The Truth Behind the Conditions Featured on My Strange Addiction

Dive deeper into the situations featured on My Strange Addiction and catch new episodes Wednesdays at 8/7c!

February 20, 2026

By: Samantha Lande

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What Exactly Are We Watching?

Some of what you see on My Strange Addiction may feel... well, strange, but there are many people struggling with behaviors and conditions that are difficult to explain. Many of these habits are normal routines taken to the extreme while others feel very out of the ordinary. A lot of these habits fall into general categories that we’ll break down for you here. Read on to learn more!

Pica

People who have pica tend to eat non-food items like chalk or dirt compulsively. This most often occurs in children, people with other mental health disorders or pregnant women. It can be a way to relieve stress or anxiety or sometimes there’s an unknown reason. Some of the non-food items you’ll see on the show: toilet paper, detergent, hot glue, sponges, and even toenails.

Sensory Behaviors

People often partake in certain sensory behaviors because they feel good and give the person needed soothing or stimulation. Sometimes, it’s as simple as needed to be close to people and in constant touch or sometimes it can be more extreme. In My Strange Addiction, you’ll see sensory behaviors range from snorting food or using vapor rub daily, to chewing on diapers and sniffing underwear. 

Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) 

Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors or BFRBs are compulsive habits directed at the body. You’ll often see this with hair pulling (trichotillomania), skin picking (dermatillomania), and nail biting. Some of them, like nail biting, can be very common. Thumb sucking and picking scabs are also common. 

Obsessive Compulsive Patterns

Obsessive-compulsive patterns are repetitive rituals or compulsions like cleaning, hoarding, or repetitive behavior. Sometimes, these are part of Obsessive-compulsive disorder, but OCD is generally driven by fear or anxiety. On the show, you’ll see a variety of obsessive-compulsive patterns from pulling hair out of the shower drain in every bathroom to hoarding over 60 hairless rats.

Attachment Behaviors

We all have attachment behaviors, whether it’s forming an emotional bond with another human or finding solace in a baby blanket or special stuffed animal. On My Strange Addiction, some of these attachment behaviors include a woman who is best friends with a doll, an adult who takes their childhood pillow everywhere they go, and a man who always needs 15 pool inflatables within reach.

Compulsive Consumption

You’ll find a lot of compulsive consumption on the show, the overuse of items or habits in an excessive way. Going through 500 baby wipes a day, having over 30 different plastic surgery procedures, and being addicted to bodybuilding are just a few examples.