Books to read on Nutritional Psychiatry Brain Changer: How diet can save your mental health – cutting-edge science from an expert https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07T1NYS6G/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_7V55NFCTK00RG3ZRV3EX Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety: Nourish Your Way to Better Mental Health in Six Weeks https://www.amazon.in/dp/B08B67QF6D/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_04XBVA03XM3ASW77C9SH This Is Your Brain on Food: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods that Fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, and More https://www.amazon.in/dp/0316536822/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_WZ2HMQEY2CF5YV7C9NPW

B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, minerals, and amino acids that the brain uses to make neurotransmitters are the most common nutrient deficiencies in mental health conditions. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that carry chemical signals from one nerve cell to another nerve cell, muscle cell, or gland. Research suggests that one cause of OCD could involve communication problems between the front area of the brain and deeper structures due to inadequate activity of certain neurotransmitters. >> Vitamin B12: "Research from 2014 indicates that vitamin B12 and homocysteine (Hcy) levels are linked to certain mental health conditions. In particular, high levels of Hcy and deficiency in vitamin B12 may impact brain function and cause symptoms such as mania, depression, and personality changes." Foods containing vitamin B12 include: >Meat >Fish >Poultry >Eggs >Dairy products >Fortified breakfast cereals >Fortified nutritional yeasts >>Antioxidants Oxidative stress occurs when there are too many unstable molecules known as free radicals in the body and insufficient antioxidants to neutralize them. The imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants can damage cells and tissue. Oxidative stress in the brain can lead to problems such as neuroinflammation, impaired neurotransmission, and decreased neuroplasticity. Some studies indicate there is an increase in free radical activity and weakness in the antioxidant defense system in OCD. Cysteine is a nonessential amino acid. Amino acids are essential for forming proteins and other metabolic functions. The body needs adequate amounts of vitamin B12, B6, and folate to produce cysteine. As a supplement, it is in the form of NAC. The body transforms NAC into cysteine and then into glutathione, an antioxidant. Cysteine is also in the following foods: >Meat >Fish >Dairy >Grains >Soybean >Egg products >> Omega-3 fatty acids Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that people must get from foods or supplements because the body cannot make them. Three types of omega-3s exist: 1} ALA 2} DHA 3} EPA Omega-3 fatty acids increase memory, learning, cognitive well-being, and blood flow to the brain. Research suggests there is a link between low omega-3 levels and mental health disorders. For example, researchers have found an association between a moderate intake of omega-3 and a decreased chance of depression. Research also indicates that omega-3, particularly EPA, may reduce symptoms of depression and significantly decrease anxiety symptoms. Foods containing omega-3 include: >Fish and seafood, such as salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna, and sardines >Nuts and seeds, including walnuts, flaxseed, and chia seeds plant oils, such as flaxseed oil, canola oil, and soybean oil >Fortified foods such as specific brands of yogurt, eggs, milk, juices, and soy beverages >Cod liver oil, fish oil, krill oil, and algal oil >> Vitamin D Vitamin D is essential for typical brain development and functioning. It also affects immunity, inflammatory responses, and antioxidant processes. Research suggests that vitamin D deficiency may be a factor in the development of mental health conditions such as depression and schizophrenia. A 2022 study explored the relationship between vitamin D levels and OCD. It found that people who were newly diagnosed with OCD had lower vitamin D levels than people without OCD. Researchers suggest that vitamin D deficiency may contribute to OCD development by disrupting neurotransmitter signaling or decreasing neuroprotection. The following foods provide vitamin D: >Most of the U.S. milk supply, including dairy, soy, almond, and oat milk >Fortified breakfast cereals and some brands of margarine, yogurt, orange juice, and other food products >Fatty fish, including salmon, trout, tuna, and mackerel and fish liver oils >Beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks >Mushrooms >> Magnesium > What it is: A mineral found in leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. >Why it helps: Magnesium is known for its calming effects on the nervous system and can help reduce anxiety and improve sleep. >How to incorporate it: Eat foods like spinach, almonds, and black beans regularly. >> Probiotics >What it is: Beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi. >Why it helps: Probiotics support gut health, which is closely linked to mental health through the gut-brain axis. >How to incorporate it: Include a variety of fermented foods in your diet to maintain a healthy gut microbiome. >>Foods to Avoid >Processed Foods: Processed foods often contain high levels of sugar, unhealthy fats, and additives that can negatively impact mental health. Opt for whole, unprocessed foods whenever possible. >High-Sugar Foods: Foods and beverages high in sugar can cause spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels, leading to mood swings and increased anxiety. Choose natural sweeteners like honey or fruit instead. >Excessive Caffeine: High caffeine intake can increase anxiety and interfere with sleep. Limit consumption of coffee, tea, and energy drinks, especially in the afternoon and evening. 1} Medical News Today 2} OCD Anxiety Centers

I wanted to share with you guys some of the things that have helped me in the past few weeks! If you’re open to it, maybe try a few and see how you feel! First I would really recommend leaning on God. If you’re not a believer you may be skeptical but if you’ve never tried to read the Bible, prayer or even just talking with God, I would recommend so much! My relationship with God has gotten so much better through this terrible illness and in turn I have noticed a lot of positivity, I feel substantially better since I’ve been trying to bring this to God instead of worry about it myself. If you can give your worries to God and learn to have faith that he is with you, loves and forgives you. You have a great step towards recovery and even just a more positive life. Next, try going outside! I know it sounds kinda dumb but I mean it! Some of my best days started with just going outside, reading a book and or listening to music. I went out and tanned, ate some fruit with some lemonade and read “Girl Wash Your Face” it was a great book! I would spend HOURS and it helped me so much! Take a walk, hike, etc.! This leads into the next thing…READING! I recently bought the new book “don’t believe everything you think” and the workbook and it is amazing! This also applies to reading your Bible and other books, specially ones targeting self help and things like that! Another thing is fitness! Try out the gym, I know there is days that you just can’t bring yourself to get up but in those days, make yourself go to the gym! Even if you just go walk on the treadmill or bike! Anything is better than nothing! Keep yourself active, I promise it will make you feel better! Find a good podcast! I have been listening to (The OCD Stories on Spotify), sometimes I’ve even listened while I was going to sleep and let it play through the night! Go on YouTube and follow Chrissie Hodges, NOCD and look for other people who help! Go on instagram and follow Chrissie Hodges, NOCD, iocdf, sincerelyocd, recoverocd, letstalk.ocd, my lovely ocd and there are so many more! Find good music! Again I’m going to bring up worship music some of my favs being ( I Thank God, Move of God, Hard fought Hallelujah, The Truth, Made for more, Thy Will, and there is so many more!) if you would like I can share my playlist! But overall music is so helpful and if you are not a believer or want something different I would recommend songs by Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Kesha, Rihanna, Demi Lovato, Kelly Clarkson, even Billy Joel, Queen, Beck, and things of that nature that are gonna get you PUMPED UP! Lastly, hang out with PEOPLE! Don’t let OCD rule your life, put your ocd in a box best you can and go live your life! Get lunch with a friend, join a bible study, go get a massage, even just meet up with a friend and talk in a parking lot while shoving your face with fast food! You NEED interaction as much as you don’t want to! I know some of these are hard, some is triggering or you’re nervous that you’re gonna spiral, but step out of your comfort zone! That’s the way to get better! Do things that make you feel uncomfortable, the things that are unknown, the things you used to do before this! You can still live and love your life you don’t have to keep just “surviving”! And this isn’t a fix all, trust me I still have my days where I’m like nope I’m staying in bed and crying, but you need to push yourself! No one is coming to hold your hand and walk you out of this, you have to want to help yourself too! And you can do that! I know it’s scary and uncomfortable but you got this! We’re gonna kick some OCD butt! I hope you find this helpful and I wish you the most luck! Comment if you have questions and whatnot! 🫶

