People Are Sharing The Modern Addictions Nobody Really Thinks About, And Yes, Dopamine Is On This List

When we think of addiction, our minds typically go to substances like drugs or alcohol. But addiction can take many forms — some so subtle and normalized that we don't even recognize them as problematic. So when a now-deleted Reddit user asked, "What's an addiction that nobody considers?" the responses revealed how our modern world has created countless ways to chase dopamine hits and develop unhealthy dependencies. Here's what they had to say:
1."Validation addiction, aka the compulsive need for approval, praise, or recognition from others."
—u/RevealIntelligent737
2."Nasal spray. This one is kind of obscure, but the thought of having a stuffy nose and needing more and more and more of that stuff is kind of scary."
—u/TazzzTM
"I literally cut myself off 10 years ago because it was causing me problems."
—bobbutson
"This happened to me in fifth grade! It was so severe that I needed to use it at least once an hour, or my nose was completely blocked up. The addiction lasted weeks. I would bring it to school and sneak huffs of it from my backpack during class, pretending I was rummaging for something."
—u/iamnotahermitcrab
3."Habits that put us into the same patterns we're already familiar with. For example, let's say someone was previously abused and has low self-esteem, so they now gravitate toward people who mistreat them, etc."
—u/crypticcryptidscrypt
4."Food."
—u/LivingSalt9816
"This doesn't get talked about enough. Someone can truly quit any of these other addictions. You cannot quit eating. And even if we could, eating is the center of most cultures, communities, and fellowship."
—u/GingerrGina
5."Shopping."
—u/blissfulheadgames
6."Victim mindset."
—u/tokenasian99
Related: 23 Cute, Happy, And Wholesome Posts I Saw On The Internet This Week That You Absolutely Need To See
7."Gambling is often overlooked. It's also not just lotto tickets and bingo. Casino apps, sports betting, online gaming 'mystery boxes,' and day trading are just a few examples of things that use the same mechanics."
—u/threadbarefemur
8."Dieting, eating disorders and/or disordered eating, and counting calories."
—u/Global_Concept1331
9."Social media."
—u/Goddess_alma__
"It's a bigger issue than that. Social media falls under dopamine abuse, basically. It's just a constant onslaught of the pleasure ventures in the brain these days. Companies research ways to hit those centers and use the marketing to sell it. Small things like the action of swiping or flavors in food. Salt. Porn. Video games. Social media. YouTube showing you all the things you want but can't go for. All of these things are beneficial targeted one at a time, but goddamn, it fries people's brains all at once."
—u/Klashus
Related: Holy Crap, I Can't Stop Laughing At These 28 Painfully Awkward And Embarrassing Conversations
10."Working all the time."
—u/MotherEarth1919
11."Dermatillomania, or skin-picking disorder."
—u/strangekey2
12."Dating apps. They're like a game, and the incentive for winning is your orgasm."
—u/Present-Loss5880
13."Porn."
—u/PEACH_MINAJ
14."Sleeping in all the time."
—u/Tough_Representative
"Sleeping in general. I genuinely can't stop napping during the day. It's awful."
—u/lights-camera-bees
15."Weed. While it's not an addictive substance, people definitely become emotionally dependent. One problem is that weed makes you okay with being unproductive and bored, and many people use it as a crutch."
—u/8v9
16."Phones."
—u/Then_Coyote_1244
"That's me — same with my iPad. When I iron my clothes, I put on YouTube on my iPad. Eating dinner? Netflix. Drinking a cup of tea? TikTok. Waiting on the bus? Reddit. My phone is always in my hand. I take it with me when I go to bed, when I take a shower, when I walk the dog, when I have to get something from the attic, etc. I miss growing up in the '90s and not having a phone — just being present in the moment. But somehow, I can't do it anymore."
—u/Dazzling-Yam-1151
What do you think after reading these responses? Are you recognizing some (completely normalized) patterns in your own life or others? What hidden addictions do you think are affecting people today? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1-800-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services; GoodTherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.
The National Eating Disorders Association helpline is 1-800-931-2237; for 24/7 crisis support, text 'NEDA' to 741741.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website.
Also in Internet Finds: Lawyers Are Sharing Their Juiciest "Can You Believe It?!" Stories From The Courtroom, And They're As Surprising As You'd Expect
Also in Internet Finds: 51 People Who Quickly Discovered Why Their Hilariously Clueless Partner Was Single Before Meeting Them
Also in Internet Finds: People Are Sharing "The Most Believable Conspiracy Theories," And Now I'm Questioning Everything I Thought I Knew

