<human>: Hi, not really sure how this works, but here goes:I am a 16 year old female studying psychology. I have been reading more and more about different mental disorders and I think I may have Pica, as a side symptom of OCD. I have been eating non food items since I was a child, but the craving for these substances did not begin until about the age of 13/14.I have been eating eraser heads all my life, but at the previously mentioned age I began to have a need for drywall and chalk. When the drywall was taken away, I relied more heavily on chalk. I am now sixteen, and my mouth begins to salvate at the thought of chalk, which I cannot obtain. I now eat mass amounts of paper, about 8 sheets a day. I have tried stopping and removing myself from these substances, but then I just create a craving for a different substance. I am in high school, and paper is a bit hard to get away from.I think this may be a side effect of OCD, as just recently (at the age of about 14) I began having a hard time taking tests and concentrating on h.w. I check my answers at least three times before moving on, and cannot stop myself. I am in gifted, and used to be an excellent test taker. Now, not so much. I also have to have hand sanitizer on me at all times, and wash my hands many times throughout the day.I think the pica may be out of iron deficiency, as I was borderline anemic about a year ago.Im in International Baccalaureate, Mensa, and will soon be applying for college. If I could fix this problem asap, I believe it would greatly help me.My family does not react well with health problems, so I cannot confide this information in my mother. Please help me. M.B
<bot>: Hello, Thanks for choosing Chat Doctor for posting your query. I have gone through your question in detail and I can understand what you are going through. Pica is a common symptom of iron deficiency. This can be investigated using iron blood studies and getting the iron deficiency corrected. Hope I am able to answer your concerns. If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you. In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below-mentioned link:bit.ly/ Chat Doctor. 