OCD master post Do's and don'ts of ocd: Don't : Try to ignore (avoidance) Try to make sense of it (Ruminate) Act on it (compulsion) Argue with it (basically Ruminating) Distract yourself in spite of it (avoidance) All of the above will make ocd worse and does not work. Do: Acknowledge it Accept uncertainty Redirect your attention once acknowledged to something else Have healthy distractions available (try to use different ones every now and then to avoid creating a compulsion) Exaggerate the thought until its ridiculous, borderline unrealistic and funny. Respond with "maybe, maybe not", " sure", "cool", "thanks, you do you, I'm gonna do my thing, feel free to stay though" The above responses can train your mind to not deem them as threats and over time will trigger the fight or flight response less and less. You'll most likely make mistakes here and there but as long as you stay vigilant and don't get complacent, this should help. Ironic process theory and our internal alarm system: https://youtu.be/xoSlOnUuw-U?feature=shared Ironic process theory is to do with attachment and the idea of non-existence. The more we try to not think about something that already exists as a thought the more it'll prove it exists and demands your attention. With attachment, people tend to ignore or argue against in spite of the thought. If you do this you are doing it because of the thought, therefore giving it more life. Thirdly your brain will start to set an internal alarm via thoughts and hormones or even bodily reactions every time you are stressed, just to see if you're not stressed about that trigger even if it's not what triggered you in the moment. To combat this, you'll need to find a way to deal with the thoughts directly and let them be and get through it via Erp, or being able to accept the thought as a thought and redirecting your attention without attachment (despite or regardless of the thoughts) Erp done effectively: When you do Erp in therapy sessions, it's done in a controlled way and on your own terms. A lot of people make the mistake of only doing it in therapy with only ocd related themes. Truth is, you can do it with any level of discomfort and it's good to practice whenever you can as long as you're mindful of other people. When you're doing it out of therapy and on your own terms, you challenge a potential trigger and then welcome the feeling that follows. I find welcoming or accepting the feelings existence helps a lot. I would welcome the fear and all the horrible feelings until I'm crying and trembling and on the edge of a panic attack, the feeling always fades and trains your brain not to deem it as a threat anymore. No more ocd firedrills. Why practice is valuable. Imagine you have a boxing match with an opponent coming up, and that opponent is tough. They train every day, and you don't train at all. Who do you think will win when the day of the fight comes around? The opponent of course. So train yourself so you stand a fighting chance or risk getting your butt kicked every time OCD enters the ring. Hormones and circadian ryhtm: So the circadian rhythm is your internal body clock. Your hormones learn patterns and release at certain times of day. Usually based on the amount of sunlight exposure you get. Cortisol the stress hormone is the one to wake us up and if you do not find a way to deal with those hormones first thing, your ocd alarm will go off and bring up scenarios or thoughts to fill in the gap as to why your body is stressed. ERP, Exercise, breathing meditations, cold plunges are great for the morning to eliminate excess cortisol. Sunlight helps too, roughly 30 minute exposures is enough to help keep your circadian rhythm healthy. Melatonin kicks in when it starts to get dark or you've went through your hormone reserves for the day. The more you go through in a healthy way, the better you'll sleep. Rough neuro science explanation : https://youtu.be/BJshegpcFv8?feature=shared So your brain will use one of 2 pathways to process external stimuli. The direct pathway, being the shortest route to process in case of a threat or perceived threat. This pathway is dominant in those who have ocd. The there's the indirect pathway which takes longer but is related to rationalising thoughts. This pathway is used less by people with ocd. This pathway requires sufficient seratonin levels in order to be used and that's why SSRIs are popular medications for people with ocd. Food and drink consumption: So I tested myself based on lots of personal research around what we put in our body and how it