I've had pica forever and I need a confessional

[Asyousayit]

I've always craved crunchy or chewy food, but I need to confess this as I feel I'm going mad. I'm not pregnant and I'm really secretive about it but... I secretly munch on dry catfood. The crunch and texture is lovely, it's bland but I don't do it for taste and not everyday. I'm so ashamed but I've realised in this day and age it's sort of not a taboo, I've never told my family and wouldn't dare do it openly. Please say I'm not the only one with pica??

[MyDarlingWhatIfYouFly]

I have a different type - I crunch ice cubes all day, really compulsively. Unfortunately we have an ice machine on our freezer and it's ruining my teeth. It's worse when my iron is low (I can easily get through 7-8 pint glasses full of ice in a day)..

[homezookeeper]

I was tricked my by "D"F (Incredibly abusive throughout my childhood) into eating dog biscuits many times. The best were Bonio because I thought that all they needed was a bit of sugar.

[beAsensible1]

I crunch on crushed ice constantly. 😭 I’ve got to get back on the iron tablets but they wreak havoc on my stomach

[Geppili]

In a fit of abusive rage my DF threatened to kill me if I didn't stop crying. I cried in bed silently after this and pulled a crunchy eyelash out, stroked the root against my mouth and then bit the hair and crunched it and ate it. I was 7. Now 55. Pulled and eaten my hair all my life. It is the most soothing activity I know. Don't feel bad! Don't feel lonely! Don't feel sad!

[Geppili]

@homezookeeper so sorry you experienced this from someone who should have cherished you.

[Geppili]

Op did you start as a child?

[Asyousayit]

Yes I did, dry dog food/cat food. I had a great childhood so it wasn't for traumatic reasons I just really enjoyed the texture. So sorry to hear commenters have had alot of trauma xxx

[raspberryberet7]

My son has pica and eats some weird and wonderful things. Unfortunately there have been a few hospital trips for us due to his pica. You're not hurting anyone op so don't feel bad about it.

[Droolylabradors]

I didn't know it was a thing until many years after my pregnancies but I crunched ice from very early on in my first pregnancy. And the reason I did this is that it came an acceptable second best to eating grit.

I don't think you should feel any shame about it if you are not hurting anyone else or yourself.

I sucked my fingers until I was 25 and still feel the urge to do it now when I'm feeling sad or tired.

I think some things are just irrepressible urges.

[ClemmyTine]

Several years ago I had a thing about iceberg lettuce. For around 8 months I would get through three a day. I would eat all of it by picking bits off, it wasn't the outside or the very middle, but the bit between. Heaven. I can still remember the feeling. Then I just stopped.

I read later on that someone had the same thing, eating lettuce, found out she had breast cancer, the lettuce had some vitamin/chemical that she was missing.

[JennyForeigner]

I have two young children with asd/pica, one of whom seems to have chronic anaemia and eats soil/coal dust/ dirt (inherited iron disorder). I don't want to crash the thread but if there are adults here who have found answers that work for you including keeping topped up with iron or other supplements would be grateful for any advice. Nothing seems to make a difference so far.

[Fiddie]

I have pica, I eat chalk. Only one type and I just can't stop. Started during my pregnancies. My teeth are getting damaged and I get bad tummy aches but still can't stop.

They've changed the 'recipe' for want of a better word and I don't like the taste as much anymore but I still keep crunching.

[Tootingbec]

I went through a stage of eating uncooked rice (as in hard and crunchy!) - was craving it all the time. Turned out I was iron deficient.

Get your iron levels checked and see if that is driving the compulsion?

[Doctorbeach]

I had pica while pregnant and for several years after, especially when breastfeeding.Charcoal, chalk and various other less safe things. There was no way, no way at all I could resist. In my case I think it was to do with certain vitamin/ mineral deficiencies . That said I remember reading some research to suggest that craving particular textures has an emotional root, and seeking crunchy textures specifically can point to emotional distress of some kind.

[Monkeybusiness09]

I have had pica at various times in my life, as a young child, pregnancy and now after losing a lot of weight. It's a mineral deficiency. I like to crunch on dry cement so constantly picking some of the walls in my back garden.

[KittenKins]

It's baby sponges for me. I chew & swallow them, have done for most of my life. I do try to reduce the likelihood of a blockage by getting the pieces as small as possible.

Oddly enough the craving went away after a blood transfusion but built up again.