These ‘My Strange Addiction’ Moments Are Wild & Unforgettable
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If you spent any time glued to TLC in the early 2010s, you already know exactly what we’re talking about.
The network that brought us everything from wedding dress shopping to extreme couponing also delivered one of the most jaw-dropping, can’t-look-away documentary series in television history: My Strange Addiction.
And guess what? After an 11-year hiatus, this cultural phenomenon is officially back on our screens.
My Strange Addiction returned to TLC on Jan. 7, and honestly, it feels like reuniting with an old friend who always had the wildest stories to tell at parties.
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For those who grew up watching this show during its original run, the return hits different.
This was the series that had us texting our group chats at 10 p.m. on a weeknight, typing things like “ARE YOU SEEING THIS RIGHT NOW?!” while simultaneously being unable to change the channel.
Before you dive into the new era, let’s take a nostalgic journey through some of the most viral, most unforgettable, and most “did that really just happen?” moments from the show’s original six-season run.
What made ‘My Strange Addiction’ so iconic?
For the uninitiated — or for those who need a refresher after all these years — My Strange Addiction is a TLC documentary series focusing on individuals with unusual, compulsive behaviors and fixations that interfere with their daily lives.
The show premiered on TLC on Dec. 29, 2010, and ran for six seasons before ending its initial run with the 50th episode, “Top 10 Most Shocking,” on Feb. 4, 2015.
That’s right — 50 episodes of content that ranged from mildly quirky to absolutely mind-blowing. And now, after more than a decade away, the show is back with fresh material that proves humanity’s capacity for unusual habits remains as fascinating as ever.
The season premiere that aired on Jan. 7 included everything from eating two pounds of raw meat daily to snorting food — instead of eating it. Yes, you read that correctly. The show hasn’t lost its edge one bit.
But for those of us who remember staying up late to catch new My Strange Addiction episodes during the original run, nothing quite compares to the moments that made this show a viral sensation before “viral” was even the word we used.
So let’s count them down, shall we?
10. The Woman Addicted to Eating Rubber Tires
Season 4, Episode 6 (March 6, 2013)
We’re kicking off this countdown with Allison, who was 19 years old at the time and had a habit that would make any mechanic do a double-take. Allison was addicted to eating tires.
Not metaphorically. Not as some kind of performance art. Actual rubber tires.
She said she had been chewing on small shreds of tires for the past six years and had consumed nearly 50 whole tires during that span. Let that number sink in for a moment. Fifty tires. That’s more tires than most people go through on their cars in a lifetime.
She would eat more than two feet of tire shavings a day for a total of up to 14 pounds per month. And here’s the detail that always gets people: her then-fiance worked at a tire plant.
You truly cannot make this stuff up. This is the kind of coincidence that makes you wonder if the universe has a sense of humor.
9. The Man Who Ate Actual Glass
Season 1, Episode 10 (Feb. 9, 2011)
Early in the show’s run, viewers were introduced to Josh, whose addiction made even the most adventurous eaters cringe. Josh was addicted to eating glass. He preferred thinner glass, such as wine glasses and light bulbs — because apparently, there are preferences even in glass consumption.
The addiction stemmed from the texture of the glass (not flavor), which he likened to eating sharp rock candy. That comparison alone has lived rent-free in the minds of viewers for over a decade.
But wait, there’s more. To make matters worse, he was also addicted to swallowing bullets and attributed the addiction to his lack of impulse control. He finally decided to see a doctor after his friends expressed their concern.
This episode was a stark reminder that My Strange Addiction wasn’t just about shock value — it was documenting real people struggling with real compulsions that could have serious health consequences.
8. The Woman Who Couldn’t Stop Drinking Nail Polish
Season 3, Episode 4 (Feb. 19, 2012)
Bertha’s story is one that anyone who’s ever been to a nail salon might find particularly unsettling. Her addiction to drinking nail polish started at the nail salon, where she was drawn to the smell of it.
We’ve all noticed that distinctive chemical scent, but for Bertha, it became something much more.
She eventually tried licking some of it off her nail and ultimately grew addicted to drinking it for five years.
The addiction grew worse after she suffered a miscarriage, and some of her friends and family theorized that her addiction played a result. She described the texture as slimy and noted its chemical smell.
This episode resonated with viewers because it showed how addiction can sometimes be intertwined with grief and trauma, adding a layer of emotional complexity to what might otherwise seem like purely bizarre behavior.
7. The Woman Who Took Shots of Paint
Season 5, Episode 2 (Jan. 1, 2014)
Speaking of coping mechanisms, Heather’s story followed a similarly heartbreaking trajectory.
Heather became addicted to drinking paint around the time her mother died. The addiction continued for roughly two years until she finally decided to confess to her best friend in hopes of finding help.
In the show, Heather admitted to drinking nearly one paint marker every day, and she even acknowledged that she would be heartbroken if her kids followed in her footsteps.
That moment of self-awareness — recognizing the behavior she wouldn’t want for her own children — was a powerful turning point. She ultimately decided to stop.
