I'm an addict
I have a bit of the same problem. I "solve it" by removing all video recommendations and blanking out the Home page. My YouTube watching is now constrained to the Subscriptions tab! I feel this lets me get the positives from YouTube, and limits my potential for misuse.I don't use the YouTube app on mobile (instead using Firefox), so I'm able to use UBlock's cosmetic filters to remove the 'dangerous' elements. Recently the filter changed and I got sucked into recommended videos again (with significantly increased watchtime the last month or so). This post made me fix it again!Also, my phone's Wellbeing settings allows set time restrictions on specific apps. It's a bit too easy to "game", but at least it gives me some feedback on how much time I spend on things.But honestly, we're only animals: slacking off is a desired trait. We just need to put in some guardrails to avoid overindulgence. Good luck! :-)