Pica: An Unspoken Eating Disorder
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- Опубликовано: 8 фев 2025
- Pica is a type of eating disorder in which people compulsively eat non-nutritive substances, such as ice, dirt, paint chips and clay. When you hear the term “eating disorder” it is highly likely that anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge-eating disorder come to mind. Many fail to realize that there are several other clinically recognized eating disorders, including the generally unspoken condition of Pica. In the following video we discuss the prevalence, causes, complications and treatments associated with Pica in order to raise greater awareness for this condition. If you or someone you know is currently suffering from Pica, please reach out for help or contact one of the following helplines:
Canada: National Eating Disorder Information Centre, 1-866-NEDIC-20
USA: National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), 1-800-931-2237
UK: Beat Eating Disorders, 0808-801-0677
Australia: Butterfly Foundation National Helpline, 1-800-ED-HOPE
This video was made by McMaster students Navroop Gosal, Jiayi Mo, Xiuyuan Song and Sara Warsi, in collaboration with the McMaster Demystifying Program.
Copyright McMaster University 2021
References:
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It is easier to share this video than to explain why I am craving clay. It is so difficult to talk about with people who never experienced this disorder.
Same i am also suffering from pica
Because they're hiding as well abnormal addiction even exist at that dollar, partiality is causality.
Omg i crave the same! That and red bricks or sand
they say “just don’t eat it”
Don't they sell edible clay now? I wonder if this is specifically for people who have pica. And I think there is some African (or some kind of foreign) food where they basically make food out of clay or dirt or something
I love eating paper. I just love the taste of it, but it is really getting out of hand. I feel like my brain cells are dying from eating it...
I kinda think seaweed (food btw) taste like paper maybe try that once in awhile if u want a break from paper :)
How old are you? When does it begins I consumes raw rice flour a lot a day🤒I can't get over from it
Omg yes I have the same problem I eat paper but it gets out of hand. Sometimes I can go through 5-8 pages a day. I feel like it’s really affecting my health but idk what’s gonna help with this kind of problem?
What happened when u ate a lot of it?
i hate having a urge to eat paper. pica i always get laughed at for it
My family knows about my 'habit' eating inedible stuff. They know, but they either take it as a joke or see me as mentally deranged. Maybe I am for the later one, but it's painful to endure the embarrassment at the end of the day. They never even try to figure why I do them. I keep trying and avoiding to eat the inedible stuff, but it's harder when you're just alone, no one to understand let alone help.
I'm an early teenager who's been suffering this disorder for 5 years now and I just wanna say that regardless whatever others say to you, there'll always be the time for something, something as asking for help. You do not wait for people to do something for you, you wait for yourself *Are you ready to do this?* Don't force yourself in something, do grow and develop yourself in it. Instead of saying you want to 'change', say that you want to *grow* out of this part of you.
I'm living exactly the same story
same
I wanna be your friend
This is literally what im dealing with right now
You are very mature for being a young teen. Stay smart 🥰
i have pica since 13yrs and in these 3 yrs i've found ways to control it. i had and sometimes still have cravings for clay, slate pencil and cement. But then i thought it'll affect my brain's efficiency and also my skin.
hear me out people, i know its very very very very hard to control these cravings but JUST FOR ONCE WHENEVER YOU FEEL LIKE EATING SOMETHING LIKE THIS, DON'T EAT IT.... TRY ANY WAY TO NOT EAT THAT. AND ONCE YOU DO THAT YOU'LL BE CONFIDENT IN YOURSELF AND NEXT TIME YOU'D BE ABLE TO CONTROL YOURSELF.
i tried this for 1yr and tho i still have pica but my self control has became more powerful... and i haven't eaten anything like that and i'm proud of myself
❤
Congrats! ❤
You should see a witch doctor..
it's sad how pica is barely talked about, I suffer from self diagnosed pica and I crave cornstarch, my mom thinks that it's going to go away with iron pills but it's not that simple, I need to get a doctor but she just make an appointment and she thinks that I got pica just because of my watching different videos of pica consciousness :(
Cornstarch! Still. You're nourishing your body. Your behavior isn't harming you or anyone else. It's odd. But no more odd than if you chomped on ice.
self diagnosed 💀
@@UnethicalMonkey420 what's the problem with being self diagnosed? my mom doesn't believe on pica being an actual thing so she just won't allow me to go to a doctor??
Have you tried the iron pills? I’ve heard that many people with Pica lost their cravings after getting iron shots
@@shaneraine8081 cornstarch can make you dehydrated, it is also very low in nutrients but high in calories
i might have this- i always wanna eat stones, clay, erasers, soap and chalk. everyone says i'm being dramatic and it hurts.
i have pica and i'd say it depends on how often you it eat i personally eat about half a sheet of paper a day and a sheet of toilet paper every time i pee i consider myself to have light pica
@@ashezol2249 i eat everything really. there isn't really a pattern for me tbh. i literally just ate 2 pieces of paper and 2 squirts of glue in one night. i crave everything and it's not easy for me. heck i even wanna eat my own hair. sometimes i rip out strands of my hair and eat them.
