
This is common with other types of eating disorders. I consider pica to be an eating disorder because it involves consuming substance in a way that is not normal or healthy. Eating a painful or dangerous substance can be a way of avoiding, of self-punishing, or of getting pleasure in a non-traditional way. Consuming substances (whether it is ingestible or not) can alter the way that your brain functions and can affect the person’s emotional state. What is common between eating disorder and pica are the severe medical concerns that can occur as a result of the eating or restricting of substances. Some professionals feel that pica is more associated with sensory processing or feeding disorders and not eating disorders.

Sometimes, eating a substance might bring back memories of a good time or of a loved one who has passed away and this can be the person’s way of connecting with those feelings. Others may eat a substance that helps them to avoid painful feelings because of the intensity of the taste of what they are eating. Someone suffering from anorexia may eat clay or plastic in an attempt to stave off extreme hunger and not gain weight. Eating substances that are not food can be a way of managing both weight and emotional issues. So is pica considered to be an eating disorder? It is not currently listed in the diagnostic manual (DSM), but is being considered for future inclusion.

The disorder can show up in children and adults with developmental difficulties such as autism or Down’s Syndrome.

Pica most commonly occurs in children and pregnant women, and it is seen in many animals, particularly dogs. To be considered pica, the symptoms must persist for more than one month and must occur at a time when it is not developmentally appropriate (usually at ages older than 18 months). These substances are largely non-nutritive (clay, laundry detergent, coal, chalk, sand, gum, tacks, and other office supplies) and ingesting them can be very medically dangerous. What is pica? A person afflicted with pica has a persistent craving for a substance that is not commonly considered food. Pica is one of the least known eating disorders because of its bizarre nature and its relatively new arrival on the eating disorder scene.
