Addicted to Addictions, Compelled by Compulsions...

I've noticed a trend in entertainment lately, TV shows about ppl struggling with compulsive behaviors. You know what I'm talking about:

Intervention
Addicted
My Strange Addiction
Celebrity Rehab
Hoarders
Hoarding: Buried Alive
Addicted to Food
My Crazy Obsession
Bad Sex
Strange Sex
RuPaul's Drag Race

Oh, sorry, that last one is just one of MY addictions.

Anyway, the list goes on & on.

What does it say about us as a culture, this phenomenon of watching people drink gasoline or smoke crystal meth or inject animal tranquilizers? I can't help but wonder how many ppl see this kinda stuff & actually try it out, thinking "Oh well I'm not as dumb as that ho on (insert show name here), I will be just fine. Besides, it looked like she was feeling good when she (gambled/shopped/screwed) her way thru the day, and if it gets out of hand I can just call Dr Drew or Dr Phil or Oprah & get myself out of it."

Nobody says "I wanna be a junky when I grow up," or maybe they do, just to break the rules.

As most of you will know already, I have had my struggles with addiction, in fact all these shows are starting to make me think that we all are, to some degree or another. (I swear this makes more sense than my belief that everyone in NYC is a sex offender because of Law & Order: SVU).

It seems like we all rely on something to get us thru: coffee, cocktails, pills (vitamin or otherwise)...so does this mean the key is in managing one's vices? Nurturing the productive ones & not indulging too much (or maybe at all) in the destructive ones?

I'm not really sure, let me get back to my Dr Who & knitting & I'll let you know....