There are two types of addiction: Physical and Mental. When someone says a substance isn't addictive, they mean that the substance isn't physically addictive, ie. it doesn't have properties that would chemically alter your brain chemistry directly. Any substance, or even action/situation, can be mentally addictive, ie. you can form a mental dependency on anything as long as you find some sort of enjoyment or "need" in a thing.
net_spider
shimmer is more of a substance they take after the pure pressure of silco and a lot of the underground. definitely not addictive but it may have an aftermath to which a person might want to try and take more of it.
Malax_M
shimmer enhances physical and mental strenght to a whole new level, we can see that in the show, they become monsters, they endure pain, the weak becomes the strong, which would explain why it is so "addictive", people want to feel in control more often, to be that monster everyone fears, that's why after drinking it they want more, not because it has some sort of addictive ingredient, but because of the effects themselves
crisssstopher
Pretty sure shimmer is a mixture of probably the enzymes of that purple plant we saw in the Victor Singed flashback and a few other things that change stuff like "tolerance to change" (Singed in some convo) and as seen in this case, addiction
LunaticLacewing
I always interpreted it as shimmer in pure form was addictive, but if diluted, micro dosed, or altered would lose it's addictive properties. That's would explain why Silco, Vi, and Jinx don't become addicts after using it.
Alpha
It seems there are two types of shimmer: medicinal, physically enhancing non-addictive shimmer and recreative and addictive shimmer. The first is used by Silco for his eye, Viktor for his disease, Cait to cure Vi's stab wound and ultimately Singed to save Jinx when she had severe injuries from the bomb. Sevika seems to use it only for physical enhancement however, but Jinx becomes stronger as as a side effect.
Silco, however, seems to have sheltered Jinx from taking shimmer in any way, even though it would make her stronger. He allows Sevika and all his goons to use it and uses shimmer himself, but not Jinx. It's unclear wether he knew Singed was going to use shimmer to save her since he was knocked out cold before the operation. Maybe those were safety and health concerns, but maybe Silco thought Jinx just didn't need it in any way.
charlisuu
So is shimmer addictive or is it not?🤔🧐
ricardoplayerone
Love it! It does make sense that he would add something to it. However if that is the case, why does jayce want him to shut down shimmer entirely for independence?
The-Qwertyuiop
Shimmer is not addictive? What is bro yapping about, I swear you go from decent theories to brain dead statements and just flip flop between them constantly
