Strength of Cravings

To say that geophagists “eat earth” does not convey the often imperative nature of their drive. In fact, the desire for pica substances is so overwhelming that the strength of these cravings has been equated with those for tobacco, alcohol, and drugs for hundreds of years. Today, in online discussion groups about pica, people regularly use terms and phrases such as “addiction,” “getting clean,” and “staying off the stuff.” See addiction.