"Orthorexic Sequence" – My Personal Experience with OCD
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Over the past few weeks, I have made a very intriguing empirical observation. For the sake of this post, I’ve called this observation the “orthorexic sequence.”
A brief explanation:
When I struggle with gut issues (pain, bloating), there is an exponential intensification of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms. One manifestation of this is orthorexia and an obsessive focus on my health, leading to meticulous dietary changes that alleviate pathological symptoms. This, in turn, results in a relaxation of dietary restrictions, which leads to a worsening of health. Admittedly, for a while, I did not adhere to fundamental dietary principles. I consumed too much fat, white flour, and meat, with too few fruits, etc. I’ve noticed that this creates a causal chain.
The role of serotonin transporters (their excessive signaling) and dopamine D2 receptors is well-documented. I’ve hypothesized that an essential pathogenic factor is improper nutrition. My diet was rich in tryptophan, PUFAs, oleic acid, and other elements that directly contributed to my health decline. OCD is associated with disrupted neural transmission in the orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and basal ganglia—key components of the limbic system.
I don’t view this negatively because neurotransmitters are mechanical neurochemical signals. However, in this case, the hyperactivity of the aforementioned brain regions is tied to an excessive signaling of the need to fix the situation, which I believe stems from gut disorders. This is a pathological symptom if we consider excessive neurotransmission.
Should OCD be considered a self-destructive pathological condition or a signaling mechanism? It’s hard to say. Limbic system dysfunction undoubtedly plays a significant role, but is the aforementioned reaction not rational?
Naturally, when health is at risk, endocrine signals communicate aberrations to the brain. Per se, this is not self-destructive; on the contrary, it is a vital, selective mechanism indicating the need for changes. So where is the boundary? It’s hard to say; it depends on how negatively the individual experiences the associated symptoms.
I am unsure to what extent my reaction is a matter of OCD, but I strongly suspect that symptomatic improvement is linked to better dopaminergic and serotonergic transmission, which results from better nutrition and microbiological structure in the gut. However, when OCD symptoms subside, I tend to gravitate toward eating what I once deemed destructive.
This is why I’ve called it a sequence, due to the very pronounced deterministic chain of cause and effect. I will try to prevent this, given the logical consequences that lead to health deterioration, which I want to avoid.
The cause might be a deep dysbiosis in the large intestine or an overgrowth of microorganisms in the small intestine. The relationship between the microbiome and mental health is very well-documented in the literature.
One of the most significant dietary pathogenic factors might have been glycoproteins and microorganisms whose metabolic byproducts include endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides). A lack of fiber and fruits could also have been a contributing factor. Fiber significantly influences the production of butyrates, which regulate BBB integrity and central neurochemical regulation. SCFAs themselves are also crucial for intestinal permeability. A deficiency might exacerbate the release of endotoxins into the bloodstream.
For easier understanding, here is the sequence:
Gut disturbances → OCD → Obsessive focus on health (orthorexia) → Health improvement → Relaxation of dietary discipline → Gut disturbances.
,,Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different." - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
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@war4512
I suffer with OCD as well. I know part of it is physiological but part of it seems to fall in m own hands with how I react to my thoughts. I have let my OCD grow in the unconscious for far too long and have had manic states lately. I am surrounded b people in poor health. My family just follows the massmedias agenda eating PUFA getting shots etc. I try to stay healthy but the food supply is so poor and my obsessive thinking doesnt help. I have heard of somatic illiness and I wonder if thats what OCD does sometimes. I do worry my OCD is a sign of a serious endocrine problem but I also know OCD loves to try and look for ways to protect you.
"The road to hell is paved by good intentions "
Is a good qoute for describing western medicine and OCD.
Western medicine people go into the profession to help people. But really they are just people who obey whatever they are told and are gaslighted into thinking they are helping people.
OCD on the other hand wants to keep you to not feel any pain and keep you safe 24/7 so it always trys to give you something to worry about but really it just drives hellish stressful living trying to keep up withing being safe or not feeling pain.
I am only now starting to acknowledge it but I am going to try my best to learn to live with it. Part of my decline into this manic states is because I convinced my parents to let me stop taking the ssris. Which all psychiatric drugs are poisons and crutches and never solve anything. Sadly from 14-17 I was on them but now I am free. I do know one person who had a brain surgery to treat there OCD. But I am going to try to treat it by retraining my brain and reverse engineering the problem. Function builds structure right even if its bad right? (obsessive thinking)
So I think Ill give it a shot in stopping it from continue to grow and strengthen and eventually rethread it. -
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@gg12 said in "Orthorexic Sequence" – My Personal Experience with OCD:
I suffer with OCD as well. I know part of it is physiological but part of it seems to fall in m own hands with how I react to my thoughts. I have let my OCD grow in the unconscious for far too long and have had manic states lately. I am surrounded b people in poor health. My family just follows the massmedias agenda eating PUFA getting shots etc. I try to stay healthy but the food supply is so poor and my obsessive thinking doesnt help. I have heard of somatic illiness and I wonder if thats what OCD does sometimes. I do worry my OCD is a sign of a serious endocrine problem but I also know OCD loves to try and look for ways to protect you.
Yes, stress reactions driven by obsessive behavior or thoughts, combined with compulsions, are standard symptomatic manifestations in OCD. Have you perhaps tried cyproheptadine? It is incredibly effective for cortisol-related symptoms, as excessive muscarinic signaling can cause insensitivity to CRH, leading to high levels of CRH, which in turn results in elevated ACTH and cortisol levels. Excessive glutaminergic signaling is also noteworthy, as it is excitotoxic and exacerbates OCD symptoms. Serotonin is particularly relevant in the case of OCD.
Generally, what I can recommend for OCD includes anticholinergic and antiserotonergic medications, along with an appropriate diet low in tryptophan, oleic acid, and PUFA. Ensure adequate intake of proline and glycine, proper supplementation with vitamin D3, and consider exploring GABAergic substances, which exert a neurochemical effect opposite to that of glutamate, inhibiting nervous system activity and thereby reducing symptoms. Magnesium and zinc also have invaluable effects.
I have also heard about microdosing ketamine, which inhibits the activity of the glutaminergic system. Personally, I have used cyproheptadine, which alleviated my symptoms, although it did not alter orthorexic behaviors, which I view as positive. I do not believe it is rational to label justified, even if excessive, health-conscious behavior as pathological—unless it becomes a source of stress or results in malnutrition, which is rare.
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@war4512 But is this fully physiological? You can take the supplements and have the diet. But will that really help you from stopping from over identifying with your thoughts?
Thats why I think you can train yourself to break the self destructive OCD thought loop. I haven't confirmed this yet but I am going to try before I really on crutches. -
all men have a fire that burns inside of them
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@gg12 said in "Orthorexic Sequence" – My Personal Experience with OCD:
@war4512 But is this fully physiological? You can take the supplements and have the diet. But will that really help you from stopping from over identifying with your thoughts?
Thats why I think you can train yourself to break the self destructive OCD thought loop. I haven't confirmed this yet but I am going to try before I really on crutches.Yes, it’s totally possible to break the OCD loop. I tried a gentle approach of thanking my OCD for the warning and reassuring it that we’re safe, but didn’t break the loop until I was so fed up with it controlling my thoughts that during a flare, I got angry and told myself “Stop it! We don’t go there anymore.” It’s inspired by this skit from The Bob Newhart Show:
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