@@jessess9937 yeah you probably do have pica since its a everyday thing rather than few time
@@ashezol2249 thanks for the information. =)
I don’t tell these to my subscribers because I’m too embarrassed and they might think I’m weird. I have pica myself.
Thanks so much for these comments and support. I have pica,I started at around 9 and i will be 45 on Sunday. I eat Red stones and I am from Trinidad. Everyone says ,,just stop it's not good for you,,hmmm If only it was that easy I would just stop
You should also see a witch doctor. That sounds like someone did voodoo on you!
I eat paper and plastic for 10 years.... Parents know about this and don't take me to the hospital about it, they only judge and yell at me for this. I feel like i should just leave them
Take yourself to the hospital. Running from it and your parents is not a medical solution. Please get help from a team of professionals.
@@peoples0906listen to this guy please..
my daughter ate paper since childhood (she is 38 now) and I had no idea it was a condition...just thought it was odd. I feel bad I didn't know and find her help. Some of us parents are just ignorant of these types of things....until we know. I wish I had known sooner and I guess if it had been really severe I might have been more proactive. Anyway, not sure how old you are but in many states you are allowed to seek your own medical care. You might look into that...or even sharing this video with them or other videos to help educate them. I hope you get help that you want.
A lot of my friends including me have pica. One of my friends ate school dirt on her period and got an infected uterus. Me and my best friend love eating paper. I really love chewing on the hard back books that I own, I love gnawing on soap bars. I gnaw on anything I like the texture of, but I kinda feel like it’s getting out of hand.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@scragglewaggle4109 hey.. that's not funny... It's a serious problem!
@@eventhorizon69 Its okay I am pica too! I identify as pica....I will be making a website soon so use pica heads can just hang and chat..I will also be making an app soon so only pica heads can meet up for quick sex.
@@scragglewaggle4109 Uhm I'm sorry what? That literally doesn't make it any better that you're literally laughing at someones EATING DISORDER. Honestly, some of you guys have huge problems
@@Mango-rt1pf Sorry I just want to be part of this culter. I am currently #2 in the cummunity now so I joke around a lot but at the moment I am talking with a few web desingers to make me a Pica dating site.
This is such a help. I have eaten so many on edible objects that I have lost count. Thank you.
I'm too embarrassed to share this with my family and friends...I desperately needed to get out from this craaving...but I can't...I need help
@@mairaqureshi3602 Is this a joke or what ?
@@water9097 no its not a joke it's just a weird addiction
I’m 8 months pregnant and I just out of nowhere have the extreme urge to chew on frozen sponges specifically a scrub daddy. I have been feeling this for weeks and I have just been watching videos to ease my craving. I just bought a scrub daddy to squish to also calm down my urge to chew.
Talk with a doctor or a therapist, maybe you have some deficiency, definitely look into it especially since you're pregnant! You might need to change your diet or get supplements.
Please talk with an expert. Maybe chewing gum could help?
Also, you should see a spiritualist. Sounds like voodoo.
Iam so happy someone finally talked about us
Ive been eating soap for 3 years until now
Iam 15 years old
I often have very strong cravings for paper, plastic, and cotton. Watching this video has made me feel at ease knowing I'm not the only one.
Last night my mom had a glass of wine on the table and I asked her " do you ever look at something you really shouldn't eat but you want to? Like glass?" She said no and said it sounds like pica. I've allways wanted to eat things like glass, paper, chalk, ice and orbeez. But at the same time, I don't let myself. I have gotten very close though. And for example if I was really want to eat glass then I would try to eat ice instead for the texture without it being so dangerous. And with orbeez I've tried jello instead. It just doesn't do it for me like I think the actual things would.
Sme except i eat ice
I think I have this diagnose. I’ve been gradually becoming anemic after 3 years. There’s this special soap the cleaners uses that I randomly tasted at work some months ago. It started with me loving the smell of it, and then I tasted it and have been low key addicted. I’m a few months I’ve drank 5-6 bottles. When I run out I take another one from work. I’m trying to stop but it’s so hard to resist. So far my family don’t know, cause I’m trying to control it. But I know it’s not normal 😔
I did this when I was a kid. I loved the dirt under the house. I also ate the cement powder in between bricks. Then I got over it. Over 40 yrs later, I was extremely stressed at work. I was walking home and kept looking at the dusty parking lot. Made my mouth water. I started grabbing little handfuls to lick. The excitement was insane. It was awful though. Then I found an area with construction. I grabbed a handful of cement. Man it was delicious!!! I have a bag of rocks and powder in a cabinet at home. I have to fight licking it everyday. Writing this my mouth waters. There’s an area near me with construction and I plan to restock soon. Crazy.
