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View Full Version : Are tattoos really an addiction?


Inked_Trinity
12-28-2011, 08:56 AM
I am heavily tattooed. I recently finished a very large tattoo on my leg that runs from my hip to my ankle. There are people who say that I'm addicted to ink. This lead me to do some research about tattooing. Can it really be addicting? I read several articles on the subject. Most disagree with the concept of addiction to tattoos. I'm wondering what your thoughts are.

Linus
12-28-2011, 09:02 AM
I don't know if it's an addiction as much as it's a creative desire. Most people I know who have lots of tattoos usually have an image in their mind of what they want the tattoos to look like. And often this means more than one to get the full piece of art done.

Amber2010
12-28-2011, 09:19 AM
I will have to agree that it is an expression. I wanted one as a teenager and then had kids instead. LOL Last year my 18 year old niece took me for a little ride to a tattoo palar and says Aunt you always wanted one you are getting one. So she and I proceeded to each get one. I now have a little shell on my ankle that I so love and love her for taking me. My kids all rolled their eyes at me when I got home and they saw what my niece took me to do. Of course all say I need to grow up. Giggles but I love it and will always feel like it was the right thing to do for me. My little shell is an expression of me and how much I love the beach. :)

Ryobi
12-28-2011, 09:38 AM
Personally, I don't think the tattoo its self is an addiction. The chemicals your body releases when getting a tattoo is what can be addictive. Endorphins and adrenalin can be very powerful "drugs". I remember how my whole body (and mind) felt after a tattoo on my shoulder. I would like to feel like that everyday however, I can't do it naturally. There has to be an outside factor to it.

I've known of people who have let bills fall behind in order to get a tattoo. I guess it doesn't feel as good to them paying their rent as it does getting a tat.

In a nut shell, I can see the addictive attributes to tattoos.

twist of lime
12-28-2011, 09:39 AM
I think the entire experience can be addicting. Our senses are a powerful thing as are endorphins. Who wouldn't wanna feel good? lol

Gemme
12-28-2011, 07:33 PM
If it's an addiction for the singer to sing or for the artist to paint, then yes, tattoos can be an addiction.

girl_dee
12-28-2011, 07:36 PM
Oh yeah, they can be!

The_Lady_Snow
12-28-2011, 07:36 PM
I don't have an addictive personality so when I make the decision to mark a milestone of my life upon my canvas it's just that a piece of art that tells a story to me about me.

Inked_Trinity
12-28-2011, 07:45 PM
I plan mine, taking up to a year to find just the design I want. It has to fit in the spot I want it and flow with the rest of what I have.

midwest chick
12-28-2011, 07:51 PM
Personally, I don't think of it as an addiction, but I've never known anyone that got tats instead of paying bills.

My daughter has a sunset on her back, it's just one of 14 that she has. My son has a few. Just like piercings, it's an expression of self, and part of their identities. Don't know where they got the idea to get them, but I also have a little art.

Because it's pretty much permanent, a lot of thought and consideration goes into body art decisions, similar to body sculpting...

It takes a lot of planning, research, time, to find or create, the design, locate an artist, and get a large tat, but the results are awesome!



Would a person that spent a year planning a vacation cruise,
they take the cruise, enjoy it
have endorphins like crazy flooding them during the vacation
be addicted to the vacation experience?

Thought, time, planning, money are involved in both scenarios, and I don't consider either to be an addiction.


Personal opinion only!!!

pajama
12-28-2011, 08:41 PM
I do have an addiction proned personality. I have had my addictions. My tattoos are not one of them. I consider them a collection. Like my Jack Skellington collection, my hat collection, and my refrigerator magnet collection. LOL

I get tattoos because I think they make me look better. I love them. They are an expression of who I am. I have plans to be completely covered. I know what some of those pieces will be, other's I don't know yet.

I do like the endorphine rush, but realistically after about the 4th hour, the endorphines and adrenalin is shot and it's just raw and tender.

A

LaneyDoll
12-29-2011, 10:52 AM
I think the saying "tattoos are addicting" is meant to be tongue-in-cheek. I was told that before and after I got mine. That was a few years ago and I have yet to get another one. BUT it is b/c my finances do not allow it-lol.

I can see how someone may say that they are addicting though. I think that a lot of body modifications could be.

Currently, I have one tat, ears pierced twice (thinking about a new piercing) and several artistic cuttings (thinking about a touch up). And yes, I want more.

Now, for anyone who thinks ink is addictive, try a cutting. Mine go away so I have reason to get more ;)

:sparklyheart:

foxyshaman
12-29-2011, 01:58 PM
I would not say I am addicted to tattoos. And I agree after four hours, it just plain fricking hurts. I generally go into shock when I get home. My last tat, Ganesha, however, was pretty "easy" on me after. My easiest tattoo for me was Axis Mundi down my spine, but who knew that your skin moved so much with every step!! :) The next three days, not so fun.