effects ocd. Sugar, fructose and glucose levels spike quite quickly depending on your source. It can lead your body being stressed and releasing the corresponding hormones to notify you are stressed, then your brain will try fill in the gap whether you're aware of this or not. Whole fruits tend to be the best source as they contain fibre, acting as a slow release of energy rather than flooding your system. Caffeine has the same effect without question, and also screws up your circadian rhythm if not taken at sensible times. Trans fats, saturated fats and processed foods are also bad. These may not effect your brain as quickly as sugar or caffeine but stress your body over a slower and longer period. All of the above are not just inflammatories for your muscles and organs, they are neuro inflammatories, making it much harder for your brain to use the indirect pathway for rationalising your thoughts, therefore supporting the direct neuropathway and your usual OCD patterns. The foods I started to eat are heavy in anti inflammatories to help my brain function better, anti oxidants to help lower the stress in my body, and food that support seratonin production to promote the use of the indirect neural pathway. The list below is vegan friendly, but you can look into this to suit your preferred needs ●Tryptophan - leafy greens, sunflower seeds, water cress, soy beans, pumpkin seeds, mushrooms, brocoli, peas ●vit b6 - nutritional yeast, muesli, avacado, pistachio nuts, butternut squash, banana, quinoa, brown spaghetti, chestnuts, hazelnuts, oranges, tahini, potatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans, peanuts ●higher b12 complex - yeast extract, Soya milk, almond milk, tofu, tempeh, seaweed, beetroot ●Vit D - portobello mushrooms, shitake mushrooms, orange juice, soya yoghurt ●zinc - beans, cashew nuts, Lentils, chia seeds, linseed, hemp seeds, wholemeal bread, blackberries, pomegranate juice, spinach, strawberries, pecan nuts, Brazil nuts, oatmeal ●Complex carbs - quinoa, brown rice, peas, corn, sweet potatoes, barley, lentils, nuts, legumes ●Thiamine / Vit b1 - beans, peas, legumes, nuts, brown rice ●Monounsaturated fats - extra virgin olive oil, other oils, nuts and avacados ●Vit c - guava, peppers, kiwi, mango, papaya, strawberries, brocoli ●Polyphenols - berries, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, nuts, flax seeds, olives, green tea, artichoke, red grapes, spinach ●Antioxidant - Brocoli, spinach, carrots, potatoes, artichoke, cabbage, beetroot, kale, spices ●Anti inflammatories - olive oil, avacado, walnuts, tomatoes, dark chocolate, leafy greens, brocoli, ginger, turmeric, berries, grapes, chia seeds, pepper, garlic, spirulina ●Raisins, red wine, grapes Mindfulness and being in the moment: So our brains do not know the difference between a real threat and a perceived threat and will react the same regardless of how we can rationalise it. A lot of us are stuck in the past or the future and mindfulness promotes being present. The past and future are both illusions of the mind. They are not happening now but our ocd brains react as if they are real. Anything that is not happening now isn't real. So practicing anything that will pull you closer to the present moment will help to ground you in reality. Everything that doesnt exist in the present is infinite and we cannot be certain of any of it, all we can be certain of is the here and now. Core values, self judgement and breaking the cycle : A lot of us are stuck in cycles, going around and around. These cycles are due to a lot of our core values and the thoughts/ past actions not lining up with the. These can be caused by trauma and/ or conditioning. Usually we can't let go because something clashed with the way in which we judge things, but the problem doesn't actually lie in our focus, but the values in which we judge them. The problem isn't what we weigh, but the scale itself. This is where it can get tricky, especially if what we think feels justified. It's not that your judging the scenario, actions or thoughts incorrectly, it's that your values are a bit on the extreme side. For example, I had harm ocd for 2 years and it was telling me to hurt everyone and everything in every way possible. This theme came about because I had a random intrusive thought once that clashed with my extreme values on morals having been raised by a reformed ex gangster and animal rights activist. The fault was caused by the conditioning I received. So when you go into therapy, please try to understand your conditioning and challenge them through Erp and some self compassion because it's not your fault. Where the fault lies does not matter, because that doesn't change what you need to do. You have to heal yourself regardless of it all.