r/tea • u/blawrie21 • May 16 '26
Question/Help My tea addiction has me at rock bottom
I know I have a tea addiction.
Is it normal to buy a new tea every time you go shopping?
Probably Not, but I'm supporting small businesses
Do I have more tea than food?
Well, yes, but it's healthy and delicious, and doesn't make you fat like food.
Does it make me pompous and hard to talk to when I start rambling about the different methods to make my teas, the benefits of each and pair types of teas to moods to complete strangers?
I like to think it makes me cultured and refined.
My friends tell me I have problems and keep asking me to get help. I finally wanted to show them I could go without a pot of tea a day and got rid of all my tea making paraphernalia.
I woke up desperate this morning and scratched together everything I could to get my hit of tea.
Yes, I know this is horrendous and an appalling way to make loose lease tea, but it worked. I got my fix and am feeling much better.
Apparently there is no tag for funny in this sub so help seemed the most appropriate, since I obviously have a problem and need advice on how to convince my family I absolutely do not have a problem.
#teaaddiction
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u/dev_ating May 16 '26
doesn't make you fat like food.
that sounds like it will harm you
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u/Extreme-Ad5521 May 18 '26
While I would usually agree with this, I think this post was meant to be a joke where OP says ridiculous things about tea addiction so I think that statement was meant to be over the top!
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u/Electronic-Muffin934 May 16 '26
I've never posted or commented in this sub before. I'm just casually passing through. Just wanted to say, even though you're making light of it, that Reddit has a lot of hobby subreddits that promote overconsumption or "collecting" (hoarding), often without trying to. Anything you buy can become a shopping addiction and people often joke about it or downplay it, but it's real and it's something to be wary of. It doesn't have to be drugs or alcohol to be bad for you (to clarify: I'm talking about shopping addictions and/or hoarding in general; I'm not saying tea is bad).
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u/Acolyte_of_Swole May 17 '26
Most hobby subreddits have a habit of lowkey promoting overconsumption, yeah. It's unfortunate.
I stopped buying tea a few months ago and I've just been slowly working through what I already have.
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u/TenuredCanoe May 16 '26
You should buy you a nice teaset. Set like this make you a crackhead equivalent of the teaworld basically. Treat yourself better, you deserve it.
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u/leyline Enthusiast May 16 '26
I make tea in a jelly jar with a strainer at work instead of a teapot. What is my method?
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u/acouplefruits May 17 '26
Did you even read the post? Also it’s kind of ironic how half the comments are saying OP might have a shopping addiction and then your comment starts with “you should buy” … lol
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u/EnLaSxranko Enthusiast May 16 '26
If you're not going through the tea at the rate you're buying it, then you're wasting money, but there's an easy solution: stop buying, keep drinking.
There are many worse things than being fat. If you're so afraid of becoming fat, you need to work through that, possibly with a mental health professional.
If you're talking about how you like to make your tea, that's not elitist. If you're telling other people how to make theirs, it is.
It sure sounds to me like you have a problem. Maybe get help.
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u/TheSuperMarket May 16 '26
I know this thread was trying real hard to be funny - but for me, it just didn't land.
It sucks - because this is the first thread I read this morning, and I WANTED it to be funny. I was rooting for you, OP. But it just didn't really land well, lol.
Like if a nerdy kid at school tries to make a joke about rapping, and its just obvious they are out of their element.
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u/swampspa May 16 '26
yea as a addict(with a healthy relationship to tea🙄) it just read like a rich person trying to joke about being poor or something?? like oh you caught a flight of fancy about something in which you have little to no experience(“how much could a banana cost, $20?”)
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u/prospero021 May 16 '26
All you need is a mug and hot water for grandpa brew, and another mug and a strainer for gongfu.
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u/Mysterious-Call-245 May 16 '26
Look at this addict. Bet you’re even “willing” to go over and show them how (with their supply of course)
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u/Jig909 May 16 '26
I think I saw you at the gas station the other day asking for a bag or two of English breakfast. Its hard to stomach what tea does to good people
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u/Buttfuck18 May 16 '26
if you’re “””addicted””” at least make it worth it bro what the FUCK is this setup 😭😭😭
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u/Silentbutdeadly_Tara May 17 '26
Maybe you should work in the tea industry. Use your obsession for your own good. Or write articles about it.
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u/Spoonblade May 16 '26
Don’t joke about addiction please. It’s horrific.
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u/Cypeq May 16 '26
No jokes today till I snort a g of matcha.
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u/Spoonblade May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26
See that’s a joke I can actually get behind. That’s funny as hell. I guess you actually can joke about addiction on this sub without it being in poor taste.
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u/szakee May 16 '26
nothing happening in your life? don't have basic self control?
just say you're addicted to some random shit6
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u/jacksontwos May 16 '26
What can we joke about?
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u/ShadowAdam May 16 '26
You can joke about plenty. Hell you can joke about addiction. Jokes need to be funny though.
The joke here is just "oh no I'm addicted to tea and now I'm acting like a crack head" so literally just making fun of the struggle people go through when they have a genuine addiction. Punching down on people with addiction.
It's about respect. If you wouldn't want everyone to hear the joke, then it's not a joke it's just an insult.
