The concepts learned in EMDR and mindfulness meditation are foundational to helping deal with OCD symptoms, but there are several supplements that may help round out your approach to mental wellness. 

Read our in-depth guide to EMDR for OCD

OCD is (mostly) a product of the loveable, hateable tangled mass of neurons wedged inside our skulls misfiring. If only curing OCD were as straightforward stitching a wound or setting a broken bone. Take this pill and you’ll be healed. Alas, it’s not quite that simple, but there are things that can help. I’m not referring to SSRIs, the typical first line treatment for OCD symptoms, but to a slate of three supplements that appear to offer significant benefits to those suffering from OCD symptoms.

Supplements for OCD

The supplements listed below have all shown the potential to help treat, or at least mitigate the severity of, OCD-related symptoms.

• EPA (Fish Oil)
• Magnesium
• NAC (N-acetylcysteine)

Honorable mentions to Vitamin B1 and Vitamin B12, both of which have been shown to help with OCD symptoms.

EPA (Fish Oil)

Fish oil’s benefits have been widely studied, and consensus has generally been that it is an excellent supplement for overall body and brain health. One OCD-adjacent use for fish oil is in the treatment of depression.

OCD and depression are often co-occurring, and depression symptoms can make dealing with OCD symptoms more difficult. Because of how well-tolerated and widely studied the active ingredient in fish oil (EPA) is, it’s a supplement I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone suffering from OCD symptoms.

Magnesium

Magnesium can play a key role in balancing mood and reducing anxiety, which makes it an excellent candidate for use in treating OCD symptoms. Known as nature’s tranquilizer, magnesium can level out the anxiety that so often accompanies an intense OCD cycle.

NAC

OCD is multi-factorial, an unasked-for puzzle whose nebulous nature makes it extremely difficult to treat. One of its causes appears to be glutamate imbalance, which NAC helps address.

From this study on NAC’s use in the treatment of OCD:

“five randomized controlled trials have tested the potential efficacy of NAC as an adjunctive treatment in OCD, four of which reported significant reductions in Yale‐Brown Obsessive‐Compulsive Scale (Y‐BOCS) scores at dosages of 2000–3000 mg/day.”

Researching Supplements for OCD

At the end of the day, supplements are not a suitable replacement for tried and true methods of dealing with OCD symptoms like CBT therapy, EMDR, and, if necessary, SSRIs. But they can be a valuable tool in your journey to a healthier mind. Here are a few tips for introducing natural supplements into your diet to help raise your neuro-chemical baseline to a level at which you can more effectively address your OCD symptoms.

• Check the supplement’s potential for negative interactions with any drugs you’re currently taking.
• Research, research, research.
  • This article is a start, and I’ve provided links to additional materials that back up each of these supplement’s potential benefits, but dig in a bit more before trying any of them.
• Add one supplement at a time.
  • See how you feel with each addition before adding more. For me, magnesium and fish oil seem to work as an excellent baseline. See what works best for you.
• Keep a journal about how you feel, but don’t stress about it.
  • Overthinking is the OCD-sufferer’s game. As someone who deals with health anxiety, my first inclination is to overanalyze and constantly check in. Am I feeling better or worse? Is my head clearer than it was yesterday? What if these don’t improve my symptoms, does that mean I’m doomed to suffer like this forever? If you start spinning out, do me a favor and breathe. In for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four. Repeat several times.

Supplements like magnesium, fish oil, and NAC may not be a panacea for addressing OCD symptoms, but they can help. Try them out, and as always, contact a medical professional if your symptoms are severe. There is always hope!

Further Reading on EMDRHealing

• Check out our general guide on EMDR, where we talk about what is EMDR and how does it work  
• Read up on our BetterHelp review
• Interested in self-administering EMDR? Check out our guide on how to self administer EMDR