The real-life vampire: Woman admits drinking blood

The current season of TLC's hit show My Strange Addiction has portrayed a variety of wacky obsessions, including a man in love with his inflatable toys and a woman who eats beauty products.

But the finale episode could be the weirdest one yet - because it features a tattoo artist whose addiction is drinking a liter of blood every day.

Michelle, 29, has been downing pig's blood since she was a teenager, and now says she cannot be in a good mood without it.

'Blood is as important as water to me,' she says during her appearance on the show.

'I like to drink blood when I'm reading, when I'm relaxing, when I'm watching TV, when I'm painting,' she explains. 'There's never a bad time for me to drink blood.'

The Lancaster, California native's addiction is so severe that she says she cannot start her day without a sip of blood.

'I drink it and I get energized,' she says of the liquid.

Seasoning: The 29-year-old also likes to cook with blood and add it to stir fries

Sometimes she indulges in her favorite snack straight from the glass, but she also likes to cook it or mix it in with other substances

'I wake up in the morning, I pour it into my coffee cup,' she says - adding that she also enjoys an authentic Bloody Mary made with the real thing.

But not all blood is created equal, Michelle insists - she prefers pig's blood to cow's blood.

'I prefer the gaminess, it's a little bit saltier than the beef blood,' she says.

While most people might be disgusted by the idea, Michelle says it is in fact very similar to drinking wine.

'It definitely has the same ambiance,' she says.

And rather than finding the taste repulsive she considers it comforting, saying: 'When I feel it going down my throat, it's like having a cold and drinking a hot toddy.'

If she doesn't get her daily fix, Michelle says: 'I get irritable without it, I get angry, I don't want to leave my house - I want my blood.'

She calculates that she has drunk a total of 1,000 gallons of blood since she first took up her habit ten years ago, which TLC notes is enough of the liquid to fill a bathtub 23 times.

Nightcap: While most people might be disgusted by the idea, Michelle says it is in fact very similar to drinking wine - 'it definitely has the same ambiance,' she explains