Since becoming severely anemic i've become addicted to smelling certain scents like certsin washpowders and soaps. is this common? what causes it?

Nobody knows: there appears to be an association between anemia and certain forms of "pica," the medical term for eating thigns that aren't food. When I was in training in Milwaukee, I saw this in women who were compulsively chewing on a certain red clay. It also occurs with ice. I have not heard of people wanting to smell things instead of eat them, but I think it's similar. Counseling may help.