Tammy's stress, pain, and shame are all linked to uncooked pasta. She has come to The Doctors to bravely share her struggle.
She has been addicted to eating uncooked pasta for 30 years. "I love the crunch... all the stress goes away. I feel in control. It's empowering. It's just a release," she says of eating the food. She shares it started with just a handful of the dried pasta but has progressed to consuming an entire box per day. She admits she takes dried pasta with her everywhere she goes.
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"My addiction has destroyed my teeth, destroyed my confidence. It's a nuisance to my life, a nuisance to my self-esteem. It's tearing me apart. I basically let dried pasta ruin my life," she says.
Tammy meets with clinical psychologist Dr. Judy Ho to discuss her addiction. Dr. Judy explains that eating the pasta is a coping mechanism related to childhood traumas.
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Tammy tells The Doctors that she is "so ready" to finally tackle her addiction and make the necessary life changes. To help Tammy, we welcome Cheif Clinical Officer Dr. Jason McCray from The Center for Balanced Living, who offers to work with her for the next year to help her treat her food addiction.
To help her with the damage the uncooked pasta has done to her teeth, cosmetic dentist Dr. Joseph G. Willardsen offers to provide her a smile makeover.