Doesn't it affect your health???
i barely hear of other people who have this... i feel so disgusting when i eat paper and pieces of my clothing cause i know ppl judge
Man !! I also eat clothes
Don't know what will eating clothes cauz me
I've been eating my nails, skin, plastic bags, paper, and hair for over 10 years and recently I've realized its an eating disorder. I'm too scared to tell my therapist and my parents about it due to embarrassment. I'm not an adult, im a teenager. As a kid I thought eating these things were normal and I told my mom that when I bite my nails, I eat them and she called me gross.
Dear friends, Pica is NOT always a psychiatric disorder. I have known at least 20 patients who have PICA. I believe that it is related to the defiency of a trace mineral that the body needs. For instance, I have known many dialysis patients who crave laundry starch. Many people from my home area eat specific types of clay or sand, and other people in their families the same. If you have this, don't let this video label you as crazy, there may be another reason for it. Talk to your doctors about it and be guided by their advice. Some people swallow sharp objects, don't do that, it's dangerous!
I always heard this explanation too. When I was young I knew people who would eat stuff like dirt or ashes. And my mom always said it's likely their body trying to compensate for some mineral they lack.
@@DowntownTastybut it’s they need to get help tho….😢
I can't stop like eating my hair not just chewing but like eating it
Harry !!
That sounds like trichotillomania. And if countinued it can lead to having a hairball in your stomach (trichobezoar) since the stomach cant digest hair. This would block your be deadly if not treated with surgery. So please be careful and try to stop or get help. Its for your best.
I can’t talk about this with anyone because of the reputation it has with my strange addiction. It’s really getting out of control now I don’t know what to do. I want to stop but the cravings are so extreme that I really can’t, hell, I even eat paper in school. I remember when ever I was hungry, I would eat paper. I would go days without eating real food; I’m just tired
I fucking swallow the paper aswell.
I have an unhealthy obsession with chewing on sponges and eating soap. I also chew on things such as sandwich baggies or a soft plastic like the ones you put fruits or veggies in. Because of this disorder, more than half of the teeth in my mouth had to be pulled out because they're weak and brittle. They split in half and ache my entire mouth, but for some reason, even through all the pain it puts me through, I cant stop.
I have an obsession with smelling scents such as laundry soap, vacuum powder, dryer sheets, and eucalyptus. It calms me down a lot. I constantly burn incense in my room because I love the smell.
Sadly, I know this is really bad for me and unhealthy. Nobody seems to understand when I explain, because sometimes they wonder why I'm smelling things repeatedly that really itch my brain. I feel like nobody understands...
SAME I thought I was the only one, I love the smell of washing powder, it calms me down too but when I was little I bit and swallowed sponges because I was curious soon it became a obsessive habit and I've bitten it into very small pieces for the fear of it getting stuck in my intestines. I've been eating it for over 6 years now but I recently stopped in the last three years fearing my health. But as of recently I developed a new habit of biting and swallowing my pens down to the nib and it scares me but idk how to stop. I just wanted you to know you're not alone (my teeth are very brittle as well and break off easily lol). I hope one day both of us will be free from this.
Where's my pica peeps!!
Here
i decided today I want to be pica. So here I am sweet thang! we da sistas! Pica Sistaaaas!
hereee
@@lilystott291 we sistas too! 👋... We should be the bullies and be rude to everyone who ain't pica... What do i thank?
@@scragglewaggle4109 girl...
sponge. i really need to stop but i can't and i can't tell anyone either because it's so embarrassing.
seek medical care for yourself. Doctors should not shame you on this (or anything for that matter) but you deserve to get help if you want it.
I had a double whammy of anemia and pregnancy. I ate ice even when my teeth cracked. It was an out of control craving that didn't resolve until after childbirth and iron supplement therapy.
I had no idea pica was so common. I used to chew chunks of bakkng soda. Calcium tablets. Chalky textured things. Now I am hooked on ice 🧊 (no pun 😅intended) Boosts my mood. Water is healthy at least.
Glad their's more info on this condition
Thank you.❤😊
i used to eat sand,baby powder, and chalk. but now its just carpet freshener. i haven’t had it in a couple months and im craving it so bad rn.
I used to eat chalk too. I honestly liked the taste of it. But I don't eat it anymore, although it's most likely because I never have any in the house so I have no excuse to eat it
Does the desire out weigh the taste of chalk?
