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Do I have Pica?
Ok, so I think that I might have the eating disorder called Pica. Here's some info about it: [Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
Here are some of my symptoms:
I love chemical smells and tastes: libraries, hotels, video stores. If anything tasted like how these places smell, I'd eat them.
When I had a retainer, I'd want to swallow it. I loved the plastic-y taste. I like sucking on bottle caps and pen caps for the same reason.
When I'm blowing up balloons, I want to eat them. I also like to chew on rubber bands and other rubber things.
I eat paper, paper towels, and Kleenex (not very often, but I do enjoy the taste).
I LOVE the taste of sandstone. I'll go to bluffs and break off small chunks and then suck on them all day. I also like the taste of just plain sand. I used to eat that when I was little.
I chew gum constantly. I never EVER spit it out when I'm done chewing it, I always swallow it. And sometimes, when I'm not done chewing it, I'll feel like I have to swallow it.
I love the taste of chalk (recently, while I was taking my ACT, I sat near a chalkboard. During the breaks between the sections of the test, all I could think of was getting up and shoving chalk in my mouth.
Here's why I don't think I have it:
Pica is supposedly uncontrollable. You can't control your body not to eat these things, you have no willpower. I could control my urges very easily, I think. It's not like I have to eat these things, I just REALLY enjoy the taste. Is there a disorder where you just have a taste for chemicals?
I know this is kind of gross, but please don't judge me. I'm just trying to find out what's up with me.
Thanks for all your advice!!!
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It certainly sounds like you have some type of problem whether it is PICA or something else.
Don't focus on the idea that you don't think you have PICA because it is "supposedly uncontrollable"... that is not entirely accurate. PICA is a strong desire but not necessarily uncontrollable.
Now, you really should seek medical attention for this. You said you have not ingested any harmful chemicals. You HAVE eaten sand (you mentioned you like the flavor), chalk, paper, and suck on various types of plastics. These things are nondigestable.
You may have started out with a vitamin or mineral deficiency which went untreated. These deficiencies can lead to abnormal cravings. Left untreated you began trying some of the non edible things you had been craving which could have lead to some sort of blockage. This could have disrupted your digestive system and therefore leading to more cravings!
There is also a study done that suggests these peculiar cravings could be a sign of brain tumors.
I do not want to have you panicking but this is a real medical condition you have that has the potential to be serious. A doctor will start by doing a history and physical exam to try to rule out any physical or mental abnormalities you may have have as PICA is typically associated with kids and is generally associated with some type of retardation. Once that is completed you may be asked to have blood tests and scans of your head or even full body to rule out any toxins in your blood, blockages, and tumors, etc.
You should be proud of yourself for asking for help... and the fact that you KNOW this is wrong and have the strength to reach out makes you stronger and wiser than you may think. Good for you to ask for help... now keep that momentum going and seek professional medical care.
If your problem IS in fact caused by a nutritional deficiency and you can get this corrected by taking a nutritional supplement... think of how greater your quality of life could become!
Good luck to you.
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i wont judge you. i personally dont think you do have the pica eating disorder. everyone has their own taste prefrences. yours are just different than most other people. just try to restrain yourself it really isnt good for you to eat most of hose things. the sand and rocks can cut your stomach youll bleed to death. hope i helped!!!
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