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4 Strange Pica Addictions You Never Knew Existed

With about 8 billion people living in the world it’s no surprise that there are some weird compulsions out there. Usually when you hear the word “addiction” it’s in reference to something negative, like drug addiction or an addiction to alcohol, but you can have an addiction to pretty much anything. Many may joke about being addicted to things like shopping or eating ice cream, but what if you really just couldn’t stop.

Addiction is a psychological dependence on something in an effort to avoid or control emotional discomfort. Many people turn to an addiction as something to comfort them instead of just finding healthy ways to cope with a specific life event or situation and move on. A lot of times the discomfort a person is feeling may not even be obvious, but rather an underlying mental condition and may even require doctor or medical intervention.

Pica is an addiction to compulsively eating things that are not typically considered food. Have you ever had the urge to eat a cigarette butt? How about paint? No? Well, if you did ever get the craving to eat something that is not edible you may want to find out if you have Pica. This condition may be due to deficiencies in your diet, perhaps zinc or iron, or maybe you’re just pregnant.

Most addictions have an underlying reason and can lead to detrimental results. They should be treated seriously. Here are 4 strange Pica addictions that you probably never even knew.

• Geophagia - One common craving of Pica is dirt and other earthy materials like rocks, chalk, coal, and clay. While this is common for animals, many would consider it strange for humans to do it with easy access to actual food round-the-clock. In less fortunate countries, like Africa and Haiti, it is often socially acceptable to eat foods featuring earthy materials including dirt and mud.

• Pagophagia - If you find yourself constantly in need of crunching ice you may have pagophagia, another type of Pica. This is sometimes caused by anemia or an iron deficiency and has been known to cause many dental issues, including cracked teeth.
  

• Xylophagia - Xylophagia involves eating wood or things made out of wood, like paper. Common items people with xylophagia consume are pencils, toilet paper, and tree bark. This can be hazardous and may even lead to obstructed bowels.

• Trichophagia - This is the condition of compulsively eating hair. To be fair, it’s usually your own hair, but not always. When severe this is also referred to as “Rapunzel Syndrome, and in case you’re wondering, this can result in hairballs. The largest recorded hairball ever required surgery to remove and weighed in at almost 10 pounds!

Pica addictions can usually be dealt with by addressing any nutritional deficiencies or underlying conditions and attending behavioral therapy.