I also eat sand . Chalk
@@angrybudgie96 same but I don't wanna go buy it incase I get found out
@@manveersinghmani4356 those are the best along with baby powder and lead
I am addicted to eating baby powder specifically the cornstarch variety. I went through 4 22oz bottles in a week! I’m embarrassed about it and have always hit it from my family.
I hope you get better and feel stronger from where you’re at in your past.
I ended up getting pica after starting to seriously diet. Matchsticks are some of my favorite food now. I just love burning them to charcoal and eating what's left over. Sometimes I just put a bunch of matches in a metal tin, set them on fire, and just eat the ashes. Oh, yeah, I love eating cigarette and cigar ashes, too.
Oh my God me too I love eating matchstick ashes n drinking paint and I love eating powder
Omg! I feel so heard. I love burning the matchsticks and putting the phosphorus tip in my mouth. I feel so helpless, I even eat candle wax.
Same ✋
Thankfully I'm not the only one I also eat matchstick tips
I too, finally I thought I was alone!
i fully cannot stop eating ice like im on holiday and i havent had a glass of ice for about 5 days and i cant stop thinking about it, i literally crave it so bad
I've recently started to crave on chalk. I started few months ago and I'm 24. It makes me sooth and feel good while I eat it.
I was addicted to eating cement, i didnt understand what was wrong with me. I hated it and i couldnt stop, i would rather eat cement than real food. It was when i was in 3rd to 9th grade. This one guy told my parents that I had an iron deficiency and needed iron. My parents already knew about me eating cement and they had been mad about it so many times. When I finally got iron pills I stopped getting cravings completely. I have now stopped taking iron because my parents don’t bother buying me more so I get cravings now. My parents don’t really care.
Cement in what form?
Hardened form
@@linenflaxen6467hardened form
I eat regular foods, but sometimes I can get really emotionally distressed and I just eat paper
I have Asperger syndrome and I've been dealing with pica all my life.
I've been searching on the internet for people who have similar stories, but seeing that I'm not alone has given me the courage to share some of my life with pica and my cravings
The pica started around 2-3 years of age, the normal age of when the children start teething and exploring their surroundings with their mouth, but the cravings escalated. I'm almost an adult and I still have a few cravings.
So when I was around 2, we had a basement that would flood since we got a lot of rain where we lived. Usually after the flood, a bunch of millipedes (the tiny ones) would somehow get in the basement. My parents don't really know what to do, they would come in no matter what. According to my mom's testimonial, when she went down to the basement looking for me... I had half of a millipede hanging out of my mouth. It definitely freaked her out.
Around the same age, I tried to swallow an angel shaped pin and almost ended up choking to death. Thankfully my grandma gave me the heimlich and that was only my first instance in my life that I almost died.
When I was five, I used to gnaw on the backs of wooden chairs, I ate tissues, and I ate nearly all my books.
When I was 11, I had a stomach ache and I thought swallowing three packs of Orbeez (the balls that *grow in water*) thinking it would help. It definitely didn't because about 15 minutes later I threw them up. My dad was pissed after that-
They're definitely plenty of other instances, but these were most interesting stories I could remember. I can control my cravings a lot better now by replacing the urges with healthy snacks and teething sticks.
I'm really glad to have found this side of the internet, and to everyone here, wishing you all the best of luck and thank you for reading
Thank you so so much for posting this. I'm autistic and might have pica too. I don't know what to do aside from come up with healthy substitutes. I understand how hard it can be, but reading this made me feel less alone. :)
I hope things are ok for you! If you ever need to talk just let me know! :)
@@alisecoriem Thank you for sharing! And as for substitutes, I recommend healthy snacks (fruits, pretzels, trail mix, mints,etc.). Usually small snacks that I can eat throughout the day and I still feel good eating them. Most of the cravings I get are out of impulse (not hunger), it's a really hard habit to shake off. At school, my mom would get a bag of mints and a permission slip to take with me, allowing me to eat mints in class. It still helps, but i still eat stray eraser shavings and paper corners without even realizing.
When I was chewing on the chairs, my mom bought me a baby teething stick. I really like using them cuz it's a good oral stimulation.
I'm glad I have someone to relate to and I hope this advice is helpful :)
Good luck and remember you are not alone ❤
If you ever need to talk, just let me know!
@@ah-du2gf I usually have ice instead of glass, ground flax instead of dirt, caramel instead of wax ect, I have a lot of substitutes. I appreciate you sharing yours too! I have had this problem for a long time but it got worse a few months ago. I used to think I was just hungry all the time but I only wanted to eat weird things, so it definitely wasn't just being hungry. I have a few people who know about it and help a lot, though it's embarrassing sometimes. I hope we're both able to find a way to ease our unusual cravings!
