Natural Healing of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

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Natural Healing of " Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) "

JoAnn Guest

Jan 07, 2005 21:09 PST

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http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/ocd.htm

 

The following are natural treatments for OCD which are practiced by

various specialists.

 

Charles Gant, N.M.D., Ph.D., M.D.,

Author of " End your Addiction Now "

and " ADD and ADHD Complementary Medicine Solutions "

--

My protocol:

 

Theanine 500 mg. (green tea amino acid-inhibits glutamic acid) - 3000

mg/day

GABA 500 mg - 3000 mg a day

Phosadyllic (purified soy lecithin) - 3000 mg a day

Magnesium taurate 3000 mg a day

P5P (activated B6) 50 mg twice a day

Seromel (5HTP) 300 mg a day

 

These are maximum doses unless amino acid/mineral testing suggests that

higher doses are needed, and should be divided and can be taken at

bedtime for sleep. I send patients to Nutrenergy 888-887-7747 to get

these as they

only have assayed top quality supplements, but if you may know of other

good sources. When mixed with anti-anxiety herbals (see

 

http://www.naturallyhigh.co.uk/relax.asp),

and possibly some homeopathics and Bach Flower Remedies, OCD should not

happen.

 

William Walsh, senior research scientist, Pfeiffer Treatment Center

(www.hriptc.org)

 

My clinic has used inositol with thousands of patients & learned the

following:

 

A. Inositol is usually very helpful for UNDERMETHYLATED, HIGH HISTAMINE

patients. This includes nearly every OCD patient we have seen. Inositol

usually provides calming throughout the day and ability to settle down

to sleep at night, for these patients.

 

B. On the other hand, OVERMETHYLATED patients usually derive little or

no benefit from Inositol, and may experience very nasty side effects

from it.

 

C. Although a couple thousand milligrams may be needed to do the job and

the tablets are often quite large, Inositol has the great advantage of

being palatable... Many of our patients chew it before swallowing, and

report it " doesn't taste bad at all. "

 

I'm quite surprised that Inositol isn't more popular due to its

effectiveness and its role as a major " second messenger " in

neurotransmission.

 

With respect to a child with the rituals, a more direct approach would

be to use methionine, calcium, magnesium, trimethylglycine, and possibly

SAMe... along with avoidance of folic acid supplements. Methylation

therapy is a direct and effective way to treat OCD tendencies, and we

regard Inositol as a valuable adjunct therapy. Note that use of folic

acid and B-12 is NOT indicated since the methyl-trapping effect greatly

exceeds the benefits of enhanced conversion of homocystine to

methionine.

 

500 to 1000 mg/day of Inositol will probably be needed to provide the

benefit for a child.

 

Most OCD patients (both obsessive thoughts AND compulsive actions)

exhibit undermethylation and associated low levels of serotonin,

dopamine, and norepinephrine. Choline is anti-dopaminergic and often

makes OCD patients worse.

 

Generally, OCD patients respond nicely to methonine, SAMe, calcium,

magnesium, B-6, Inositol, TMG, and zinc.

Most OCD patients get worse if given supplements of DMAE, choline,

copper, or folic acid.

 

 

Julia Ross, Therapist and author of The Mood Cure

 

This syndrome has already been identified as a symptom of serotonin

insufficiency. It responds well to tryptophan and 5HTP therapy in our

clinical experience (which rarely includes psychosis).

 

 

Mary Reed, Herbalist

http://www.marysherbs.com/

 

[Editor’s Note: Another natural remedy for " OCD " is included after the

end of this article]

 

Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD) is defined as a condition

characterized by persistent, unwanted thoughts and/or repeated,

ritualistic behavior.

 

Not too long ago OCD was thought to be solely a psychological condition

in which a person who experienced too aggressive or premature potty

training adapted to the lack of bowel control by overcompensating

control over his environment and daily activities, which ironically

ended up controlling the person.

 

There are many reasons why I, along with a growing number of scientists,

disagree with that theory.

 

Although I will be the first to admit that the emotional and physical

self cannot be separated, I would lean toward this being a physical

condition which provokes emotional and mental responses.

 

Here are some facts which support my belief:

 

Research indicates that some people are born with a predisposition to

OCD. For instance, a child of a parent who suffers with Trichotillomania

(compulsive pulling out of ones hair) has a 75% chance or higher of

developing OCD.

 

Someone suffering with Tourette’s syndrome (involuntary motor and vocal

tics) has a 50% chance of having OCD. It has been proven conclusively

that Tourette’s is totally a physical condition.