I would say I love them. And I know I will have my entire back covered by the time I die at 84. In fact, I hope to get my last tattoo at 83. They are very meaningful to me. I cringe when I see "thoughtless" tattoos on young ones. I always think... "yeah but will Warner Brothers Emblems mean anything to you when you no longer watch Saturday morning cartoons?"

I recognize, that I am making a judgment statement regarding someone else's expression of art... and mean no offence.

I always knew I wanted a tattoo. It just took 20 years for me to decide what the first one would be.

Each tattoo is an expression of my spiritual identity. They are more "me" than much of what else is around me.

Inked_Trinity
12-29-2011, 05:08 PM
When I get tattooed I tend to fall asleep. I'm not sure if it's something physical or if it's the rhythmic sound of the gun. It's totally relaxing for me. I also love the smell of the A&D ointment.

foxyshaman
12-29-2011, 05:13 PM
When I get tattooed I tend to fall asleep. I'm not sure if it's something physical or if it's the rhythmic sound of the gun. It's totally relaxing for me. I also love the smell of the A&D ointment.

Yup, nope, never fallen asleep during a tat. Lucky you....

I did however go with a friend who was getting a little iddy biddy tat on the inside of her wrist... and she cried and almost broke my fingers... inside I was laughing my ass off. It took, maybe, 30 minutes. I asked her after if she would like to have another one... I thought the tears were gonna start all over again!!

Julien
12-29-2011, 06:10 PM
For me I don't know if getting a tattoo or the fact that you have a tattoo is addictive, but I know I would get another one if I knew anyone in town that I trust to do it. I haven't explored my options here in Mobile yet. My last one was ten years ago and I would love another one. I know what I want and where it's will be on me. I love the artwork that is tattooing. I love the feeling of sitting in the chair with the artist doing the tattoo. Ok I guess I love all aspects of tattoos. I get a charge out of other people making positive comments about them and I think that it is positive reinforcement for who I am.

justanolecowboy
12-29-2011, 06:59 PM
I don't know if it's an addiction as much as it's a creative desire. Most people I know who have lots of tattoos usually have an image in their mind of what they want the tattoos to look like. And often this means more than one to get the full piece of art done.

______well said. :)

msW8ing
12-29-2011, 08:13 PM
When I get tattooed I tend to fall asleep. I'm not sure if it's something physical or if it's the rhythmic sound of the gun. It's totally relaxing for me. I also love the smell of the A&D ointment.

I thought I was the only one that fell asleep while getting a tat...lol good to know I'm not. I wouldn't say I'm addicted to it..it is an experience I enjoy and each one of mine have a story behind it..a reason for being there. My newest one my kids got me for xmas. I love it. I'm in the process of designing two more to get soon.

Kid
12-29-2011, 08:33 PM
I have 7 . Planning more when I have the cash.

Inked_Trinity
12-29-2011, 09:03 PM
I have 7 . Planning more when I have the cash.

I am over 20 and still going :cheesy:

pajama
12-31-2011, 05:10 PM
ummm I may have made an appointment for Thursday to talk to a new-to-me artist about finishing up my Dad's tribute half-sleeve. This will be a cutesy pin-up girl, siting on a tank barrell, in WWII uniform-ish. The I can finish filling in around the pieces to complete the half-sleeve. This artist also will likely be the guy that I get to do my vampire portrait on my thigh...It's the Gary Senese, Dracula, in the suit, tophat, and purple glasses.

Nope....

Not addicting at all.

Nope.

rustedrims
01-01-2012, 08:00 AM
I have 4 so far..Addicting i think probly for me..The cash flow has alot to do with getting my next one..Thinking how big i will go..I have 3 more i want to get then i will have 7 total and i cant think past those so i might be done..They are all close to my heart..I want to get one in memory of my dog..He has been gone for 6 years now..Kept thinking what i wanted and i came up with the perfect one for him..That one will probly be close to a weeks pay i am sure..It will be worth every dollar..I miss that dog..Then one thinking about my Mom and the last will be a fun one..I put alot of thought to all of them..When i keep thinking of the same thing and not changing things in the design then i know that is what i want..After the holiday-taxes-insurance stuff i am sure it will happen in a few months..As far as the endorphins go i dont think i have any..When i am done my stomach feels pukie and feel kinda dizzy..I go home and wait about an hour then the burning starts for a few hours not to mention when the water hits it in the shower..That hurts..Falling asleep no not me..I am to busy grinding my teeth hoping none of them chip into pieces..Maybe those are my endorphins..They hurt getting them but i love em..

LaneyDoll
01-02-2012, 09:07 AM
When I get tattooed I tend to fall asleep. I'm not sure if it's something physical or if it's the rhythmic sound of the gun. It's totally relaxing for me. I also love the smell of the A&D ointment.

