America's Most Unusual Addictions

[Over]

America's Most Unusual Addictions

1. Antihistamines for reading addiction

"One of the most unusual issues I've treated is a reading addiction," says psychiatrist Dr. Harold Levinson, M.D. Surprisingly, an inner- ear disorder can lead to this addiction. The inner ear fine-tunes the brain's concentration and sensory systems. A dysfunction in the inner ear leads to scrambled signals and impaired concentration, which disrupts the normal reading process. This can lead to reading problems, anxiety, restlessness and even phobias.

After treating the inner ear disorder, the reverse can happen: people become addicted to reading because they can now read clearly and easily—and they love it!

"People lose sleep because they stay up all night reading, and some even stop working," says Dr. Levinson. He treats this type of addiction with a combination of counseling and anti–motion-sickness antihistamines (to re-stabilize the inner ear).

If you want to read the other 9, go here.

[daffy4u]

I had #5. I used to chew ice all the time and after reading that blurb, I remember not being able to donate blood once because my iron was low. I also had my hyperactive thyroid removed years later. So that article was on the money for me.

[cassidym]

"After treating the inner ear disorder, the reverse can happen: people become addicted to reading because they can now read clearly and easily—and they love it!

"People lose sleep because they stay up all night reading, and some even stop working," says Dr. Levinson. He treats this type of addiction with a combination of counseling and anti–motion-sickness antihistamines (to re-stabilize the inner ear)"

Um, why would you want to treat this bit? What's wrong with quitting work to read? Sounds good to me.