Same! Never thought i would come across another person who have eaten wood! Ive been eating wood since age 16 or 17. Preteen i ate flower leaves, sand and either eggshells or shells from the beach! Paper have never been my thing. I like the crunchiness and the fact that they dont taste as much. Ive been diagnosed with atypical autism, theyve only now began to look into ASD
I really like eating ice. It hurts my teeth, but I really like the taste. Every time I think about it I can imagine the delicious taste.
Ngl on that last part, it's delicious. But more than that, it has a cooling affect. Cools down your entire throat to the food pipe. That's what it makes it addicting for me.
Dude plastic straws hit different when you have this ngl I have to buy gum to distract me from eating it
It’s so sad that in a first world country where food is hard to come by as a child more people don’t know about this ailment. 😔
Thank you so much for this video.
I know, this best video I seen on RUclips about pica.
I started eating raw rice last year during lockdown because of stress and anxiety now I'm addicted to it. Sometimes I carve for cement, clay, soil and chalk. I tried to avoid eating raw rice but I can't control myself. My family know about this still they are not taking me to a doctor they just yell at me I told my mom about this and she is taking this as a joke. What should I do now?
Meee too i also started to eat raw rice... And also soap.. I cant cantrol myself... I think i become addict to them.. 😭
I went from munching on construction paper scraps like gum as a joke, to making regular trips to the bathroom to eat 5 or more sheets of toilet paper. I know how bad it is for me and I know it’s ruining my intestines and body altogether, though no matter how much I try to stop I find myself eating more the next day.
Edit: I’m highly suspicious that I get iron deficiency from me usually not eating much, but even if I get a good meal or take my vitamins, the cravings never go away.
I live with pica. My craving are chalk, charcoal, cigarette ashes, coffee grounds, and tobacco from cigarettes. It’s so weird. I hate it.
I really am considering myself that this is what I have, in school I usually just eat erasers and paper or pencils regularly.
Pretty easy to self diagnose. You always crave and eat things that aren't food with no nutritional value? Pica👍
@@sunnydaysdown ok lol
@@sunnydaysdownbutton…
A patient in the hospital I work in has pica and she cannot be alone in the room and most non food items are kept outside of the room. I work in food and nutrition and I’ve never seen someone order so much food for one person any given day. I think it’s because she doesn’t really have much else to do and the more positive association with food she has, the less likely she will be to ingest non-food items. Given some of the objects these people ingest, this disorder can be very dangerous and cause other health problems.
I eat paper (i like to dip it in water), Play-doh, glue, erasers, clothing and chew on everything
I started eating paper since yesterday and idk why, i just start to crave and smile when i think abt paper
The paper they use for straws is good 😂
@@Raebrained i just eat loose leaf paper bc it tastes like pretzels
I was eating corn starch before I got a hematologist and now that my iron is very low again I’m starting to crave it. It’s been over four years and I don’t wanna go back. I can’t wait to get my iron infusion.
when i was a kid i had issues with being caught eating icicles outside or eating all the playdough, and I think my pica is coming back. i cant stop craving paper, sand, and ice, and I'm about to eat an entire book its so bad.
i feel like i have pica, i cant stop chewing on certain types of plastic, and stuffed toys. im not actually swallowing it, im just chewing it up. and it feels compulsive too, i even get urges at school....
these days i get the urge to chew on pens/pencils and other certain types of plastics, if those arent available then i chew on a plush doll that i carry in my school bag, though it doeant satisfy as much as the plastic does.
sometimes i feel like i want to swallow the plastic, but i have enough strength to stop myself from doing so.
im 14 and will be 15 soon, i really think this is bad for my health but i cant stop it....
update: im using chew toys as much as possible to beat the cravings for plastic. i often have a need for oral sensory input and i think thats what was going on with the plastic. the doc didnt care so im taking matters into my own hands.
Please get help. Tell somebody, and get help before it progresses any further. It is okay to asks for help but it is not okay to do nothing to help yourself.
@@peoples0906 my doctor didnt seem at all concerned about it, i dont know what to do....
@@EvanMMD3939 talk to parents
@@zaniahgray-jack3158 my dad thinks the doctor shouldnt have just dismissed it
i’ve had the plastic craving too. i’d try iron supplements, along with carrying gum with a hard shell like mentos gum or something like that :)
I have pica,
I eat paper ice and chalk.
Pica is so untalked about and if you search pica up the disorder won’t come up and you will have to add disorder at the end.
I’m pretty sure the disorder comes from stress because I mainly do it while I’m stressed or just hungry.
I also have ASD so I guess that could’ve caused it?