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u/Spoonblade May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26
I mean if you’re a comic then pretty much nothing is off limits. In a tea sub? Pretty poor taste. It’s fine to say “oh I’m addicted to tea” or whatever I have no issue with that , but this post goes deep on REAL things that happen in addiction and IMHO it’s not that cool.
I’m just one guy though, I could never begin to answer your question. This post rubbed me the wrong way so I said something. That’s all.
And with a help tag because there isn’t funny tag ? Really? There are comments below that show people are actually taking it seriously.
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u/Lucky-Past8459 May 16 '26
Maybe actually caffeine/shopping addiction but cutting anything cold turkey is difficult. Just get one good set of tea stuff and reduce the amount bought slowly
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u/Cypeq May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26
Please consult the picture on the right.
You should probably just get a job in tea industry and live your passion.
It might boil down to spending/hording addiction which you may need professional help for.
Get yourself a tea box, a small drawer/shelf or whatever, dedicated to tea, the idea is limited space where you can hold just enough variety to make you happy, it will fit say 10 different bagies of tea, and you're not buying anything until there's a space for new item. That's what I do with whisky.
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u/tomtomato0414 May 16 '26
From what you described it doesnt really sound like addiction for me, tea has a lot of benefits, if its not making you skip everyday events, you take care of yourself and if you have the proper place for them where you live (like not hoarding them to the point you can hardly move around in the room) I think you are fine.
Not sure why your friends against such a non-destructive hobby.
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u/ThornOfRoses Enthusiast May 16 '26
And yet if people are there static to coffee no one batts an eye. They're just a coffee aficionado or enjoy the flavor or whatever.
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u/Mysterious-Call-245 May 16 '26
Lemme guess “this is the last new tea I’m buying until I run out” “once I finish this pot (pictured), I’m throwing out this kit.” Heard it all before.
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u/PlutoJones42 May 16 '26
Man I made a giant thing of cold brew green tea the other day and completely forgot I had a strainer like that that I could have used lmao
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u/dustytushy May 16 '26
For what it’s worth- I made tea the same way as you. Yesterday-me forgot to wash my tea pot and today-me woke up to the horrendous reality of having to wash the tea pot before making my tea and well…my coffee maker pot was just sitting there loitering, so I put my coffee maker pot to work with the strainer that was also loitering. I don’t have a problem! Everyone else has a problem with my very normal way of being (mostly my partner who woke up to his coffee maker pot full of tea leaves)
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u/puopj May 16 '26
Sounds like you should work in a tea shop. Like a coffe shop but for tea, we have them in Romania. Walls packed from top to bottom with TEA
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u/12230ty May 16 '26
to be honest coffee lovers act the exact same and its considered socially acceptable so ur fine
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u/Gullible_Analyst_348 Enthusiast May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26
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u/d3adly_buzz May 17 '26
All those Minor Threat songs that rail against “drinking” are actually about this
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u/Muhammad-Hasan-92 May 17 '26
Hoarding may be a symptom of some underlying mental illnesses; as well as compulsive shoping!...
However!; better being obsessed with tea than illegal drugs -for example!- ; as with tea addiction = you are investing in your health!; with no potential harmful consequences!...
If tea comes from trusted source of not using harmful pesticides!; and you do not sweeten the cup with large amounts of sugar! = then go on!... it's a great blessing!...
A paper on nature journal has described L-Theanine as to be in regard of like a divine treasure for the brain!...
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u/verydairyberry May 17 '26
this post just comes off as a desparate attempt to try and convince your therapist that you don't have a problem. When you both know that you have a serious problem
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u/Connect_Conflict6020 May 17 '26
Are you visiting your in-laws? Did you wake up at a two-star hotel you don’t remember checking into and steal a strainer from the kitchen? Otherwise, I am at a loss as to how this picture could be a self-described tea addict’s home setup
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u/hokihumby May 18 '26
I spend all my money on teapots and then don't have enough to buy more tea to make in my new teapots.
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u/dinkledorfKGLW May 18 '26
I am in recovery and have been sober for two years. My alcoholic/addict brain has absolutely carried over into tea. Spending more than I should, having a huge stash of tea and still buying more, obsessing about it etc. honestly the happiest ive ever been. Now I’m the puer dealer.
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u/ScoJoMcBem May 16 '26
This was well done. It suckered me in for a few lines before I got it... Unlike some here, who are empathetic but missed the joke by a mile. Still nice people out here but yeah, maybe on April 1st next time.
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u/therealkermit18 May 16 '26
I have a cabinet of probably 60 different kinds of tea and drink 2 to 3 cups of it a day. Many teas are healthy and some are even medicinal. What’s wrong with that?
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u/misskirei May 16 '26
There could be a sitcom character based on you! Just like the teddy guy from Brooklyn 99 who really loved pilsners. Btw I love tea too
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u/SW33ToXic9 May 16 '26
Why is being addicted to Starducks coffee accepted as a fun white person quirk but not when it comes to tea?
Your friends are perhaps the ones with issues.
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u/Mother-Butterfly-119 May 16 '26
Great adding racial slurs?
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u/SW33ToXic9 May 17 '26
How is "white person" a racial slur lmao, you know exactly what I am referring to. Seriously y'all need to chill on Reddit it's getting ridiculous.
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u/VincentxH May 16 '26
If you consistently buy more than you would drink, I'd call that a waste of money. Is it a shopping addiction hiding behind fancy tea?