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Washington Post

18 minutes ago

• Washington Post

On Dobbs anniversary, Senate Democrats aim to restart abortion conversation

Just weeks after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Nancy Davis learned that her fetus had a fatal cranial condition. She sought an abortion in her home state of Louisiana, but a 'trigger law' took effect shortly after the June 2022 decision. The law banned nearly all abortions in the state, and doctors were unsure if Davis's case fell within its few exceptions, forcing her to travel to New York to have an abortion. Now, three years post-Roe, Davis worries for patients who may still face the kind of excruciating decisions about their pregnancies that she did. On Tuesday, she will help Senate Democrats as they try to bring abortion and reproductive health care back to the forefront on the anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. 'I know these women who are currently going through it need someone to say 'I see you,'' Davis told The Washington Post. ''I believe you.'' In a forum designed to resemble a congressional hearing at the Capitol, Davis will share her story with an audience of Senate Democrats and members of the press alongside other witnesses, including two abortion providers. They will speak about their experiences in the three years since the high court eliminated the nearly 50-year constitutional right to an abortion — part of an ongoing effort from some Democrats to keep steadfast attention on the issue. The event, known as a shadow hearing, allows for a public forum to be held without conducting an official Senate hearing, which would've required approval from Republican leaders who chair committees. The move comes at a time when abortion appears to have drifted away from where it once stood as a key political issue. Though President Donald Trump has repeatedly taken credit for appointing the justices who solidified the landmark Dobbs decision, he said on the campaign trail last year that he would veto a federal abortion ban and leave abortion law up to the states. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday. When Roe fell in 2022, conservatives claimed it as a massive victory. For liberals, it served as a sign of the ground the GOP gained while the Democratic Party struggled to muster enough votes to pass national abortion legislation over the past decade. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington), one of the four Democratic lawmakers leading the Dobbs anniversary messaging, said that since Trump took office, his administration has steadily launched smaller scale antiabortion efforts, which she said amount to a 'national abortion ban behind the scenes.' 'Because there's so much going on, and because it's little by little and piece by piece, women don't collectively see what is coming at them,' Murray told The Post. Among the efforts Murray referenced is the GOP's budget bill, which includes a provision that would halt Medicaid payments to abortion providers who received more than $1 million in federal reimbursements in 2024 — a measure that would mean funding cuts to Planned Parenthood, one of the biggest reproductive health care providers in the United States. Senate Republicans are racing to meet Trump's July 4 deadline to pass their version of the bill. Leading the Democratic messaging on this year's Dobbs anniversary alongside Murray are Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts), Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin) and Tina Smith (Minnesota), all of whom have been vocal about the need to protect abortion access and other reproductive health advocacy. Murray said they will highlight a medley of actions from the Trump administration related to reproductive health over the past six months — some of them undoing Biden-era efforts to protect abortion access. Within days of assuming the presidency, Trump pardoned 23 people who were convicted of blocking access to reproductive health clinics, many of them during the Biden administration for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or Face Act. This month, Republicans prepared a bill that if passed would repeal the Face Act altogether. Also in January, Trump overturned two executive orders signed by President Joe Biden that aimed to expand access to reproductive care. And in early June, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rescinded Biden-era guidance that required hospitals to provide emergency abortions when needed to stabilize patients, regardless of the state where they were receiving treatment. For Davis, who still lives in Louisiana and has become a reproductive health advocate, the ongoing changes have made her afraid that more patients will be unable to receive the care they choose in a timely manner. It's a fear that's been on her mind constantly, she said, especially as a mother to three girls, one of whom was born in the time since her 2022 nonviable pregnancy. Sharing her story again this week, Davis said, 'gives us a chance to stand up before any more harm is done.' 'For me, it's about protecting the next woman, the next family, the next mother,' she said.