I notice you eat chalk. I like eating it as well, but doesn't it bother your stomach? I can't eat one stick after another. I take one bite of a chalk stick every other day to prevent digestive issues. To compensate for the lack of chalk eating, I eat those chalky Lifesaver Wintergreen mint. Safer to eat and gives me the "chalk" satisfaction. 🙂
@@judychang8760 It’s never bothered my stomach, actually it keeps me full
I have pica and atypical autism. I've had pica since childhood but could only fulfill my wishes of eating wood since age 18, when i actually had an income when i started studying. Ive been eating ice, sand and flower leaves pre-teen (10 -11 ish) to compensate for my dying wish of eating wood. Im almost 30 now and they only found out now that i eat wood due to my autism diagnose. Its more prevaæient in people with autism than in any other condition.
I have rough childhood . Toxic one . I started acting weird and always lost in my imagination . I scratch myself then turn to scratch the wall with my little finger nail . In my country eating clay , chalk is okay when you're kid but not for grownups . I know this might be excuse but I choose to live alone and I'm introvert too so for me it's easy to be alone . I started to spend time mostly alone . I don't why but I keep my eating non food item habit and don't try to abandon it . But now I'm thirty and ready to get married . Problem is in my house no one ever considered about my habit but now when I'm about to get married I realized that I can't control my eating habit like eating clay, chalk and scratching wall and eat it . I used to scratch myself but it's hurt so I moved to scratch the wall . And whatever I get with my tiny nail I eat that . I want to try something to control but whenever j sad ,sorrow , disturbed , angry , lost in thought etc I scratch it and eat it . I can't always have chalk and clay in my pocket but I can find wall anywhere . So for me it's easy access . I also used to chew ice , sugar a lot but I gave up when it start showing mouth ulcer , tooth decay . But still I eat material from scratching wall . When you scratch my wall you'll get white cement . And I love it .
i crave plastic a lot, and ive tried to stop. i always say “ im just gonna eat one more piece and then i wont eat anymore” but i cant stop eating it and its messing up my stomach but i really dont know how to stop.. and my doctors just tell me to stop eating it, but its not that easy
I do eat non-food things particularly nails and surrounding skin, biting cheek, and eating scabs, but don't have an immense craving nor does the act itself cause distress. I eat normal food just fine. So I'm unsure I have "pica."
I don't plan to get it treated because it's the least of my concerns honestly, but I feel sympathy for people who genuinly struggle with eating non-food items.
I have pica, I eat strings, clothes and anything to do with cloth, it's worrying when you have to poop out the string as the stomach can't digest it, so i had to pull out multiple strings from my behind, I tried seeking help, but instead got shamed for it.
i eat the wool from my scarf. i have for about 3 years now and i really don’t know how to stopped. my biggest concern is blockages :(
i am similar too i have a sweater that i can’t stop eating and a big chunk of it is gone i’m scared something will happen :/
You swallow? Pls don't.
If this helps, for nearly my whole lifetime I chewed and sometimes swallowed fabric from my clothing and eventually stopped swallowing as I was scared of the consequences. In more recent years I chipped my tooth twice, which was a nasty awakening. Within the past year I have been diagnosed with vitamin deficiencies and they also gave me my blood result stats so I could see my levels, which I thought was because I have been vegetarian for about 7 years now and maybe wasn't eating enough iron or something, but coming to think of it, I must have been deficient way before as my ED came years before my diet change. Alongside some injections for other vitamins, I was prescribed iron pills and took them 3 times a day or every other day (which is supposed to be better for you) and suddenly my cravings are gone! It must have been iron!
Whenever we mess with chemicals in school I ask if they're safe to consume because I just really wanna try them
:( whenever they say no I just really wanna find out man
As an Indian, I have seen videos of people eating cow dung(may be 10-20 or at max 1000 people in a 1.4 billion population do it), but I didn't knew it might be because of the mental disorder.
People use these video to stereotype entire population of India!
Thank you for sharing! I hope there are some ways to have a control on this mental disorder!
Man I'm not even trying to be mean but india does have a poop problem, I'm not saying you do it but it'd be like me as an american saying there isn't a big problem with you know what, it's just not looking at reality. the whole world is a dump.
i have pica, so i eat paper and stickers but i have never gone as far to try and eat a plate💀
If you want an awesome plastic like food try blue dragon spring roll wraps. Crush them up in a bag into bite size pieces. It’s so satisfying
I have been eating paper, soil, chalk and pencils. I need help please because I'm getting sick.
you just need some iron tablet
I don’t know if this would work but maybe try chewing gum, or maybe focus on yourself while doing it because i personally find when im about to put something in my mouth that should not be in there i do it without thinking, so if i think about it first its easier for me to not do it
I compulsively eat ice, pebbles, plastic, wood, paper, and a few other strange things. I deal with it by eating stale foods and raw vegetables. My favorite is candy rocks and candy glass also hard stale bread and uncooked pasta and rice.
