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The creation of this article included the use of AI and was edited by human content creators. Read more on our AI policy\u00a0<\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n If you spent any time glued to TLC in the early 2010s, you already know exactly what we\u2019re talking about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The network that brought us everything from wedding dress shopping to extreme couponing also delivered one of the most jaw-dropping, can\u2019t-look-away documentary series in television history: <\/span>My Strange Addiction<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n And guess what? After an 11-year hiatus, this cultural phenomenon is officially back on our screens.<\/span><\/p>\n My Strange Addiction<\/span><\/i> 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Is \u2018Say Yes to the Dress\u2019 Real? These Brides Have Horror Stories to Share<\/a><\/p>\n For those who grew up watching this show during its original run, the return hits different.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This was the series that had us texting our group chats at 10 p.m. on a weeknight, typing things like \u201cARE YOU SEEING THIS RIGHT NOW?!\u201d while simultaneously being unable to change the channel.<\/span><\/p>\n Before you dive into the new era, let\u2019s take a nostalgic journey through some of the most viral, most unforgettable, and most \u201cdid that really just happen?\u201d moments from the show\u2019s original six-season run.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For the uninitiated \u2014 or for those who need a refresher after all these years \u2014 <\/span>My Strange Addiction<\/span><\/i><\/a> is a TLC documentary series focusing on individuals with unusual, compulsive behaviors and fixations that interfere with their daily lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The show premiered on TLC on Dec. 29, 2010, and ran for six seasons before ending its initial run with the 50th episode, \u201cTop 10 Most Shocking,\u201d on Feb. 4, 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s right \u2014 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\u2019s capacity for unusual habits remains as fascinating as ever.<\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span>season premiere<\/span><\/a> that aired on Jan. 7 included everything from eating two pounds of raw meat daily to snorting food \u2014 instead of eating it. Yes, you read that correctly. The show hasn\u2019t lost its edge one bit.<\/span><\/p>\n But for those of us who remember staying up late to catch new My Strange Addiction <\/em>episodes during the original run, nothing quite compares to the moments that made this show a viral sensation before \u201cviral\u201d was even the word we used.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So let\u2019s count them down, shall we?<\/span><\/p>\n Season 4, Episode 6<\/b><\/a> (March 6, 2013)<\/b><\/p>\n We\u2019re 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Not metaphorically. Not as some kind of performance art. Actual rubber tires.<\/span><\/p>\n 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\u2019s more tires than most people go through on their cars in a lifetime.<\/span><\/p>\n She would eat more than two feet of tire shavings a day for a total of up to 14 pounds per month. And here\u2019s the detail that always gets people: her then-fiance worked at a tire plant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n Season 1, Episode 10<\/b><\/a> (Feb. 9, 2011)<\/b><\/p>\n Early in the show\u2019s 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 \u2014 because apparently, there are preferences even in glass consumption.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n But wait, there\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This episode was a stark reminder that <\/span>My Strange Addiction<\/span><\/i> wasn\u2019t just about shock value \u2014 it was documenting real people struggling with real compulsions that could have serious health consequences.<\/span><\/p>\n Season 3, Episode 4<\/b><\/a> (Feb. 19, 2012)<\/b><\/p>\n Bertha\u2019s story is one that anyone who\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019ve all noticed that distinctive chemical scent, but for Bertha, it became something much more.<\/span><\/p>\n She eventually tried licking some of it off her nail and ultimately grew addicted to drinking it for five years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n Season 5, Episode 2<\/b><\/a> (Jan. 1, 2014)<\/b><\/p>\n Speaking of coping mechanisms, Heather\u2019s story followed a similarly heartbreaking trajectory.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n That moment of self-awareness \u2014 recognizing the behavior she wouldn\u2019t want for her own children \u2014 was a powerful turning point. She ultimately decided to stop.<\/span><\/p>\n Season 5, Episode 5<\/b><\/a> (Jan. 15, 2014)<\/b><\/p>\n If you watched <\/span>My Strange Addiction<\/span><\/i> during its original run, this episode probably came up in at least a dozen conversations with friends, family, or random coworkers who also couldn\u2019t believe what they\u2019d witnessed.<\/span><\/p>\n 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 \u201cheavier ones.