Medscape

24 minutes ago

• Medscape

Once-Weekly Efsitora Noninferior to Daily Insulin in T2D

CHICAGO — The investigational once-weekly basal insulin analog efsitora alfa lowered A1c as effectively as daily basal insulins in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who require insulin, showed three trials from the QWINT global phase 3 clinical trial program. However, two of the trials showed increased mild hypoglycemia in patients treated with efsitora, which some experts say is a concern. The QWINT-1 trial compared the efficacy and safety of a fixed-dose regimen of efsitora with once-daily glargine for 52 weeks in insulin-naive people with T2D; QWINT-3 compared efsitora with daily degludec for 78 weeks in adults already taking basal insulin; and QWINT-4 compared efsitora with daily glargine for 26 weeks in adults with T2D taking both basal and pre-meal bolus insulin. Results from the three trials were presented on June 22 during a single symposium here at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 85th Scientific Sessions and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine (QWINT-1) and The Lancet (QWINT-3 and QWINT-4). QWINT-1: Fixed-Dose Efsitora QWINT-1 was an open-label trial of 795 adults with T2D who had not previously taken insulin. Participants were randomized to weekly efsitora delivered by a single-use auto-injector or daily injected insulin glargine. Efsitora was titrated to four fixed doses at 4-week intervals, as needed for blood glucose control. At week 52, efsitora had reduced A1c from 8.20% at baseline to 7.05% (–1.19 percentage points), compared with 8.28% to 7.08% with glargine (–1.16 percentage points), confirming noninferiority. "The novel fixed-dose regimen used in QWINT-1 for once-weekly efsitora, with titration options of only four different doses, can facilitate and substantially simplify initiating and escalating insulin therapy, potentially changing the insulin management paradigm in type 2 diabetes," lead investigator Julio Rosenstock, MD, senior scientific advisor for Velocity Clinical Research and clinical professor of medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, said during a press briefing held at the meeting. In addition, the rate of combined clinically significant hypoglycemia (< 54 mg/dL) or severe hypoglycemia (requiring assistance for treatment) was significantly lower with efsitora than glargine (0.50 vs 0.88 events per participant-year of exposure with glargine [estimated rate ratio, 0.57]). In an editorial accompanying QWINT-1, NEJM Deputy Editor Julie R. Ingelfinger, MD, and Clifford J. Rosen, MD, director of clinical and translational research and a senior scientist at Maine Medical Center's Research Institute, Scarborough, write: "The present trial of efsitora potentially offers a ready-made and possibly straightforward algorithm for dose escalation. If packaged at a widely affordable price, efsitora would most likely simplify glycemic control for many persons with type 2 diabetes." However, limitations of QWINT-1 include the open-label design and lack of use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), Ingelfinger and Rosen note. QWINT-3 and QWINT-4 In both QWINT-3 and QWINT-4, efsitora was administered using traditional insulin dosing with adjustments based on each patient's glucose level. In QWINT-3, 986 adults with T2D who had already been treated with basal insulin and other noninsulin glucose-lowering medications, were randomized 2:1 to weekly efsitora or daily degludec. At week 26, A1c decreased by 0.81 percentage points with efsitora versus 0.72 with degludec, also meeting the noninferiority margin. Combined level 2 and 3 hypoglycemia from baseline to week 78 was similar in the efsitora and degludec groups, at 0.84 versus 0.74 events per patient-year, respectively. However, level 1 (mild) hypoglycemia was significantly more common with efsitora (8.34 vs 6.05; P = .0005). Nine deaths occurred during the trial but none were related to study treatment. In QWINT-4, 730 participants with T2D who had been treated with both basal and prandial insulin and up to three noninsulin glucose-lowering agents were randomized to efsitora or glargine U100, both with premeal insulin lispro. Mean baseline A1c was 8.18%. At 26 weeks, mean A1c was 7.17% in the efsitora group and 7.18% in the