Diseased

Today I found out that I am diseased. Yes... diseased.

My problem is that I love, absolutely LOVE to chew on ice. And although that sounds very very strange, it's completely true. I chew on ice every chance I get. I especially love chewing on ice that was once cooling my iced tea. It's very weird, and I'd have to say, I'm obsessed.

So after chewing a whole cup full of ice today, I decided to jump on the web to see what in the heck is the matter with me. I mean chewing on ice can be a pretty bad habit. It is definitly not good on your teeth, it can be annoying for the people around you, and one can look pretty sloppy trying to get all of the ice out of their cup at the dinner table. So after a bit of searching, here is what I discovered!

"Chewing on ice is a variant of pica, an eating disorder characterized by craving and eating non-food items such as ice, dirt, glue, paper, and hair. While pica is typically seen in young children, it also occurs in adults."

(Hmm... I can remember chewing on my hair as a young girl.)

"The specific compulsion to chew ice is called pagophagia and has been associated with pregnancy, iron deficiency anemia, a sign of emotional problems, such as stress, obsessive-compulsive disorder or a developmental disorder, and other nutritional problems."

So there it is... I am a pagophagiac. And it's weird too, because I can kind of see myself having some emotional problems. My mother is anemic, so that means I could be anemic too. And I am a little obsessive-compulsive about things. (But no, I'm not pregnant... I can guarantee you that!)

But it's really strange, because as I write this, I am starting to get really really hot and light-headed, and I kind of feel like I might pass out... which someone who is anemic might do. My head is starting to hurt, and I feel like I might cry... which makes me a little over-emotional. And all this new information has really got me thinking AND OBSESSING on whether or not I should go to the doctor and have this all checked out. The evidence is there and maybe there really is something to this.

Or maybe I just like to chew on ice, I'm over-emotional, I'm a little low on iron, and I am a perfectionist. And these four things have nothing to do with one another. They are four separate faults.

OR just maybe... I am a hypochondriac... That could be it too, right?