I’m about to gently transition to a more anti inflammatory diet with little to no caffeine (*sobs*) to see if that maybe helps my OCD (and cystic acne, hopefully) along with continuing ERP. I’d love to hear any success stories, advice, etc anybody had with this kind of approach as motivation ❤️. I added a trigger warning because I know talk about diet can be triggering for some.
It’s going to help you feel not as sluggish and bloated and give you a bit more energy, yes. Though it’s not going to be the end all, be all. It’s a great part of the life change process and definitely important overall!
@Nica I’ve learned that with OCD there is no end all be all, so I’m ok with that. But if it could be the end all be all for my cystic acne, that’d be swell. 😊
It will absolutely help! I’ve been slowly transitioning for the last two years and it does hugely improve mood. Be sure to add in exercises that feel good to your body for best results. I’ve been caffeine free for almost two years and it absolutely helped and helps reduce anxiety. I do lean on decaf coffee ☕️ when I miss the taste. But into it two years now I will never go back to reg caffeine. Do be ready for caffeine withdraws so I would say if you can reduce your caffeine intake little by little that will help the transition. Also up your intake of nutrients by consuming more nutrient dens foods to help with the lack of energy. Eventually your energy levels will regulate themselves as you en corporate the better food intake habits. There are so many great morning drinks out there as well. I personally enjoy making hot cocoa from scratch. Using cocoa, brown sugar, cinnamon, and your favorite milk. Add some coconut whipped cream and your set. I hope this helps :) You can do this
@Nicole Bb I’ll def be leaning on decaf because I love the coffee taste. But hot chocolate is a great swap. Thanks!
It is likely going to help more with the physical feeling of anxiety more than the mental, which IMO is huge because the thoughts are easier to handle without the physical!
@Nl123ehe Thanks! This is encouraging- the physical sensations of anxiety are most of what set off ocd spirals for me right now.
I have limited my caffeine and I noticed a slight difference. It very much varies person to person, especially with how caffeine usually affects you and how much you have. When I was on anti anxiety medication for a brief period, drinking caffeine sent me in a spiral so I cut it out. Now that I'm not on any meds, limited caffeine works best for me. Swapping out the caffeine also matters-- I've heard from friends matcha is a great alternative to coffee as the caffeine builds over time rather than a sucker punch to the face. Good luck!
@Anonymous Interesting fact about Matcha! Thanks
Caffeine is the most highly consumed psychoactive drug in the world, that doesn't mean it's good for you. It has the same pharmacological properties as amphetamine. Even in moderate amounts it can cause jitteriness and anxiety so as someone who suffers from anxiety caused by OCD I avoid caffeine as much as possible. Hope this helps. God bless
Yet they’ve done studies saying coffee/Diet Coke helps OCD. Mine seemed to get so much worse when I gave up caffeine. I did it to get rid of my anxiety symptoms, racing heart, the shakes, panic feeling in stomach, etc. But then the OCD skyrocketed.. and it happened about a couple weeks after no caffeine. 🤷🏻♀️
@SomaticSun🌤️ That is so interesting! I swear OCD is such an enigma, nothing would surprise me anymore. I’ll have to keep an eye on how I’m feeling as I wean off
what are some diets that are beneficial and fairly doable for those w anxiety and OCD? I saw a post about paleo down below, are there any others?
Anyone deal with eating disorder behavior and OCD? I’m currently in recovery and have been practicing Intuitive Eating for a few months. It’s helped a little, but I’m still very preoccupied by my body image and calories, orthorexia, etc. I try not to give into these thoughts and act on them, but it’s very tough. It’s interfering with work, school, and my relationships. Has anyone broken out of this? Please help!
Does anyone have any recommendations on all natural supplements that help with their ocd? (Obviously not ERP and CBT therapy). I am having a hard time deciding on if I should get on meds or not. Unsure of if they make a huge positive impact.
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