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n That detail alone was enough to make this one of the most-discussed episodes in the show\u2019s history.<\/span><\/p>\n 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\u2019t just a strange pregnancy phenomenon \u2014 it started much earlier.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Jon Gosselin Reveals Near-Death Health Scare After Coughing Up Blood Clot: \u2018I Definitely Could Have Died\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Season 3, Episode 8<\/b><\/a> (March 18, 2012)<\/b><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI like warm pee. It\u2019s comforting,\u201d Carrie explained in the show, according to <\/span>TODAY.com<\/span><\/a>. \u201cThe first time I drank my urine, I didn\u2019t throw up and it wasn\u2019t horrible. So I thought, \u2018You know what? I can do this.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n That quote became instantly iconic. The matter-of-fact delivery, the casual reasoning \u2014 it encapsulated everything that made <\/span>My Strange Addiction<\/span><\/i> such compelling television.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Carrie wasn\u2019t trying to shock anyone; she genuinely believed in what she was doing, which somehow made it even more fascinating to watch.<\/span><\/p>\n Season 2, Episode 2<\/b><\/a> (July 17, 2011)<\/b><\/p>\n Evan\u2019s addiction might not have involved consuming anything dangerous, but it was unsettling in its own unique way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Evan enjoys pulling hair from shower drains. In social situations, he heads straight to the bathroom and compulsively pulls hair out of the homeowner\u2019s shower drain. He said the ritual helps relieve his anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n He went on to say that he prefers \u201clong brown hair\u201d and hair that\u2019s both \u201cslimy\u201d and \u201cwet.\u201d The specificity of his preferences was what really got viewers talking. This wasn\u2019t a vague compulsion \u2014 Evan knew exactly what he was looking for.<\/span><\/p>\n For many viewers, Evan\u2019s story was a window into how anxiety can manifest in unexpected ways, and how shame often accompanies these behaviors.<\/span><\/p>\n Season 3, Episode 1<\/b><\/a> (Feb. 12, 2012)<\/b><\/p>\n This episode became legendary for reasons that go beyond typical shock value.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 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 \u201cbaby.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He admitted to feeling an \u201cinstant connection\u201d 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\u2019s taping.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It was weird, sure, but Nathaniel\u2019s sincerity made it oddly touching in a way that only <\/span>My Strange Addiction<\/span><\/i> could achieve.<\/span><\/p>\n Season 2, Episode 2<\/b><\/a> (July 17, 2011)<\/b><\/p>\n Fans met Nicole, who was addicted to eating drywall for seven years, in the same episode as Evan, the hair collector. That\u2019s right \u2014 this single episode delivered a double dose of unforgettable content that had viewers absolutely reeling.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n She knew she could be causing permanent damage to her body, but wasn\u2019t sure she could quit.<\/span><\/p>\n The visual of those walls \u2014 pockmarked with bite marks and holes \u2014 became one of the show\u2019s most iconic images. It was a literal representation of addiction consuming someone\u2019s life, and it stuck with viewers long after the episode ended.<\/span><\/p>\n Season 1, Episode 7<\/b><\/a> (Jan. 18, 2011)<\/b><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n She went on to confess that she preferred \u201cthe darker cushion, the yellow cushion mat\u201d due to its \u201cstronger flavor.\u201d Adele had consumed roughly seven couches and two chairs in her lifetime, <\/span>per TIME<\/em><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Seven couches. Two chairs. Over twenty years. The numbers alone are staggering, but it was Adele\u2019s casual discussion of cushion flavor preferences that truly cemented this episode as iconic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For an entire generation of viewers, Adele became synonymous with <\/span>My Strange Addiction<\/span><\/i> itself.<\/span><\/p>\n Ready to dive back in? New episodes of <\/span>My Strange Addiction<\/span><\/i> air Wednesdays at 9\/8c on TLC.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat made \u2018My Strange Addiction\u2019 so iconic?<\/b><\/h2>\n
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10. The Woman Addicted to Eating Rubber Tires<\/b><\/h3>\n
9. The Man Who Ate Actual Glass<\/b><\/h3>\n
8. The Woman Who Couldn\u2019t Stop Drinking Nail Polish<\/b><\/h3>\n
7. The Woman Who Took Shots of Paint<\/b><\/h3>\n
6. The Woman Who Chewed Dirty Diapers<\/b><\/h3>\n
5. The Woman Who Bathed in and Drank Her Own Urine<\/b><\/h3>\n
4. The Man Who Collected Shower Drain Hair<\/b><\/h3>\n
3. The Man Who Loved His Car a Little Too Much<\/b><\/h3>\n
2. The Woman Who Was Literally Eating Her House<\/b><\/h3>\n
1. The Woman Who Ate Couch Cushions for 20 Years<\/b><\/h3>\n
How to Watch the New Season (And Relive the Classics)<\/b><\/h2>\n