glargine group, meeting noninferiority criteria. As in QWINT-3, rates of moderate/severe hypoglycemia in QWINT-4 did not differ between the efsitora and glargine groups (6.6 vs 5.9 events per patient-year; P = .44), but mild hypoglycemia was more common with efsitora (25.3 vs 19.0; P < .0004). Other adverse event rates were similar. Is Hypoglycemia a Problem With Weekly Insulin? These three new studies round out the QWINT program, as results from QWINT-5, in type 1 diabetes (T1D), and from QWINT-2, in insulin-naive adults with T2D, were presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2024 Annual Meeting. Hypoglycemia emerged as a significant issue with efsitora compared with insulin degludec in adults with T1D in the QWINT-5 trial. Another once-weekly insulin analog, Novo-Nordisk's insulin Icodec, has been approved under the brand name Awiqli in the European Union, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Switzerland for T1D and T2D, and in China for T2D. However, the US Food and Drug Administration requested more data to address the concern about hypoglycemia in T1D. "The risk of hypoglycemia remains a crucial factor when evaluating the safety of novel insulin preparations with a long half-life, such as efsitora, which has a half-life of 17 days," wrote Edith WK Chow, MD, and Elaine Chow, MD, PhD, both of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, in an editorial accompanying QWINT-3 and QWINT-4. "In both trials, the efsitora group had higher rates of overall level 1 hypoglycemia. When stratified by study timeline, higher rates of hypoglycemia were observed within the first 12 weeks of the study in both trials," they point out. In addition, they note that because CGM use was only intermittent and masked for participants, "the actual rate of hypoglycemic events might be underestimated, especially in the presence of hypoglycemia unawareness, which has been reported to be as high as 40% of people with type 2 diabetes using continuous glucose monitoring. Even asymptomatic episodes might be associated with increased cardiovascular risk." Asked about this at the press briefing, Rosenstock said that the increased mild hypoglycemia was "just little numerical imbalances. And the most important thing is that the number of events per patient per year are very low. It's less than one event per patient per year. I think that is something that we can take." Asked to comment on all three new QWINT studies, independent industry consultant Charles Alexander, MD, told Medscape Medical News : "Whether once-weekly insulin will be an advantage compared to once-daily insulin will depend upon factors like cost, convenience, and individual preference." Ingelfinger and Rosen agree with Alexander that the use of efsitora may depend on coverage, cost, and availability. "Long-term, formal government approval for efsitora is awaited, and uptake by patients is not yet known," they write. "The advent of newer or more effective noninsulin hypoglycemic drugs such as the GLP-1 receptor agonists, which simultaneously also produce weight loss, might ultimately be a more appealing option than efsitora and allow greater patient adherence than weekly insulin in some patients with type 2 diabetes." Despite these unknowns and caveats, the development of even longer-acting insulins now offers promising options for better glucose control in this disease," Ingelfinger and Rosen conclude. Rosenstock has reported receiving research grant support from, serving on advisory boards for, and/or receiving consulting fees honoraria from Applied Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Biomea Fusion, Boehringer Ingelheim, Corcept, Eli Lilly, Hanmi, Merck, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Oramed, Pfizer, Regeneron, Regor Therapeutics, Roche, Sanofi, Structure Therapeutics, and Terns Pharmaceuticals. Ingelfinger is a licensee of St. Martin's Press. Edith WK Chow has reported receiving travel sponsorship from Boehringer Ingelheim. Elaine Chow has reported receiving speaker honoraria from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Sinocare and institutional research grant support from Hua Medicine, Merck KGaA, and Medtronic Diabetes. All proceeds were donated to The Chinese University of Hong Kong for research purposes. Rosen and Alexander had no disclosures.

