20 Redditors have shared their greatest addictions they have ever experienced in a reddit thread as some added how they overcame them.
A question posed by a user, u/DarkMagicNight of the platform, asking people to share their strongest addictions inspired many to speak out on the saddest experiences they have ever been through.
Here are some of the most poignant:
1. This person developed a huge addiction for Cocaine that he/she would sit with the head in the hand while holding the breathe because he/she thought “if I’m not inhaling coke, why am I breathing?”.
“I’m almost a year clean but didn’t stop thinking about it for months after getting clean. There are phantom highs that hurt your mental state because it feels like your lips and nose and face are numb. I would crave it so heavily sometimes I had to sit with my head in my hands and hold my breath; my thoughts were “if I’m not inhaling coke, why am I breathing?”. It’s an intense craving, both physically and mentally. My therapist had to explain that I was still obsessed with it even though I wasn’t in active addiction”.
“I still think about it every day, just not every hour or every minute like long ago. The main reason I don’t do it anymore is because of how expensive it is, I would spend at least $80/night on it. Am I happier now? I don’t know, but I’m not stressing about how much blow I have left. Just about to be 11 months clean. It’s possible, but it’s hard”.
2. Sleep procrastination
“Not going to bed when I’m clearly tired”
— Dsgorman
3. The one suffering from dermatillomania also called Excoriation disorder (also referred to as chronic skin-picking).
“I have dermatillomania that stems from my ocd, whenever there’s an imperfection on my skin or body I HAVE to pick at it. Which of course leads to more imperfections, which leads to more picking… it’s a viscous cycle”
4. The person with anxiety ridden and have a problem with opening up to people about how he/she is feeling.
“Having a decent moment only to ruin it with negative thoughts and what if scenarios of friends/so/etc. Then boost myself back up all on my own so I can get high on the fact I know myself better than anyone and I don’t need anyone”.
5. The person obsessed with Opiate Painkiller/
“Opiate painkillers. I took them periodically over the years for an injury to my back. Never had a problem. Then one day I finished my last pill in a prescription and I felt it grab me. All I could think about was getting an appointment and asking for more. I went to the appointment with the intention of complaining how bad my pain was (it wasn’t too bad at that time) so I could get another prescription. Instead, by sheer will I blurted out not to prescribe me anymore, and asked my doctor to put it in my medical records. This was 8 years ago and to this day I still get urges to take one. I consider myself very lucky”.
6. The person who is addicted to weed that it felt like he/she was just missing a part of himself/herself anytime he/she tries to stop.
“Weed. People say you can’t get addicted, but around 15% of people who use marijuana become addicted. I had to go six months without smoking once and it was fine but the entire time I felt like I was just missing a part of myself. The day I could smoke again I did and I haven’t stopped since”.
7. The person who lost his family, 7 teeth and got arrested due to Heroin addiction.
“Heroin and meth tbh. I was in active addiction for 17 years before I finally, actually hit rock bottom. It took me an insane trip to detox, getting arrested on a felony grand larceny charge, waking up on my buddy’s floor with 1-2 teeth chilling in my cheek. teeth fell out and were resting in my cheek until I woke up. Losing all but 7-10 of my teeth. Losing all 3 of my kids, my wife, sleeping in a corner of my friends apartment with him, his girlfriend, and her mom. Spending every waking moment in a garage, doing literally nothing. I’m talking days upon days without even seeing the sun. Finally in November 2018, I was practically hypothermic and shaking. My mom called me and said she found a treatment place. So I called then went and I’ve been clean for 2 3/4 years now and am as happy and far as ever”.
8. Alcohol addiction.
“Alcohol but today marks 60 days sober!”
10. Kratom addiction (Kratom is a tropical tree (Mitragyna speciosa) native to Southeast Asia, with leaves that contain compounds that can have psychotropic (mind-altering) effects.
“Kratom with an energy drink. I was taking about 20 capsules a day and drinking a bang. I’ve been off it for about 3 months now. Now I’m trying to reduce my caffeine intake”.
11. Diet coke addiction.
“Diet Coke. Don’t care what people say they put something other than caffeine in that shit that makes me come back every damn day for another”.
12. Gambling addiction
“Gambling. Gambling and more gambling”
13. The person who always anticipate undesirable outcomes – pessimistic addiction.
“I’m addicted to being pessimistic. I go through scenarios in my head that have a bad outcome, I have a boring and meaningless life. And I mostly think about how my life is and can go wrong”.
14. The person experiencing Porn addiction.
“It’s difficult. Porn isn’t like alcohol or drugs or even gambling. All those things require money. Porn is free everywhere online. Even if you avoid those sites, sex sells. Movies and tv are filled with sex scenes. With summer temps comes people in less and less clothing (not judging them, this is my struggle). Triggers are everywhere and we all basically carry a direct supply in our pockets at all times. It’s super difficult. I’m getting better…. I think… I hope”.
15. Electronic cigarette addiction.
“Nicotine. I switched to e-cigs after only two years of smoking, but I’m no closer to actually giving it up. If anything, I think the e-cigs only made it worse. They’re so much more convenient than actual cigarettes”.
16. The person facing Opoid addiction.
“Opoids. They terrifie me now. Way more than any pain ever could. In the past few years I have had major surgery multiple times ending in an open organ removal. I used narcotic replacement and other pain management techniques to deal with the pain rather than risk going back to that place. Being clean from them has given me a life that is pretty damn amazing”.
“For anyone out there still struggling you are not alone. The strength to overcome is inside you but you need to let people help you find it and hold onto it”.
17. Caffeine addiction.
“Caffeine and watching Japanese cleaning videos. Odd addiction. I think I live vicariously through the videos so it feels like I’m being productive, idk lmao”.
18. Depression
“I grew up anxious and depressed, at a time where I was supposed to be learning and figuring out who I am. I’m in my 30s now, away from the home life that was fueling my anxiety and depression and have no clue who I am or how to live my life NOT feeling depressed.
I find myself trying to sabotage relationships because being happy just feels so…out of my bubble..”
19. Sex addiction.
“I like it a lot, and I’m really good at it, and it almost took over my life. That coupled with my sincere fascination with women, turns into many sexual episodes. I think my ADHD plays into it too because whenever I have 5 seconds of free time I dream of being intimate with a woman. It’s tough man”.
~ MacinTez
20. The addiction of Vaping or Biting of Nails.
“Biting my nails I could never quit, never know when i’m doing it, never realize that i’m doing it until i’ve done it. My fingertips are constantly dry and cracked from me picking and biting at them. Nicotine, well we all know how vaping blew up the past couple years.”