Eating ice is a pastime of mine. It’s odd but it’s true.
I had been doing this ice-eating thing since my pregnancy with my second child 20 years ago. Most people chalked it up to being pregnant. However, when I continued after that it was described as having low iron.
All I would hear over the years was, “You’re crunching away, but you need to worry about your iron,” or “Girl, if you don’t stop eating ice and get some iron pills”.
And that’s exactly what I did. I got some iron pills based on everyone’s and my doctor’s opinions.
I absolutely hated it. Iron pills are gross and have a horrible aftertaste. Plus, the side effects were not ideal. So, I changed my diet to include more iron.
Ironically, I still kept eating ice. I have a whole cup of it sitting next to my laptop as I type this.
Last year I found out, it wasn’t my iron that caused me to eat ice all the time. It was actually anxiety.
Like clockwork, every time I would feel anxious I would get a craving for ice. I never even noticed it until it was brought to my attention. Now that I am aware I can take a moment and ask myself, “what are you anxious about?” instead of just mindlessly chomping away at solid water.
Let’s take right now for instance. I do actually have a cup of ice sitting next to me. If I ask myself what am I anxious about I would say to myself, “Getting back into the flow of putting myself and my writing out there again.”
That’s a pretty legitimate reason. And now that I’m aware I deal with the anxiety accordingly.
Eating ice has become my detector for anxiety and helps me to address it rather than succumb to it. I know if I get a craving, there is an underlying issue I may want to handle.
All in all, if you’re an ice eater like me, it may not be low iron that’s the cause. It could be you are dealing with anxiety and may need to evaluate your situation.
If you are in need of assistance dealing with anxiety, schedule a free consultation with me so I may help you or point you in the right direction.
Trina Lynne 