People who have found this kind of disorder - pikatsizm suffer from perverted appetite and experience an insatiable need to eat inedible substances such as dirt, paper, glue, chalk, clay and coal. This behavior shows one in three children aged 1 to 6 years, but it will not pass the disorder and adults, especially pregnant women.

Potential risks pikatsizma: Exposure to toxins swallowing harmful substances (such as lead in paint) and bowel obstruction.

Previously, this disease was considered absolutely unacceptable for a person, but now there are assumptions about the fact that some people cause pikatsizma may be deficient in different minerals in the body (eg iron deficiency or zinc), but a method of treating pikatsizma still do not found.

What we know about pikatsizme

Pikatsizma reason - lack of nutrients in the body. After nutrient deficiency is eliminated, the need for topically inedible substances disappears.

In most cases, patients pikatsizma marked malnutrition, which gives some weight to this assumption. Malnutrition is common for people who eat clay, and although medical studies have revealed iron deficiency, it is unclear whether the cause pikatsizma iron deficiency or malabsorption of iron caused by the intake of iron, which has led to a shortage.

However, many clinical reports indicate that iron supplementation are effective in the treatment of food and nonfood pikatsizma associated with iron deficiency.

Need to eat mud

In young children and some adults often appears strange need to taste the dirt. When the body is not getting enough nutrients, a deficit of iron. Low iron levels (anemia) may cause unusual nutritional requirements, including craving for dirt. Link to the clay may also be a consequence of anemia Anemia - when you do not have enough blood . Any dirt is dangerous for both children and adults, because it can cause serious diseases and lead poisoning. Treatment of "mud" pikatsizma is to restore normal levels of iron.

The need to chew ice

Children and adults can experience a strong desire to chew on ice. A strong craving for ice is often caused by a deficiency of iron in the body. Once the level of iron recovered, the need to gnaw ice typically disappears. Biting the ice can cause serious damage to the teeth, so it is important to start early treatment pikatsizma and correct iron deficiency.

Need to nibble tree

Poor nutrition can cause a desire to chew wood, naphthalene or matches. This craving - another sign of iron deficiency. Desire is often charcoal may also be a symptom of iron deficiency. Eating wood and can cause injury to the intestine, mouth, teeth and the esophagus, which makes treatment pikatsizma absolutely necessary.

Need to have soap

Soap is also often becomes the object of an unusual thrust of children and adults suffering from a lack of zinc in the body. However, iron deficiency can also cause cravings for soap. Ingestion of soaps can result in the formation of ulcers in the mouth and throat.

The need for other strange substances in the pikatsizme

The most common reason for the need for non-edible materials - iron deficiency caused by poor nutrition. It is important to tell your doctor about the desire to eat unusual substances. Some people are not digested nutrients, which may result in pikatsizmu. List of substances to which the patients are experiencing cravings pikatsizmom is endless, here are some of them: paint, metal, chalk, dry rice, gasoline, thinner, toilet paper, stones, detergent and bleach.

Eating substances not intended for this purpose, creates the risk of many diseases. In particular, in this case the possible obstruction (ileus) and other intestinal disorders of varying severity.

To reduce the risk of developing iron deficiency anemia Iron deficiency anemia: how dangerous it is? , You must follow the diet. A proper diet should include red meat in sufficient quantity. It is also recommended to carry out a blood test Blood tests: a mirror of health   to detect anemia at least once a year.

Known treatments

Eliminating the deficit and restore normal levels of nutrients under the direction of a dietitian or physician well versed in dietary treatments.

Manic - depressive psychosis must begin to heal as soon as possible, preferably still in the phase of harbingers of disease. In this patient's relatives explain how harmful for him stress, high load, and any other events that can dramatically change your emotional state.

General principles of treatment of manic-depressive psychosis

Treatment of manic-depressive psychosis Manic-depressive illness - which phases are the most dangerous?   (TIR) ​​is carried out in several stages. The patient was a man appointed by pharmacological treatment (drug therapy), psychotherapy, physiotherapy treatments and treatment of employment.

If the patient is in a phase of depression, the treatment it is performed only in a hospital because of the tendency of these patients to suicide. All drugs are selected strictly individually, depending on which symptoms predominate in the patient's condition.

With proper treatment, the patient can return to normal life and work.

Medication

Drug treatment is given depending on whether the disease predominant symptom. With the prevalence of depression with psychomotor retardation without obvious anguish, and in adynamic depressions (with inhibition of movements) with a decrease in volitional and mental activity is prescribed drugs with stimulant effect, activating the mental and physical activity.

With the prevalence of depression with feelings of anguish and physical impairments, with motor and mental retardation are the most effective drugs with a wide spectrum of action.

When anxious depression with irritability Irritability - you try to control my temper , Tearfulness without the expressed retardation suit tranquilizers, which have a calming effect. Some types of anxiety depression such drugs are administered intravenously.

Sometimes the patient as it requires complex combination of different drugs.

It is used as a treatment for depression Depression - a little more than a bad mood As sleep deprivation Dreams: how to understand our dreams During which the patient deprived of sleep for a day or two. It helps to restore normal concentrations of serotonin - biologically active substance, a neurotransmitter (a substance with which transmit nerve stimulation), helps to improve mood.

In the treatment of manic states are widely used antipsychotic drugs - drugs that can plunge the patient to sleep.

Psychotherapy and occupational therapy

Psychotherapy is very important in the treatment of TIR, as it improves the ability of patients to communication and social adaptation. This therapist from session to session gradually reveals the patient healthy thoughts and trying to establish contact with him. The therapist thus should show tolerance and benevolence to the patient, even if he did not immediately go to the contact.

Some patients TIR resistant (immune) to medication, psychotherapy in this case comes to the fore. Gradually psychotherapist teaches the patient to control himself, to build a psychological defense that sometimes it is necessary in certain situations, to get in touch with others.

Occupational therapy can be performed by any activities that could distract the patient from the disease and the dark thoughts of depression or to keep it for a while in a quiet state during the manic phase.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation of patients TIR begins with the fact that the psychiatrist talking to the relatives of the patient and tells them what to do to restore the mental health of the patient and for the prevention of future attacks.

After discharge from the hospital the patient should be seen by a psychiatrist on an outpatient basis, it should be carried out preventive treatment with the use of drug therapy, psychotherapy, and various types of physical therapy, occupational therapy and so on.

Mental and social rehabilitation of patients at the exit from the state of psychosis should be built so as to bring the patient more excessive demands, not corresponding to its level of activity. This is necessary in order to quickly restore the patient's condition and he healed an active social life, otherwise it runs the risk of reduced activity to maintain, making it difficult to adapt it in society.

Patients TIR require continuous ambulatory monitoring. Especially dangerous shallow flowing erased depression, they need time to identify and treat, or possible suicide.

Galina Romanenko