ad·dict
[n. ad-ikt; v. uh–dikt]
–noun
- A person who is addicted to an activity, habit or substance.
I am a self-proclaimed chapstick addict. And I am not alone.
I carry chapstick with me everywhere I go. I keep a stick by my bed, desk, bathroom sink, television, and in my car. I carry one all over campus. If I feel a craving coming on and I don’t have any chapstick on me, I ask everyone I see.
Many of you are probably nodding your heads right now because you can relate completely. But for those of you fortunate enough to avoid chapstick addiction, here are some stories about other chapstick users I know.
One of my female friends, another chapstick abuser, was sleeping at her boyfriend’s place in Highland Lake one night when she had to go down to the parking lot at 4:30 AM to retrieve her chapstick because she couldn’t sleep. She has since decided to buy another chapstick to leave at his apartment permanently.
Last semester, I was sitting in Marketing class next to one of my close guy friends and I saw him pull chapstick out of his pocket and apply it 4 times during the fifty-minute period. Afterwards, I decided to ask him, in an extremely delicate way (remember people are sensitive about admitting their addictions) about his chapstick use. He looked down at the floor and said, “I know. I know. I can’t help it. I’m addicted.” It was a beautiful moment—we became even closer knowing that we suffered from the same compulsion.
After being made fun of too many times, and after observing my strange dependency on chapstick, I decided to check things out. I was convinced that there was an addictive property in the ingredients of chapstick. Nicotine perhaps? Or is it something in the Atlanta air? Fortunately, I have carefully looked over the ingredients and no such addictive substance is listed. Furthermore, chapstick abuse is common across the country so it can’t be a “Hotlanta” plague. However, there is still a problem with the label. The brand Chapstick (see picture) instructs users to, “Apply as Needed.” Click here for more info.
There is something wrong with this picture: as a habitual chapstick user, I fit the definition of an addict…so why would chapstick companies encourage me to keep using chapstick if it is an unhealthy obsession. “Lip Balm Anonymous” is a website that has been created as a support group. The website defends that chapstick users are truly addicts because, “We use (or used) the substance habitually, often not realizing we were actually applying it since it was such a daily routine. Anyone who has tried to quit can readily attest that when you stop using, your lips become negatively affected for several days or weeks. The physiological dependency is there!”
Lip Balm Anonymous has offered a few solutions for recovering from addiction. The first is going “cold turkey,” which can be extremely uncomfortable, but side effects can be subdued through drinking a lot of liquid. I truly believe this is the most effective but most difficult way to quit using chapstick. I am not sure I am ready to go cold turkey yet…
Let’s look at another solution: “weaning.” Weaning requires you to monitor yourself and lower the amount of times you apply chapstick each day until eventually you don’t use it at all. This could be a little bit difficult because you have to keep careful record, and it takes a longer time to see results.
EHOW has also come up with a few suggestions, click here to check them out.
So really, there is no perfect solution. My advice to chapstick users is to pick one of these solutions, or come up with your own, and stick to it.
I don’t have too much great advice, as I have not yet succeeded in my battle to recovery, but I think that the key for me will be reminding myself of how this addiction can negatively affect my life.
Consider these scenarios….
What if you can’t focus on a presentation during class because you don’t have chapstick, and as a result your grade is impacted? What if the pain of having raw, cracked lips is enough for you to compromise a pre-med marathon study sesh at Woodruff Library and leave your stacks carrel in search of chapstick relief? Your professors won’t care. Neither will your employers after graduation if you don’t fix this problem soon. You need to become independent from chapstick one way or another. And I do too.
So, best of luck, stay strong, and surround yourself by other recovering addicts when the going gets rough.
And for all the non-addicts out there: 1. You are so lucky and 2. NEVER EVER pick up a chapstick. You may never put it down again.
Want to find out if you have a chapstick dependency problem? Take this survey.