Had a minor outer ear infection the other week for which I was given some spray, the GP asked me if I used cotton buds and I said 'yeah quite often' then jokingly said 'I think I'm addicted! ha ha ho hum'
Got another infection and haven't used a bud since after she told me to pack them in, and went to a different GP before for some more spray and he goes, totally straight-faced and a little bit stern: 'yes it says in your medical records that you've got an addiction to cotton-buds."
He then proceeds to give me a prescription for more of the good stuff but says 'what we've seen before is people use this too much they get superbugs in their ears and it become permanent with green goo coming out of them'.
The fuck? The NHS now officially deems me some kind of Trainspotting-type shit and is trying to warn me off using pharmaceuticals!