Yahoo

an hour ago

• Yahoo

New Data Show Delve Bio's Metagenomic Testing Delivers Broader, Deeper Pathogen Identification Compared to Traditional Testing

Data Presented at the 2025 American Society for Microbiology Microbe Conference BOSTON, June 22, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Delve Bio, a pioneer in metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for infectious diseases, today announced data presented at the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Microbe conference in Los Angeles showing the impact of metagenomic sequencing for transforming infectious disease diagnostics by offering advances compared to traditional microbiological testing. Among the data presented at the meeting is a comparison of Delve's metagenomic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) test, Delve Detect CSF, compared to a traditional PCR-based meningitis/encephalitis (ME) panel. The study reanalyzed samples from a diverse patient cohort previously tested using the ME panel. The data showed that mNGS can be used in conjunction with microbiological testing to increase diagnostic yield by identifying pathogens that are not detectable with traditional, pathogen-specific panel testing. The inclusion of mNGS tests like Delve Detect, which has a 48-hour turnaround time, can shorten time to diagnosis, enabling clinicians to initiate targeted therapies sooner. "This study showed substantial agreement between Delve Detect and a syndromic PCR panel. But importantly, Delve Detect also identified pathogens that were not included on the PCR panel and would have been missed as causes of a patient's infection if mNGS were not included in the diagnostic workup," said Benjamin Bradley, M.D., Ph.D., medical director of virology and molecular infectious diseases at ARUP Laboratories. "This study supports including mNGS in the diagnostic workup for patients with complex central nervous system infections." The study included 122 samples — 47 positive and 75 negative. Analysis showed that in comparison with the ME panel, Delve Detect CSF demonstrated approximately 10% higher positivity rate (48% vs. 38%), with an additive diagnostic yield of 24%. This added yield included detection of multiple co-infections, 16 unique organisms not included in the ME panel, and positive detections in 19 samples (25%) that were negative by the ME panel. Additionally, in samples that were negative by both tests, Delve Detect CSF showed high agreement (95%) with the ME panel, supporting the negative predictive value of mNGS. The company's full presence at ASM Microbe 2025 includes: Delve's chief medical officer Steve Miller, M.D., Ph.D. hosted A New Era: Metagenomic Sequencing for Comprehensive Pathogen Detection, exploring real world evidence, clinical cases and considerations for laboratory teams implementing mNGS. Presentation of a case report in a feature poster, Using Metagenomic Sequencing to Diagnose a Novel Moraxella CNS Shunt Infection in a Culture-Negative Case Presentation of data comparing the company's mNGS CSF test, Delve Detect, to a widely used, PCR meningitis/encephalitis panel as part of the session Assessing the Clinical Impact of Next-Generation Sequencing: Where Are We Now? "These presentations at ASM highlight the transformation underway in infectious disease diagnostics. Delve Bio's metagenomic sequencing technology enables clinicians to identify the cause of serious central nervous system infections when existing methods do not deliver a diagnosis and speed is critical," said Brad Murray, chief executive officer of Delve Bio. "We're working to make this technology more widely available to neurologists, infectious disease physicians and laboratory teams so they can get patients the answers they need." Conference attendees are also invited to visit Delve Bio at booth #1440 to learn more about the company's metagenomic platform, including Delve Detect and its proprietary bioinformatics platform Delve Decide. Delve Detect is Delve Bio's flagship metagenomic testing service, providing comprehensive pathogen detection with a 48-hour turnaround time after sample receipt and including access to Delve's Clinical Microbial Sequencing Board, an on-call team of infectious disease experts who review results in clinical context. About Delve Bio, Inc. Delve Bio is a metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) company that empowers laboratories and clinicians with the insights they need to confidently diagnose routine and rare infectious diseases, thereby minimizing the impact of harmful pathogens on humanity. By leveraging its unbiased, pathogen-agnostic mNGS platform, Delve Bio is able to identify a wide range of pathogens with a single test. Founded by world leaders in genomics and infectious disease Drs. Charles Chiu, Joe DeRisi, Michael Wilson, Pardis Sabeti, and Matthew Meyerson, the company is backed by top institutional investors including Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund II, Section 32, and GV, along with leading individual investors. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts Company Contact Amy WongSenior Director of Marketing and Business Development, Delve BioEmail: media@ Media Contact Julie McKeough42 North for Delve BioEmail: julie@ Sign in to access your portfolio