[Mountaindewed]

Has anyone ever had this or has it now? It’s an eating disorder where you have the desire to eat non edible stuff. Usually little kids have it.

I swear I had it when I was 6-7 years old but like my anxiety and autism it just went undiagnosed. But I’d eat worms, other bugs, grass, dirt, weeds, flowers, chapstick, deodorant etc. everyone around me just thought it was funny and would give me stuff to eat.

I grew out of it By the time I was 8. Now as an adult I’m really into weird flavors of foreign foods like squid and crab flavored potato chips, flower flavored soda and sweet potato Kit Kat’s. So I think a very small part of its still there.

[downandlonely]

I think most kids eat bugs when they're really little, but if you ate other stuff and it went on until you were 8, it might be PICA. Did you eat those things when you were anxious? I hear that's usually how it works.

[Mountaindewed]

I’m not sure. I think so though. I was basically anxious 24/7 without realizing what I was feeling was anxiety. Stomach aches, throwing up before school, feeling sick at school and constantly going to the nurses, etc.

I remember being so anxious though one time and going and eating a cup of water mixed with grass and flowers and I was eating it with a stick. My sisters friend had made me “soup” to be funny.

[downandlonely]

Hugs. I'm sorry you went through that. Is it something you can talk to your therapist about? If you have one that is?

[Mountaindewed]

Yes I can talk to her about it. She has said before that my school district failed me because they didn’t realize how severe my issues were.

[*Beth*]

As I understand pica, it occurs when the body is lacking certain vitamins and minerals so the person craves non-food items. I'm not positive, but I don't think a therapist is the one to talk with about pica. I think it's a medical issue.

Also, some women get pica when they're pregnant. For example, when my aunt was pregnant she had an urge to eat Noxema face cream. Her doctor prescribed some minerals and the urge went away.

[divine1966]

I ate chalk, actually I knew more kids who did that. Lack of calcium. My pediatrician prescribed calcium, I think it stopped me from eating chalk

My husband's eldest nephew in Germany had it when he was a little kid. He was sent to therapy and eventually got passed it. In his case, he ate fur and hair.

I never had Pica, but when I was a kid I went through a phase where I ate peanut shells. Believe me that it was a painful habit! Not the eating of them, but the "getting rid of them" eventually. Bloody mess! I don't advise it.

[Mountaindewed]

Oh yeah the peanut shells. I’d eat the hair off the salon floor. I wouldn’t swallow it though just chew on it. Man was my mom oblivious back then. I mean she’d see me do it. I’d ask if I could do it. I guess she just thought “kids will be kids”

[downandlonely]

I think PICA can be a psychological issue as well as a medical one. I believe it's related to OCD. It's in the DSM.