There are some rare and odd disorders out there. Doctor Odyssey brought one up that a selection of the population will likely have heard about all thanks to pregnancy cravings. It’s all about pica!
During the Doctor Odyssey season 1 fall finale, Max and Avery had to perform emergency surgery on the organizer of the Quackers. The Quackers are people who like to hide and hunt for rubber ducks. It’s just a bit of fun in a dark and twisted world, but things took a turn with the need for emergency surgery.
It turned out that the male organizer has pica. We would later find out that his wife, played by the amazing Loretta Devine, had an idea of this disorder knowing that he would eat paper. Of course, it has led to the question about what pica is.
The Doctor Odyssey diagnosis is a very real disorder
Pica is a very real disorder. It’s something that a lot of pregnant women will hear about because it can show up as a craving. Pregnancy leads to hormone changes, which can lead to the cravings for unusual items that aren’t food.
However, this is a disorder that can affect everyone and anyone. It’s an eating disorder, although it can also be the result of an existing mental disorder, that leads to the craving of items that aren’t food. This can include dirt, sand, sponges, paper, and really anything that is insight. In the case of the Doctor Odyssey patient, one of those items was a hollow, metal duck.
It’s important to control the cravings and deal with the reasons behind pica forming. Those with the disorder need to receive therapeutic treatment, and that’s something Max made clear was the hardest part of the condition.
The most dangerous part of the condition is consuming items that can’t be passed through the system. After all, the body isn’t designed to pass items that aren’t food. Depending on the item, there can be toxicity issues or they may cause perforation of the stomach or intestines. They can also cause blockages of various parts of the digestive system, which is what happened in Doctor Odyssey. We’ve also seen this in other TV shows, such as Grey’s Anatomy.
If you know of someone who suffers from pica, it’s important to take it seriously and get them the help they need.
Doctor Odyssey will return on Thursday, March 6 at 9/8c on ABC. Catch up on the series so far on Hulu.
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