Unusual Obsessions That Will Leave You Astonished

When you hear the word “addiction,” your first thoughts might be about drugs or alcohol. However, addiction can take many forms. Simply put, addiction is a dependence on a particular substance or activity.

With that in mind, here are a few unusual and less common addictions:

**Shopping**: People often joke about “retail therapy” when they’re feeling down, but that doesn’t make them shopping addicts. A shopping addict spends excessive time and money on shopping and often feels guilty afterward. They might have many unopened packages and even hide purchases from family members.

**Exercise**: While many people aim for about 30 minutes of exercise a day, someone addicted to exercise can spend more than 2 hours a day working out. In extreme cases, they might skip work, school, or important events regularly to keep up with their exercise routine.

**Tanning**: Spending too much time on the beach or at a tanning salon is risky, as it increases the likelihood of skin cancer. Tanning releases endorphins, giving a sense of calm and well-being, which is what tanning addicts crave.

**Ice Chewing**: The compulsion to chew ice or other non-food items is called Pagophagia. This habit might indicate an iron deficiency, so the first step in addressing it is to check and treat the person’s iron levels.

**Eating Dirt**: Known as geophagia, this involves eating non-food substances like rocks, ash, clay, and chalk. Like Pagophagia, it can signal a deficiency in minerals such as iron or zinc.

**Hair Pulling**: Trichotillomania isn’t classified as an addiction but as a psychological condition. It compels individuals to pull out their hair, not just from their heads but from all over their bodies. Sometimes, they might also chew or eat the pulled-out hair.

These examples show that addiction can manifest in various and unexpected ways, impacting people’s lives in different manners.