I started to eat dried gypsum first and now i cant stop eating concrete or drywall every single day but I am scared it would have a side effect especially the dry wall one
Girl you better stop! That’s so bad for you. Think of all the chemicals. Try googling edible foods with a similar texture
Wanna eat a car with me?
Me too I've had pica all my life i thought it'll never stop. But after i received iron injections during my pregnancy the cravings just stopped completely, Now I'm healed. 🙏
Same here sis what to do ldk people just bully me they aren't helping
Heyy even I had pica
I took iron pills
And now I'm really great ❤️
Hope you'll be too❤️
I can't stop eating soaps and detergent powder and handwashes
i used to literally eat dirt as a child and i think that’s why my immune system is elite
But I'm not Autistic, Pregnant or a kid but I still have cravings for foam/bubbles, idk why but it's always been so irresistable
You know how many pencils I’ve gone through because I can’t stop eating the erasers, it’s kinda sad
I eat paper everyday. I want to stop but I don't feel like I can. I can't go to a doctor. Where I live has so many people that it would take a long time before I can see a doctor.
gosh... i have iron deficiency and undiagnosed adhd, i eat pencil lead, sometimes on purpose sometimes out of habit, and i've been craving chalk for years! Specially Gym chalk, the ASMR videos of gym chalk crushing have been making it worse, but i can't stop watching them! I just wanna take a bite out of a chalk brick! I've been wanting to buy edible chalk to calm that craving bu i cant afford it since im a minor and dont have a work :(
I ate chalk for double digit years until the kind I LOVED was discontinued. I never knew there was an edible chalk
i like eating plastic,paper,erasers,and string its so good
I like eating paper and ice, my mom says don't have it but I think I do
I’m Currently 30 Weeks Pregnant & I’ve Been Craving Chalk, Ice & Cornstarch. It’s Been Happening For A Few Weeks & I Can’t Help It😩
Please don't start!!! Whatever u do ignore it. Dont ruin ur health like I did
I do eat the leads of pencil..Every time I buy another pencil I promise myself that I won't eat this one but I end up eating that as well and promising again not to eat the next one.
Am I going to face any serious health issues due to this in near future?
If yes,Kindly suggest a way to stop this habit!
I got sent to the nurse's office for eating the lead from my pencils (which I do quite often) and the nurse checked with poison control and found that just the regular graphite pencils are not toxic. I am sorry to say I don't know how to stop it or try to control it, but I know that the "lead" in pencils is not poisonous
I know what you are going through though, and I hope you find a way to stop your habit, I hope this helps!
I have been eating erasers and i need help to tell my mom...
I have pica and found out it's prevalent in ppl with sickle cell Anemia (a disease I have) I remember when I first started it as a kid. have a craving for foam from couches but my doctor told.me.sp.lomg as I'm passing it they don't see anything wrong with it and I was happy to hear there's a doctor that understands.
I really wanna eat and chew pumice stones/penoblock, brick, sand and cement a lot often, even clay, i love the gritty crunches and texture of it but i really want to stop these cravings. Thankfully i dont have any of them near me where i live, but the cravings start getting worse sometimes. I do chew on ice though, or brown sugar to mock the sand crunches and texture, but its never the same. I usually just watch videos on eating the certain objects i crave at the moment, it does help, but i really wanna recover from it.
I am back sistas. I have just Re-JOINED da pica community. Alright things are changing....Pica marked steppes down as numba 1 in da community and has appointed me as #1! I was numba 2 a year ago then took a hiatus...but now I am back and things will start fresh and big plans are in the works. Who's ready for pica parades, concerts etc... Now is the time to embrace pica!
I have eaten 8+ thumbtacks, dirt, rocks, blood, skin, raw meat, a piece of a wall, live insects, flowers, clay, and paper but I still feel empty.
I have told my family about my condition but they think it is in my head or I am “faking for attention” but it just hurts.
I’m surprised I’m still alive but I am in pain… but I don’t know how to cure this hunger
I wish you a smooth recovery soon, i know its hard but im sure you’ll be able to pull through :)
also love your xiao pfp lmao
@@insofteds thanks!
I really can't help but crave for chalk, dirt, powdery cement and crumbly things. I just love the texture but eathing 2-3 chalk sticks a day has made me feel so sick lately
I m having a food disorder of eating raw rice powder can you tell me it's side-effects. I can't control myself from eating it!
Elle too I eat carpet powder
Weird fuq
@Aslaha hey... i have also have the same disorder...... i eat raw rice and raw rice powder..... i don't know why...... i know how hard it is to control.... i think maybe because of stress.... 😪
@@ahlamhussein6508 did you consult a doctor?
@@ahlamhussein6508 19 years
I have pica and in grade one I ate all the glue sticks we had. To this day there are lots of things i still eat. How common is it for a 12 year old female?
