I had a terrible cd addiction a few years ago.
I couldn't go a day without buying a cd (seriously). Usually, I'd hit the record stores at lunch or on the way home. I had a real low overhead at the time and a good job, so I'd buy at least 3 cds a day.
I was in the different record stores so often that I knew people in every store. I'd even get comments about my numerous purchases. I got to the place where I'd cycle through the stores in my area because I was embarrassed to be buying so much.
Here's an example, at my worst. This was about 10 years ago. I got on an OJC kick, made a huge list of the best ones and hit the stores. Within a three day period I had purchased over 120 OJC's. It took me a year to finally work through them all and open them.
I also used to obsess about getting things before they went out of print. I'd make lists and obsess over it. It was really bad.
Like Alexander, I've been in a cd drought. Except for a recent splurge, I've barely purchased anything this year.
I started to cut back (before I had to) because I hated that I was obsessed. It stopped being fun. I don't like to be owned by anything, but I was controlled by my addiction.
I think the biggest lesson I learned that helped me to cut back, was that I can get this stuff in the future (probably with better sound). There's no need to have everything now. I don't have the time to enjoy what I have anyway. I finally remembered that this was supposed to be fun.
Now it is.