Nootropics For Obsessive Thoughts and Compulsive Behavior

Every once in a while, I get an email from someone asking if there are any nootropics that can help with obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. Fortunately, the answer to that question is yes, there are.

In this post, we're going to look at a few nootropics that people are using to reduce obsessive thinking and compulsive behavior. But first, let's explore what obsessions and compulsions are.

What Are Obsessions?

An obsession is an idea or thought that goes through your mind over and over again uncontrollably. Sometimes, obsessing can be good. It can help you figure things out and come up with creative solutions to problems. Often, though, obsessing can seem awful.

When we obsess about something, it's often something bad. Anxious thoughts circle around in our head over and over again, no matter how hard we try to dismiss them. These are the kinds of obsessions that nootropics can help with.

Some examples of obsessions would be constantly thinking about someone else, always worrying about losing control, or not being able to stop thinking about sex.

What Are Compulsions?

Unlike obsessions, which are undesirable thoughts, compulsions are undesirable behaviors. Often times, obsessive thinking leads to compulsive behavior. Acting out the compulsive behavior often reduces anxiety for the person doing it.

Some examples of compulsions would be constantly picking at your own hair (trichotillomania), frequent hand washing, or excessively double-checking things (like locking the door, making sure the stove is off, etc.).

What Is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

Everybody experiences obsessive thinking and compulsive behavior at different times and to varying degrees – it's normal. But when the thoughts become so intrusive that they start affecting your ability to function, it's label as a disorder – obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

If you experience moderate to severe obsessions and compulsions that affect your ability to function, you should see a medical professional. There are several FDA-approved drugs used to treat OCD that your doctor can prescribe.

But if your obsessions and/or compulsions aren't severe enough to warrant medical attention, you may find that the nootropics listed below may help. A lot of people have found relief from their obsessive thinking and compulsive behaviors by using the following nootropics.

Nootropics For Obsessive Thoughts and Compulsive Behaviors

N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)

N-acetyl cysteine (aka acetylcysteine, N-acetylcysteine, NAC, N-Acetyl L-Cysteine) is sold as a dietary supplement and is also used by doctors to treat certain conditions. Most commonly, NAC is used to treat acetaminophen (Tylenol) poisoning. It's also popular in the nootropics community.

The scientific community has researched acetylcysteine as a potential treatment for a variety of psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, various addictions, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.¹ It continues to be studied and shows a lot of promise in treating these disorders.²

Some nootropic users find that NAC helps to reduce or even eliminate obsessions and compulsions. There are reports of people who found relief with NAC when they got little from prescription drugs. And there's some solid science to support these claims.

A study that looked at four clinical trials and five case reports showed that NAC was able to reduce the symptoms of OCD with good tolerability and few side effects.³ People taking between 2,400-3,000 mg of NAC daily for 12 weeks showed significant improvements.

Another study that looked at NAC in the treatment of trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling) found similarly-promising results.⁴ After nine weeks of treatment, the fifty participants showed a significant reduction in hair pulling. The participants took between 1,200-2,400 mg of acetylcysteine daily.

For most people, the effects of NAC take time to develop. While a small percentage of people report a reduction in obsessions and compulsions after a couple days, most people don't notice any difference until at least a few weeks.

N-acetylcysteine is usually taken in a dosage ranging from 1,400-3,000 mg a day in two divided doses. It absorbs better when taken on an empty stomach but may be taken with food to avoid nausea.

Inositol

This is a pseudovitamin that is often found in energy drinks and other energy-increasing products. Pseudovitamins are substances that are vital to functioning but not technically vitamins or minerals. In addition to being in energy products, inositol is often taken by itself for its mood-boosting and anxiety-reducing properties.

Inositol is usually taken for its ability to reduce anxiety and, to a lesser extent, improve mood. However, some people find that it helps reduce obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. Several scientific studies have been done on inositol and they seem to support this claim.

In one study, participants with OCD took either inositol or a placebo for six weeks.⁵ The people who took the inositol had significantly less obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors than the people in the placebo group.

Another study looked at the effect of inositol on trichotillomania and compulsive skin picking.⁶ The participants were given 6 grams of inositol 3 times a day for 16 weeks. The results showed that the participants had a significant reduction in compulsive behaviors.

Inositol is usually taken in dosages of between 14-18 grams per day in 2 or 3 divided doses. Some people get good results with dosages as low as 4 grams a day.

Zinc

The last thing on our list of nootropics for obsessions and compulsions usually isn't thought of as a nootropic. However, many nootropic users take it every day for its wide range of benefits.

Zinc is an essential mineral that the body needs for a variety of functions. Supplementing with zinc can have a number of benefits. Some of these science-backed benefits include improved mood⁷ and increased testosterone levels in men⁸.

Another benefit of zinc is that it may help to reduce obsessive thinking and compulsive behavior. An eight-week study was done to see if taking zinc in addition to fluoxetine (Prozac) produced better results than fluoxetine alone.⁹ The results showed that the people taking zinc had significantly less obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.

Zinc is usually taken at a dosage of anywhere from 15-50 mg a day. Taking up to 100 mg of zinc a day has been shown to be safe for up to four months.¹⁰

Conclusion

Everyone experiences occasional obsessive thinking. When you lose your job or go through a difficult breakup, it's normal for your mind to think about it a lot. But when those thoughts become so intrusive that you can't function, it becomes a problem.

The three supplements above have all been shown to reduce obsessive thinking and compulsive behavior. They are all very safe at normal dosages and effective for many people.

Obsessions and compulsions are types of anxiety. To learn about other nootropics that can help with different kinds of anxiety, check out the following posts:

The Best Nootropics For Anxiety

The Best Nootropics For Social Anxiety

References