The disorder itself is not common.. and stop eating glue sticks at all costs. Hope you get over it...
I’m 12 too, I don’t know how common it is but I guess we are in a similar position. Do you have autism or something similar?
@@eventhorizon69 no but have you ever eaten one theyre so good
I like eating stone that you can crack with the teeth because I always grave the smell of rain I didn't know I had a disorder 😢
i can't stop eating rocks, i just can't.
I just learned about this ED and I looked it up to find some more information after realizing I could very well have this, as a joke, I have eaten things such as Rocks, Paper, Metal, a pencil, etc. and I usually do this in front of my friends once again, as a joke, but recently, I stopped doing t around my friends, sometimes I’m compulsively chew on an item and it leads to me consuming it. I didn’t know that this was an actually disorder, and I’m very curious to know if it would be a good idea to tell my parents (I am a minor), or to just figure this out on my own, as I am fearful of being laughed at or made fun of.
I eat baby powder❤😊😊
My favorite brand is Aquation cornstarch baby powder 😊😊
It use to be Johnson and Johnson cornstarch baby powder
I am pregnant and got severe morning sickness. So i bought luvos clay here in Germany. It helped me with my morning sickness and acidity. But i feel addicted to it. I ate last week 5 teaspoons daily. It says on that packet that it contains silicates, iron, zinc and calcium but i was just wondering if it also has lead and nickel in it? May be you know about it. Please tell me. I really crave for it now 24*7
i eat charcoal at 14 and i crave chalk and clay 😢
I don't know if anybody could relate. But whenever I feel anxious I just feel like eating for biting clothes. I just swallow small pieces of cloth and before I also use to swallow lead of pencil but after I came to know that. That is really harmful and all, I stopped it, but I cannot stop myself from eating or biting these clothes. My parent usually make fun of me and they say you just destroy all your clothes by biting them And creating holes in them but I cannot control it.I feel like it's not in my control. I Unconsciously do it sometimes
any suggestions😢
I am so obsessed with eating plastics and dirt. I just can't help it
Pica is a mental health condition where a person compulsively swallows non-food items. It's especially common in children and with certain conditions. While it's often harmless, swallowing certain items can make pica very hazardous.May 6, 2022
I'm so happy I am not weird or odd I for some reason eat powderd detergent once in a while
I am 23. I eat clay pots regularly. I cannot study without eating clay pots
I won’t stop eating ligned paper, and cardboads (specially those like cereal boxes)
Well I have really bad pica eating disorder i got this when i was a child around 6 years old it got so worse that i was admitted to the hospital due to really bad abdominal condition and i was admitted for a month and now when i am 17 years old no matter how much I try to resist eating cement chalk cardboard and ice and even some cloth fabrics I end up eating it.
What did the doctors say at the hospital? I started off eating chalk double digit years ago. Then brown paper bags and now I just eat cardboard, like every single day. This has been my life for 30 plus years.
I like to eat things like pins, paper, rocks, leaves, sticks, cardboard, ice, paint, skin, nail (body part), dirt and plastic. I can’t stop
Omg same. It’s skin for me . Idk what to do
Thank you for the information. 🙏
I’ve been eating deodorant for about 2 years, and I am afraid to tell anybody because they will either make a big joke out of it or think I need to be placed in a psych ward. I told my mom once and she made a big joke about it, and I just can’t take this anymore. plus; my family is very low income, so they will do anything to avoid taking me to the doctors just so they won’t have to pay bills. I also outright eat ice cubes, since it sounds more normal than deodorant.
idk if this helps any, but I also have had low iron. because of my low appetite while on my period, combined with the fact that it’s my period, I literally will black out on my period.
I chew on aluminum foil a lot and sometimes I sallow little bits. It helps relive stress.
I am actually itching for some brick rn. Or clay, or cornstarch, or dirt. Please help 😭
I can't stop it literally sucks so bad. When i was in 1st grade I saw a girl in my class eat paper and at the time i thought it was so cool. So i assume I fit into the "cultural norm" section. I tried eating paper and got used to it. I loved it i really loved it. It tasted horrible at first but it tastes so good its taste and it started tasting good. I can't stop its so embarrassing I wanna talk about it but I get laughed at. I don't wanna tell my counselor because. I don't even wanna be in counseling. I don't wanna do counseling more than i have to because I was forced by the school to go. i cant try to use seaweed to stop because i absolutely HATE seaweed it makes my stomach hurt and tastes bad.
I feel embarrassed but I've eaten the following things:
Pencil (graphite)
Crayons
Paper
Chalk
Ice cubes
I never swallowed but i chewed on plastic once and immediately spit it out
Yeah another embarrassing thing, wall paint, my current challenge to get over