Habit or Addiction?

[TheRoseElephant]

There are a lot of mainstream addictions out there, most of them closely associated with a destructive or debilitating lifestyle, but as I looked through the list, I thought of a few things that some might consider addictive.

For example, I have drawn my entire life as a way of relieving tension, but it has incredible affects on my focus. When I go through a period of time in school when I get stressed, whether it be over grades, people, or simply not understanding a concept, I immediately turn to drawing. Most people would call this a bad habit, but it rarely mattered the consequences I'd face, I had to draw. My teachers would take away my pencil, and I would be unable to focus, constantly itching to draw. I think it may be a bit more severe than just a "bad habit". It could be a stimming behavior, or a compulsion, but because drawing is such a common practice and severely romanticized, it's usually brushed off as a passion. However, I can not imagine doing this for a living. I'd rather work as a farm hand than a graphic designer.

 

I'm sure there are many similar cases, both with drawing and other behaviors that could be considered neurotic and compulsive. Although they may be nondestructive or common, could these behaviors be called obsessive compulsions, or addictions?

 

Does anyone have another behavior that could be considered a socially accepted compulsion?

[Ophiolite]

When I see a large group of people gathered together I have a compulsion to lecture them. This was acceptable when I worked as a trainer, but tends to cause issues in the confines of a commercial airliner.

[Bill Angel]

I've developed a compulsive interest in doing crossword puzzles on my computer. Since I'm 67 years old and retired it doesn't bother anyone else if I spend my time this way. I get a positive reinforcement each time that I finish one. When I was younger and working I occasionally sat next to people on buses who were doing the crossword puzzles in newspapers, and was critical of them for doing that, considering it to be a waste of time. I kept my opinion to myself, however.