The only thing that keeps me awake during a cutting is that I do not want any onlooker to think I passed out :)

:sparklyheart:

Gemme
01-02-2012, 08:39 PM
I wish I could sleep.

:blink:

My adrenaline kicks in high gear and I get the shakes, so my focus becomes me silently willing myself to not shake. Can't sleep while doing that, sadly.

msW8ing
01-02-2012, 11:24 PM
I wish I could sleep.

:blink:

My adrenaline kicks in high gear and I get the shakes, so my focus becomes me silently willing myself to not shake. Can't sleep while doing that, sadly.

Guess i'm an odd duck..it's mesmerizing for me...the noise of the gun and the vibration of the needle/gun just takes me to a different place in my mind/soul...it's soothing and calming..almost trance like..next thing i know i'm asleep. Odd really. But i love them..i now have 9 and hate odd numbers so i will be getting a 10th soon. i don't see myself stopping anytime soon lol

Gemme
01-03-2012, 09:46 AM
Guess i'm an odd duck..it's mesmerizing for me...the noise of the gun and the vibration of the needle/gun just takes me to a different place in my mind/soul...it's soothing and calming..almost trance like..next thing i know i'm asleep. Odd really. But i love them..i now have 9 and hate odd numbers so i will be getting a 10th soon. i don't see myself stopping anytime soon lol

lol

I hate even numbers so I think that qualifies me as being the odd duck.

:giggle:

I have 3 whole tats, but if you break down each time I've been under the gun for a touch up or add on, then it's more than twice that.

Jett
01-03-2012, 10:15 AM
Have some tats, I think my drive has always been more the particular tat or event, person place that inspired the tat... BUT I definitely find in the immediate situation of getting tattooed absolute and unusual enjoyment... *shrugs*

GPS
01-03-2012, 10:20 AM
i love ink.
i hate the pain
i love my half sleeve so far
i love the way it looks
i hate scabs

yeah for me its an addiction

macele
01-03-2012, 12:04 PM
i don't have a tattoo, ... so i can't say. but i can see how it could be an addiction and creative expression. when a person gets so many tattoos that their body is covered, or close to it ... that has to be more on the line of addiction. but again, none here.

when i think of getting a tattoo, it feels so personal. so i can say for sure it wouldn't start off as an addiction. but no addiction does lol.

on the outside looking in, might say i'm skeered lol. nahhh

msW8ing
01-06-2012, 01:04 PM
I may be in the stages of designing a new tattoo for my grandbabies..I have a picture in my mind that I am in love with and so suits my babygirls...but can't even think about having it inked on me until I have perfected said design...Valentines Day is my goal for this new tattoo.

diamondrose
01-06-2012, 01:28 PM
I am heavily tattooed. I think for myself I am addicted to the rush of getting a tattoo. Even after so many, I still get nervous each and every time I get a new tattoo. Also, getting a tattoo is very relaxing and revitalizing to me and I go into my own space within my mind. Sometimes I fall asleep.

GPS
01-06-2012, 03:11 PM
I am heavily tattooed. I think for myself I am addicted to the rush of getting a tattoo. Even after so many, I still get nervous each and every time I get a new tattoo. Also, getting a tattoo is very relaxing and revitalizing to me and I go into my own space within my mind. Sometimes I fall asleep.

if i could fall asleep, i would be heavily tattoo'd

my last one made me tremble heavily and it hurt for nearly 10 days, my inner arms are so fresh, the skin is so new.

Anyway, i still love ink

rustedrims
01-08-2012, 02:20 PM
The only thing that keeps me awake during a cutting is that I do not want any onlooker to think I passed out :)

:sparklyheart:
LaneyDoll..
I was thinking that if you cant relax enough to fall asleep then you arent getting all what the cutting has to offer.. Maybe you need your cutter to give you a more private setting where people cant see you..If they cant give you a little more privacy then your cutter should understand your sleeping and keep the people away..Maybe i am wrong but its just what i am thinking..I dont understand the cutting thing but then again i do.. My wrists are full of scars from being cut at work and it kinda looks like i am a self cutter..When i would get cut i can feel the uneveness of the steel go right through my skin and not plesant for me..The burning would start because of the solvents and oils getting into my cut..Cant really get it cleaned good until i get home..
I do love getting tattoos and dislike the week of healing..The end result is well worth the pain..Happy cutting..

JDeere
09-20-2015, 02:28 AM
For me yes they are an addiction, a managed addiction.

17 and counting.

Shystonefem
09-20-2015, 08:30 AM
I admit, I am adicted.

Before my first tattoo, people told me that they are painful. I was sitting there waiting for the excruciating pain to start. It never did.