 

OCD sufferers seem to notice a greater improvement with their condition

when chemicals in their brain are brought back to normal balance than by

behavioral or psychological treatment.

 

All drug protocols passed by the FDA for the treatment of OCD are

serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Anafranil, Prozac, Luvox, Zoloft

and Paxil.

 

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter. A neurotransmitter is a substance that

chemically connects a nerve impulse from one nerve to another. A

sufficient amount of serotonin produces a soothing, calming effect to

brain activity.

 

The serotonin reuptake inhibitor function prevents serotonin from being

absorbed (the reuptake) and so increases the amount of available

serotonin.

 

Another way is to increase the digestion of or the body’s production of

serotonin.

 

Other conditions possibly linked with insufficient serotonin are:

Anorexia Nervosa, Self- mutilation, Tourette’s Syndrome, Body Dysmorphic

Disorder (abnormal dislike for ones looks), Trichotillomania (pulling

out your hair) and Hypochondria.

 

OCD symptoms are not short-term or fleeting, but rather they are

PERSISTENT thoughts, rituals or impulses that seem senseless even to the

sufferer but are irresistible or uncontrollable.

 

To find someone in the natural healing field who has a history of

working with OCD is virtually impossible.

 

I had some alternative health practitioners offer advice that ranged

from " leaky gut syndrome " (yeast mutation and migration) to

" repatterning colackles " (establishing energy movement between the top

half of the body and the lower half).

 

There was only one whom I contacted who worked with OCD. Her mother had

developed severe symptoms of OCD about 7 years earlier. They treated her

by upping her HCL (hydrochloric acid – stomach acid), minerals, B-6 and

worked on her adrenal glands. Her mother was then symptom-free.

 

I myself had OCD until 8 or 9 years ago and know how hard it is to live

with. I am now symptom-free.

 

Many people have opened up to me about having OCD. Obsessive Compulsive

Disorder sufferers are usually intelligent, highly ethical and

dependable people. They usually are very alone in their condition.

Fearing ridicule by those who will not understand their condition,

OCD-ers learn to hide their symptoms.

 

I have now personally treated or consulted more than 1000 cases of it.

Of those who have done my program, 85-90% become symptom-free or

experience a dramatic reduction in symptoms.

 

Since serotonin is a chemical that travels across the nerve synapse and

the thicker the myelin sheathing on the nervous system, the more

potential for the releasing of serotonin, it make sense to nourish the

nervous system.

 

The program I recommend for my clients does just that. It is:

 

Quit caffeine drinks completely. If one is a regular tea or coffee

drinker he may need to do this gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms

If your cholesterol is below 170, get it up. Lower than 170 the body can

not repair the myelin.

Ensure you are getting the daily minimum requirement of vitamin

B-complex.

1 tbs. Flax seed oil daily (fatty acids help nourish the nerve sheathing

 

Spirulina capsules, 8-10 capsules per day

A nervine compound like Re-X. Re-X is available here

(A nervine is an herbal blend that treats nerves – for this purpose it

should contain Valerian. Other common ingredients include skullcap,

hops, and passionflower. Valerian alone is not recommended. Note: The

Oriental herb mix STRC can be used if the person is having visual or

auditory hallucinations.) Take the recommended bottle dose for a week

and then increase the dose one pill every few days until you start to

dream consistently. Maintain this dose. Once you are dreaming

consistently, drop back a pill a day to get to a minimum dose. If you

stop dreaming, increase the dose again until dreaming.

Results normally begin to appear 2 to 3 months after consistent dreaming

has begun. People are usually symptom-free by 9 months, after three

additional months, after which the nutrition and herbal remedies can be

stopped.

 

If you suffer from this condition please take heart. You are not crazy

or psychotic. You are lacking the nutrients that your body needs to get

over this. There is much hope.

 

Although I do sell herbs, my goal is to help and educate people. If I

can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact me.

 

To order

 

Mary Reed

626 Donnelly Ave.

Patton, PA 16668

(814) 674-8835

http://www.marysherbs.com

E-Mail: Marys-

 

Inositol Treatment of " OCD "

 

Inositol, one of the B vitamins, has been found effective in treating

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Inositol is used in biochemical processes

that effect serotonin receptors.

 

A double-blind study reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry,

1996 [153(9):1219-21] was done on 13 patients. They were given 18 grams

of inositol per day (2 tsp in juice 3 times daily). At 3 weeks there

were no significant effects. At 6 weeks inositol significantly reduced

" OCD " scores compared with placebo. It was as effective as some drugs.

 

 

 

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