6. The Woman Who Chewed Dirty Diapers
Season 5, Episode 5 (Jan. 15, 2014)
If you watched My Strange Addiction during its original run, this episode probably came up in at least a dozen conversations with friends, family, or random coworkers who also couldn’t believe what they’d witnessed.
Keyshia was a 22-year-old pregnant woman at the time of taping. She admitted to being addicted to sniffing and chewing dirty diapers. She even went as far as saying she preferred “heavier ones.”
That detail alone was enough to make this one of the most-discussed episodes in the show’s history.
At the time, she had been addicted for nearly two years and confessed to sniffing or chewing over 25,000 diapers during that time. And it wasn’t just a strange pregnancy phenomenon — it started much earlier.
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5. The Woman Who Bathed in and Drank Her Own Urine
Season 3, Episode 8 (March 18, 2012)
At the time of taping, Carrie was a 53-year-old cancer patient who believed that drinking and bathing in her own urine would help treat her. She also admitted to washing her eyes and brushing her teeth with it.
“I like warm pee. It’s comforting,” Carrie explained in the show, according to TODAY.com. “The first time I drank my urine, I didn’t throw up and it wasn’t horrible. So I thought, ‘You know what? I can do this.’”
That quote became instantly iconic. The matter-of-fact delivery, the casual reasoning — it encapsulated everything that made My Strange Addiction such compelling television.
Carrie wasn’t trying to shock anyone; she genuinely believed in what she was doing, which somehow made it even more fascinating to watch.
4. The Man Who Collected Shower Drain Hair
Season 2, Episode 2 (July 17, 2011)
Evan’s addiction might not have involved consuming anything dangerous, but it was unsettling in its own unique way.
Evan enjoys pulling hair from shower drains. In social situations, he heads straight to the bathroom and compulsively pulls hair out of the homeowner’s shower drain. He said the ritual helps relieve his anxiety.
He went on to say that he prefers “long brown hair” and hair that’s both “slimy” and “wet.” The specificity of his preferences was what really got viewers talking. This wasn’t a vague compulsion — Evan knew exactly what he was looking for.
For many viewers, Evan’s story was a window into how anxiety can manifest in unexpected ways, and how shame often accompanies these behaviors.
3. The Man Who Loved His Car a Little Too Much
Season 3, Episode 1 (Feb. 12, 2012)
This episode became legendary for reasons that go beyond typical shock value.
Nathaniel was at a resale lot when he fell in love with a car. Not the type of love where you want to drive it everywhere, but the type of love where you want to date it, become intimate with it, and even call it “baby.”
He admitted to feeling an “instant connection” with the car and had been in a committed relationship with the 1998 Chevy Monte Carlo, which he named Chase, for five years at the time of the show’s taping.
Nathaniel and Chase became one of the most memorable pairings in reality TV history. The episode sparked countless discussions about the nature of attraction, connection, and what constitutes a relationship.
It was weird, sure, but Nathaniel’s sincerity made it oddly touching in a way that only My Strange Addiction could achieve.
2. The Woman Who Was Literally Eating Her House
Season 2, Episode 2 (July 17, 2011)
Fans met Nicole, who was addicted to eating drywall for seven years, in the same episode as Evan, the hair collector. That’s right — this single episode delivered a double dose of unforgettable content that had viewers absolutely reeling.
Nicole said she craves the taste of drywall and eats up to three square feet of it every week. The walls in her home were covered in holes from snacking and served as a constant reminder of her addiction.
She knew she could be causing permanent damage to her body, but wasn’t sure she could quit.
The visual of those walls — pockmarked with bite marks and holes — became one of the show’s most iconic images. It was a literal representation of addiction consuming someone’s life, and it stuck with viewers long after the episode ended.
1. The Woman Who Ate Couch Cushions for 20 Years
Season 1, Episode 7 (Jan. 18, 2011)
Adele, who was 30 years old at the time, admitted to being addicted to eating cushion foam for more than 20 years. Her addiction worsened when anxious or nervous, but she said she could eat it all day.
She went on to confess that she preferred “the darker cushion, the yellow cushion mat” due to its “stronger flavor.” Adele had consumed roughly seven couches and two chairs in her lifetime, per TIME.
Seven couches. Two chairs. Over twenty years. The numbers alone are staggering, but it was Adele’s casual discussion of cushion flavor preferences that truly cemented this episode as iconic.
For an entire generation of viewers, Adele became synonymous with My Strange Addiction itself.
How to Watch the New Season (And Relive the Classics)
Ready to dive back in? New episodes of My Strange Addiction air Wednesdays at 9/8c on TLC.
It can also be watched on HBO Max, discovery+, and Hulu. The series is also available via the TLC GO app with a cable provider, or for purchase on platforms like Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Fandango at Home.
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Whether you’re catching up on the new season or revisiting these classic episodes that defined early 2010s reality television, one thing is certain: My Strange Addiction remains one of the most uniquely compelling shows in TV history. Welcome back to the wild side of TLC — fans missed you.