Pica is a mental disorder that causes a person to eat non-food substances without any nutritional value. The disorder may come in various forms. People with pica eat almost anything from soap to iron. Here are some of the most interesting pica stories.
#1 Monsieur Mangetout
Michel Lolito, also known as Monsieur Mangetout (French for Mr. Eat Everything), became popular in France because of his bizarre eating habits. His favourite meal includes things made of metal - beds, TV sets, bicycles, shopping carts, chandeliers and a Cessna 150 airplane.
Believe it or not, Lolito has an incredibly thick stomach and intestinal lining that allows him to consume almost anything. He breaks his food into small metal pieces, coats his throat with mineral oil and eats them. It took him two years to consume the plane though.
#2 Gasoline Man
Chen Jejun of China has a strange habit of guzzling down gasoline everyday. The habit started in 1969 when Jejun experienced cough and chest pain. Elders of his village suggested that he took a shot of kerosene, which he did, and felt better the next day.
Unfortunately, Jejun's medicinal intervention turned into a nasty addiction - he's downing gasoline everyday for 42 years. Experts say that Jejun's body has developed tolerance to gas over the years. But his wife left him due to his €drinking' problem.
#3 Foam Snack
Adele Edwards has been battling her addiction to foam for over two decades. Yes, she eats couches and pillows. On top of that, she even takes the pieces of foam outside and rubs it in dirt before eating them. The problem started when she was 10.
Edwards decided to seek help when she was hospitalised for intestinal blockage. Her week-long stay in the hospital also revealed she has iron deficiency. Hopefully, hypnotherapy SA can train her mind and body to eat less of foam and more of food.
#4 Urine Drinker
A 53-year old woman named Carrie admitted that she's addicted to drinking her own urine for more than four years. Turns out, she believes that drinking urine can help her cope with cancer. Carrie drinks around 80 ounces of urine a day.
Carrie shared that her urine €tastes like water' to her. She drinks it by glass and sometimes, by a Neti pot (container used to cleanse nasal cavity) to drink it nasally. She also uses her urine to brush her teeth and wash her face.
According to psychiatrists, pica is considered a form of obsessive compulsive disorder. It is also linked with parental neglect and guilt. Since it is a mental disorder, people with pica must seek mental therapies for recovery such as Hypnotherapy Adelaide.
#1 Monsieur Mangetout
Michel Lolito, also known as Monsieur Mangetout (French for Mr. Eat Everything), became popular in France because of his bizarre eating habits. His favourite meal includes things made of metal - beds, TV sets, bicycles, shopping carts, chandeliers and a Cessna 150 airplane.
Believe it or not, Lolito has an incredibly thick stomach and intestinal lining that allows him to consume almost anything. He breaks his food into small metal pieces, coats his throat with mineral oil and eats them. It took him two years to consume the plane though.
#2 Gasoline Man
Chen Jejun of China has a strange habit of guzzling down gasoline everyday. The habit started in 1969 when Jejun experienced cough and chest pain. Elders of his village suggested that he took a shot of kerosene, which he did, and felt better the next day.
Unfortunately, Jejun's medicinal intervention turned into a nasty addiction - he's downing gasoline everyday for 42 years. Experts say that Jejun's body has developed tolerance to gas over the years. But his wife left him due to his €drinking' problem.
#3 Foam Snack
Adele Edwards has been battling her addiction to foam for over two decades. Yes, she eats couches and pillows. On top of that, she even takes the pieces of foam outside and rubs it in dirt before eating them. The problem started when she was 10.
Edwards decided to seek help when she was hospitalised for intestinal blockage. Her week-long stay in the hospital also revealed she has iron deficiency. Hopefully, hypnotherapy SA can train her mind and body to eat less of foam and more of food.
#4 Urine Drinker
A 53-year old woman named Carrie admitted that she's addicted to drinking her own urine for more than four years. Turns out, she believes that drinking urine can help her cope with cancer. Carrie drinks around 80 ounces of urine a day.
Carrie shared that her urine €tastes like water' to her. She drinks it by glass and sometimes, by a Neti pot (container used to cleanse nasal cavity) to drink it nasally. She also uses her urine to brush her teeth and wash her face.
According to psychiatrists, pica is considered a form of obsessive compulsive disorder. It is also linked with parental neglect and guilt. Since it is a mental disorder, people with pica must seek mental therapies for recovery such as Hypnotherapy Adelaide.
SHARE
