My New Addiction: TLC's My Strange Addiction

I was channel surfing one Sunday evening and suddenly stopped when I saw a person in a bear suit frolicking around in a park. Her mother looks on and then tells the cameras that she's worried about her daughter and her addiction to wearing bear costumes, including the furry head.

Oh I get it, I think to myself, It's SNL and they are spoofing Intervention. I smile a little as I wait for more laughs. Then I realize it's not Saturday and I'm not watching NBC, I'm watching TLC. As I watch the show, it starts to dawn on me. These people are serious!

I haven't been able to look away since Bear Girl. I've watched as people eat toilet paper, rocks and dryer sheets. I squirmed when Taxidermy Lady's friend found a frozen bag of mice in her freezer and held it up in front of the camera. I was grossed out when I found out that Pillow Girl has never washed her pillow / BFF, Boo. She's only been carrying around the smelly thing for about 20 years or so. Her boyfriend can't take much more of it. I can't believe she has a boyfriend and I don't. What's up with that?!

Last week I met my favorite person so far on the series. Her name is Riley and she's addicted to (get ready for it) being a BABY! That's right. Riley's room is decorated as a nursery. It's a pretty nursery, complete with an adult sized crib she made herself and stocked with lots of diapers. Yep, you read that right. Riley wears diapers.

Riley likes to walk around her home in pigtails and baby pajamas. She frequently sucks her pacifier as she lies in her crib. One of Riley's friends know about her secret and he's not too crazy about it. He looks on with disgust when they are shopping for clothes and none of the outfits she tries on hides the diapers. "Don't you think this is riddiculous?" he finally blurts out. Exactly what I was thinking.

Riley decides she is going to tell her other friend about her little secret. Here's where I find out that Riley is transgender. Wait, did she mention that earlier? I'm not sure but being a transgender must be difficult enough, try telling your future significant other that you like to pee in your diapers and sleep in a crib. Being transgender is the least of her problems.

Anyway, Riley's friend is nervous. She has no idea what Riley's secret is. Finally Riley invites her to come into her room. We now see Riley back in her pajamas and pigtails. She gleefully tells her friend that she is addicted to being a baby. Her friend is utterly shocked.

"Wow, I'm glad you told me." She says this at least twice. Are you really glad she told you? I think to myself, Or are you just so shocked you can't think of anything else to say? I am thinking it's the latter. Something tells me Riley's friend would have been just fine not knowing how strange her friend really is.

Riley explains that growing up as a boy, she was deprived of girl things and this is her way of making better memories for herself. When she says it that way, it almost makes perfect sense... Almost.

Anyway, Riley is very happy being an adult baby and she is not going to get help. Which makes me wonder why she wanted to be on this show in the first place. Hey, I'm all for being happy but I'm just wondering what Riley's co-workers are thinking. I actually feel better about myself after watching Riley skip around her apartment in her jammies. Thanks Riley.

I didn't think anyone could top Riley but TLC saved the most shocking addiction for last. Season 2's finale featured Casie. Casie lost her husband Sean two months ago. He had a severe asthma attack and died. She carries an urn filled with his ashes everywhere she goes. I'm sincerely sad for her. It's only been a couple months and she's in mourning. People don't act like themselves when they are in mourning. I can't blame her for carrying Sean's ashes everywhere she goes.

Only there's something else going on here that is disturbing. When changing urns one day, Casie got some of Seans ashes on her hand.

"I didn't want to wipe them off because I thought that's my husband and i cant just wipe him away. So I just licked it off my fingers, and here I am today almost two months later, and I can't stop," Casie said.

Oh...My....God. Casie spends most of her days crying and eating her husbands ashes. She's lost 45lbs because of it. I'm not sure that this woman should be exploited like this. Her family is justifiably horrified. I think someone needs to take that urn away from her pronto before there is nothing left of her beloved husband. She describes the taste of her husbands ashes. I'm sick to my stomach. I finally turn off the T.V. This is just too much for even me.

I've got to admit, I'm glad that season 2 is over. I'll have enough time to get over witnessing Casie lick her husband's ashes off her fingers before the new season begins. I can't wait to watch more people acting out their insane addictions. Just as long as there isn't anymore cannibalism. There's only so much us viewers can take!