It is well-recognised that consuming a lot of sugary foods and drinks — such as soda, candy, chocolate, fruit drinks, desserts and other sweets — can cause blood sugar fluctuations. The “sugar high” triggers OCD symptoms like exhaustion, mood swings, and anxiety neurosis.
Vitamin B12 and folate are thought to be effective in OCD treatment due to their associations with neurotransmitters. Depending on their antioxidant effect, zinc and selenium can be used in augmentation therapy for OCD. However, both trace elements and vitamin B12/folate can be affected by diet.
Several types of psychotherapy can be used to help someone with OCD manage obsessive thoughts. The most common is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), specifically an approach known as exposure therapy. People with OCD are often treated using an approach called exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP).
We don't know for sure what causes OCD, but your family history, psychology, environment, and the way your body works could all play a role. Personality traits like perfectionism may put a person at risk of developing OCD. Stressful life events and psychological trauma may also play a role.
Magnesium plays a key role in balancing mood and relaxation, and its deficiencies are linked with depression. Thanks to its calming effect, magnesium is nicknamed nature's tranquilizer. This is also the reason magnesium supplements can help those with OCD manage the condition.
Practice Mindfulness
Another way to manage OCD is through mindfulness, or the ability to be fully present and aware in a particular moment. It often involves techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or yoga to help your mind relax.
There are several things you can do to help break the OCD cycle, including medication and therapy, as well as everyday strategies. Exposure and response prevention (ERP). This is the first-line therapy for OCD. ERP gradually exposes you to your OCD fear until you're no longer afraid.
The gold standard treatment for OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) is a kind of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) called “exposure with response prevention,” or exposure therapy.
The results of the study showed that OCD may be associated with vitamin D deficiency and there is a moderately negative correlation between serum vitamin D levels and OCD symptom severity.
Increase consumption of foods high in Vitamin B12
These neurotransmitters are important to prevent anxiety, depression and stress which are all indicators of OCD.
Although the etiology of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is largely unknown, it is accepted that OCD is a complex disorder. There is a known bi-directional interaction between the gut microbiome and brain activity.
OCD symptoms can worsen if left untreated. Likewise, stress and other mental health symptoms like trauma, anxiety, and themes of perfectionism, can aggravate OCD. Sometimes, symptoms may worsen dramatically and suddenly, but it's more likely for them to escalate gradually.
Vitamin B complex
Vitamin B6 could be useful, as it may help convert the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin(xvi). Some natural health practitioners also recommend folic acid– another B vitamin – for patients with OCD, as it may be needed for serotonin production in the brain.
Unfortunately, OCD doesn't just go away. There is no “cure” for the condition. Thoughts are intrusive by nature, and it's not possible to eliminate them entirely. However, people with OCD can learn to acknowledge their obsessions and find relief without acting on their compulsions.
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is an herbal remedy that has long been used in Iran. In 2010, a double-blind, placebo-controlled study compared the effects of milk thistle to the antidepressant Prozac (fluoxetine) in treating OCD (600 milligrams of milk thistle vs 30 milligrams of Prozac daily).
While genetic variation has a known impact on the risk for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), there is also evidence that there are maternal components to this risk.
By studying hundreds of brain scans, U-M researchers identify abnormalities common to people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder. They clean their hands, many times in a row.
OCD often strikes in childhood, although it's relatively rare before the ages of four or five. Although people can develop OCD symptoms at any time in their lives, typically symptoms appear by young adulthood, if not before.
Curcumin. Curcumin is the main bioactive component in the spice turmeric (Curcuma longa). Curcumin helps OCD by normalizing levels of both dopamine and serotonin and decreasing brain inflammation.
Other studies have found that lactobacillus rhamnosus decreases stress-induced anxiety-like behaviour, and researchers have concluded that it can protect against anxiety (5, 7). Lactobacillus rhamnosus has also been shown to reduce obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)-like behaviour in mice.
Treatment affordability: Some people with OCD are unable to afford treatment. Those without health insurance or whose insurance policies do not fully cover mental health care sometimes struggle to get the treatment they need.
However, there are plenty of theories surrounding the potential causes of OCD, involving one of or a combination of either; neurobiological, genetic, learned behaviours, pregnancy, environmental factors or specific events that trigger the disorder in a specific individual at a particular point in time.