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| These are contents found in the stomach of someone suffering from pica |
Addictions of any kind are a serious matter. If you live in South Carolina, you can seek information and help on addiction here: The William J. McCord Center
There are many different types of addictions that people suffer from. Some of the conventional addictions are alcohol and drugs, however there are addictions that don't fit into that category. There are non food addictions that people also suffer from. This is a disorder called pica.
Pica (pronounced PY-kah) is a medical disorder characterized by an appetite for substances largely non-nutritive (e.g. metal, clay, coal, sand, dirt, soil, feces, chalk, pens and pencils, paper, batteries, spoons, toothbrushes, soap, mucus, ash, gum,or an abnormal appetite for food ingredients (e.g. flour, raw potato, raw rice, starch, ice cubes, salt). For these actions to be considered pica, they must persist for more than one month at an age where eating such objects is considered developmentally inappropriate.
Many people with this disorder have a hard time quitting and so it has some of the familiar earmarks of addiction seen in drug use or alcoholism. Sufferers often do not think they are in any real harm however, non food items are not manufactured under strict conditions like food is, and therefore there are great quantities of impurities in the products. These impurities can be anything from dangerous pesticides and chemicals to rodent and insect body parts and fecal matter. There are a few support groups out there that can be seen by those suffering from this disorder. Here is a list of online pica support groups:
It is important that you seek medical supervision and help for your pica disorder. A medical doctor may be able to do certain blood tests to determine if your disorder is a deficiency that can be easily treated.
For other addictions, information and support, see: The Addicted Family
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