Getting a tattoo puts me in some kind of trance. I love the feeling and, of course, love the end results

Shystonefem
09-20-2015, 09:44 AM
Damn phone. I am addicted too. Lol

Ginger
09-20-2015, 12:22 PM
I don't feel qualified to say whether getting tattoos is an addiction and I'm not really sure what health care professionals actually call an addiction, so I looked on Wikipedia and this is what the say:

Addiction is a state characterized by compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli, despite adverse consequences

I guess if you get tattoos in a "compulsive" way (perhaps that means, without much thought or consciousness about what you're doing); and get tattoos despite what might be "adverse consequences," then maybe it can be considered an addiction.

This is probably a really over-simplified view, but it's a place to start into the topic of whether it's an addiction.

I'm thinking of getting a tattoo, and if I do, I will think a LOT about it and there will be nothing compulsive driving my decision.

JDeere
11-13-2015, 02:00 AM
Anyone else getting any new tats?

I want another one next year, a bigger piece on my back to cover up an old tat.

Angeltoes
12-24-2015, 02:01 AM
I have zero tattoos and yet I'm obsessed with them and the idea of having them. I'm just indecisive and I don't think I can trust anyone. I'd like an appointment with Alice Carrier in Portland, but it must be impossible to get one.

JDeere
12-24-2015, 03:12 AM
I have zero tattoos and yet I'm obsessed with them and the idea of having them. I'm just indecisive and I don't think I can trust anyone. I'd like an appointment with Alice Carrier in Portland, but it must be impossible to get one.

You can find a good trustworthy tattoo artist if you do your research. Most of my tats came from one specific tattoo shop but different artist. I check on the BBB website to see if they have good standing.

Blade
12-24-2015, 08:16 AM
They can be. I only have one, but would have a body full if I could find ones that really appeal to me. As long as I could cover them. Like I'd never have a sleeve or a neck tattoo.

TL1
01-03-2016, 09:54 PM
They can be. I only have one, but would have a body full if I could find ones that really appeal to me. As long as I could cover them. Like I'd never have a sleeve or a neck tattoo.

My thinking as well.
I have 5 and would like more but wouldn't have them covering my entire arm etc. I see a lot I like but probably wouldn't get. I'm a bit picky with placement and size.

JDeere
08-22-2016, 08:03 PM
I went and got another tattoo, the last one I got was in 2014. SO I would say they are addicting, now I really want another one. But this next one is going to be more expensive and more detailed.

pumpndude
11-18-2016, 11:34 PM
tattoo's to me is a reflection of my life and what I believe....
I'm telling a story in ink....and I'm due for a few new ones....\

JDeere
03-13-2017, 08:43 PM
I got my latest tat, recolored on Saturday. I'm happy with it for now unless the ink doesn't take again.

pajama
03-14-2017, 04:50 AM
Kind of unrelated....but for those who have sleeves or other visible tattoos....My new job has NO tattoo policy and I can wear short sleeves (well once it warms up). This is the first job in the 10 or so years since I chose to go forward with full sleeves that I won't have to cover them at work. Woo hoo.

And I'm pretty sure I've posted here before, but for me personally, tattoos behave like an addiction. But all mine have meaning as well, I don't just get them to get inked again. They are planned and tell the story of ME. :)

girl_dee
05-21-2017, 05:42 AM
Kind of unrelated....but for those who have sleeves or other visible tattoos....My new job has NO tattoo policy and I can wear short sleeves (well once it warms up). This is the first job in the 10 or so years since I chose to go forward with full sleeves that I won't have to cover them at work. Woo hoo.

And I'm pretty sure I've posted here before, but for me personally, tattoos behave like an addiction. But all mine have meaning as well, I don't just get them to get inked again. They are planned and tell the story of ME. :)

me too! i now work in a super cool, laid back environment and no one cares one bit about my tats. (There are two trouble makers who stare but i find it amusingi

i remember my first tiny one on my wrist and having to cover it.

i don't find tats addicting, but they all have a story

easygoingfemme
05-21-2017, 07:09 AM
We don't have a tattoo policy anymore and there are a LOT of tattoos on staff.

akiza
05-24-2017, 03:49 PM
personally it's depend it don't bother me and the most important is the person who's getting a tattoo and the reasons why it's done it's representative of something for them if your life isn't in danger and you don't get regrets and mega problems it's alright i'd won't to get one in the future and be proud of him

introverted1
05-24-2017, 06:04 PM
I have two smallish, discreet tattoos concerning my heritage. I think massive ink is unfeminine, as it takes away from the beauty of the body. I only mean this when entire legs and arms/back are coated with ink. You can't tell the feminine contours of the body any longer.

As an FYI, I feel the same about male body builders...it takes away from their beauty if there is too much ink.

And yes, based on my experiences with co-workers, it can become an addiction, like anything can. I love the pain of the tatt needles.

Just my opinion.