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[Max40yearsOCD]

I was wondering ...has anyone here with moderate to severe OCD improved for the better without the use of any medicinal help? If so...I would love to hear how you did it.

Sincerely

Max

[SpottyFox]

Hi Max

I have had OCD and depression for over 30 years. I briefly tried a number of SSRI's (not at the same time ;)) - Prozac; Paxil; Citalopram -at the request of my psychiatrist but never got on with them so didn't get take them 'as prescribed' for the three week period in which they take to work. Too many side effects.

I researched the chemistry behind the drugs and learnt about the bodies natural mechanism for making serotonin from the amino acid L-tryptophan - which was banned as a supplement at that time (another story..).Tryptophan supplements became available some years ago and I tried them but in the end I decided it wasn't right for me at that time.

I did so much research into natural supplements that have clinically helped OCD and depression - Inositol; Magnesium; Glycine;L-Cysteine; B6; B12; Taurine - the list goes on. I had so many bottles I didn't know what to take or when and if one supplement would help on one day and I took it again it might make me worse on another day so I'd get really confused.

In the end I stopped taking everything and decided to follow a natural, healthy diet full of foods known to be anti-depressants.

In my research I had come across a website by a lady who claimed to have cured OCD using daily doses of flaxoil along with some other herbs which she was selling. I had found many Clinical studies using Omega 3 oils for a variety of mental illnesses so I decided to take that on board and I introduced a daily diet plan high in omega 3 oil foods.

With me, I found that the depression and the OCD can exist seperately but when I was depressed, the OCD could get worse so my aim was to eat foods that had natural anti-depressant effects. Omega 3 oils are natural anti-depressants, so is tumeric powder added to foods. Oily fish contain Omega 3 but also vitamin D which which is important because we don't get enough sunlight in Northern Europe for a big part of the year. Eggs are one of the few and best sources of methionine, which is an anti-depressant. The list of beneficial foods goes on.

Also, many years ago, in an effort to help myself, I stopped smoking, gave up drinking alcohol,coffee, tea and all cafeine drinks, all foods and drinks contained refined sugars and MSG.

At the present, my approach is one of management -I haven't cured my OCD and I have to accept that I have to live with this problem on a daily basis, at least until the researchers come up with a cure, but the dietery regime I think helps the brain to get through the problems better.

I am no doctor - I am just a sufferer like most on this forum, desperately looking for answers. If anybody reading this has tried a similar path please post your experiences. I may well in time start my own threads on dietery management of OCD and depression.

Best wishes

[brig1120]

I hope to not be on medications. Thus far I have with some help on them.