and NHL teams. He had a patient who just wouldn't stop running long enough for a running injury surgery to heal. The 2nd or 3rd time the woman came back, he made her a copy of her file and sent her packing. He HATED having runners as patients because so many were addicted to running; they just couldn't stop.
#25
Caffeine. Personally I never felt more energetic than since I stopped drinking coffee. I used to have energy crashes throughout the day. Now I feel mostly energized, don't need coffee to wake up and digest food much better.
The withdrawal symptoms when I stopped after 15 years of drinking it daily, sometimes 5 times a day were quite strong. It's known to be difficult from 1 week to a month for some people.
#26
WindySwede 1 month ago
If you opt out of cookies the link above doesn't work, so here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limerence
#27
Daydreaming. Not the regular bored at school or work kind of daydreaming, no, but the kind where you daydream for hours on end with no end in sight. Where you lose hours of your day in the blink of an eye, the sky has now gone dark and suddenly you realize that you have done nothing of what should have been attended to hours ago. Where you lose sight of who you are and what defines you as a person, because you're too busy dreaming about being someone or somewhere else to keep in touch with the real world. That addiction.
#29
Nutella. Its an insidious addiction. You find yourself putting it on more and more foods just to get that flavor. It's expensive and destructive.
What do you think ?
Tabitha 1 month ago (edited)
Arguing. As if such a negative emotion is the only way they can feel anything. So they selfishly pick arguments with people, especially people who love them (because they’re the one who will put up with it longer, or so they think), and some of them even make up things to argue about that are 100% fiction, just to have an argument, because to them a day without an argument is a day without feeling anything. They always end up taking their relationships—-all by themselves, though way too many would never even realize it, much less admit it. They people they’re around start avoiding talking to them or even being in the same room with them, unless they’re sound asleep. Cripes. Instead of putting some innocent person who doesn’t want to argue every single day through that kind of anguish, just go get yourself some therapy, ffs. Same goes for those with a short fuse and anger management issues. Don’t torture your family and friends with it. Because it IS torture. Your loved ones become afraid of inciting your anger and dread an outburst over things that the rest of us quickly decide aren’t worth arguing over (we pick our battles instead of fighting over trivial b******t all the damn time). Get some therapy for it instead. Then again, a lot of people like I just described are generally too selfish to realize what they’re doing and too blind to see its effect on others and how it’s only alienating themselves from everyone around them, and others are thoroughly convinced there’s nothing wrong with them and they don’t need therapy, and how dare you even suggest it—-which then fulfills their need for an argument that day. I admit this was pretty much the dynamic in my parents’ house when my father would start drinking and acting out—-not an ideal situation for a child who has an aversion to conflict, even though as I got older I learned to hold my own. I still just don’t want to have to fight every f*****g day, over stuff that the other person apparently pulled right out of their a*s because it’s total fiction, or because it’s something myself and others would consider too trivial to even mention. Being in a relationship with someone who either is addicted to the extreme emotion of an argument or who has anger management issues is just exhausting, physically (stress), mentally (just having to think of all the ways to avoid sparking an argument), and emotionally (it’s just so unnecessary and emotionally draining).
Sky Render 1 month ago
Sodium citrate cheese sauce is this with me. I cannot be trusted near it, I will eat the entirety of any batch of it put in front of me if given half a chance.
Toothless Feline 1 month ago
For some people, internet trolling has the feel of an addiction. Some people seem to get a high from being a dïck to others from behind the security of a network connection.
UncleJohn3000 1 month ago
The boundary for whether something is addictive or not is whether it's interfering in the person's job, relationships, and/or life. Nutella is not an addiction, it's desire.
Carl Roberts 1 month ago
Loperamide, the active ingredient in Immodium (and other OTC anti-diarrhea meds). It's a mild opioid (constipation is a side effect of opioid use, which is why loperamide works in stopping diarrhea). It's also a legit addiction that can lead to something called "immobile colon", aka permanent constipation.
Mark Howell 1 month ago
Suprised I've not seen alcohol in the list. It starts as a social place to be and leads to a social taboo and ostrication. Been there, still wear the t-shirt.
Tabitha 1 month ago (edited)
Arguing. As if such a negative emotion is the only way they can feel anything. So they selfishly pick arguments with people, especially people who love them (because they’re the one who will put up with it longer, or so they think), and some of them even make up things to argue about that are 100% fiction, just to have an argument, because to them a day without an argument is a day without feeling anything. They always end up taking their relationships—-all by themselves, though way too many would never even realize it, much less admit it. They people they’re around start avoiding talking to them or even being in the same room with them, unless they’re sound asleep. Cripes. Instead of putting some innocent person who doesn’t want to argue every single day through that kind of anguish, just go get yourself some therapy, ffs. Same goes for those with a short fuse and anger management issues. Don’t torture your family and friends with it. Because it IS torture. Your loved ones become afraid of inciting your anger and dread an outburst over things that the rest of us quickly decide aren’t worth arguing over (we pick our battles instead of fighting over trivial b******t all the damn time). Get some therapy for it instead. Then again, a lot of people like I just described are generally too selfish to realize what they’re doing and too blind to see its effect on others and how it’s only alienating themselves from everyone around them, and others are thoroughly convinced there’s nothing wrong with them and they don’t need therapy, and how dare you even suggest it—-which then fulfills their need for an argument that day. I admit this was pretty much the dynamic in my parents’ house when my father would start drinking and acting out—-not an ideal situation for a child who has an aversion to conflict, even though as I got older I learned to hold my own. I still just don’t want to have to fight every f*****g day, over stuff that the other person apparently pulled right out of their a*s because it’s total fiction, or because it’s something myself and others would consider too trivial to even mention. Being in a relationship with someone who either is addicted to the extreme emotion of an argument or who has anger management issues is just exhausting, physically (stress), mentally (just having to think of all the ways to avoid sparking an argument), and emotionally (it’s just so unnecessary and emotionally draining).
Sky Render 1 month ago
Sodium citrate cheese sauce is this with me. I cannot be trusted near it, I will eat the entirety of any batch of it put in front of me if given half a chance.
Toothless Feline 1 month ago
For some people, internet trolling has the feel of an addiction. Some people seem to get a high from being a dïck to others from behind the security of a network connection.
UncleJohn3000 1 month ago
The boundary for whether something is addictive or not is whether it's interfering in the person's job, relationships, and/or life. Nutella is not an addiction, it's desire.
Carl Roberts 1 month ago
Loperamide, the active ingredient in Immodium (and other OTC anti-diarrhea meds). It's a mild opioid (constipation is a side effect of opioid use, which is why loperamide works in stopping diarrhea). It's also a legit addiction that can lead to something called "immobile colon", aka permanent constipation.
Mark Howell 1 month ago
Suprised I've not seen alcohol in the list. It starts as a social place to be and leads to a social taboo and ostrication. Been there, still wear the t-shirt.
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