that.

So, yeah, it can definitely be problematic and painful. Even just watching somebody go through something that they didn't actually need to process because it wasn't real. So let's say that you see it in your child because after all, this is a podcast for the parents, not er reason. Maybe your insurance doesn't cover it or whatnot, or you can't, you know, pay for it. In in h OCD, and, and it just wasn't working because we were taught CBT, the straight CBT will work this out. And I thought, you must be the worst therapist.

Your people with OCD don't get better. Also, your own OCD is not so great. I don't know what this is. So I did what I never recommend anyone do because it can be compulsive, which is research. I went on Google or whatever it was at the time, and I put, what is the most effective evidence based therapy for OCD?

And ERP came up, and I was like, what is this? Why don't I know about this? And I had to take it upon myself and pay for myself and put myself through training. And then I started using it about 20 ish years ago, and, I I had it myself. And then I started training people and they started getting better.

And I was like, this is weird. Why don't they teach this right off the bat? But I also learned about all the additional themes and Wayne's OCD could show up, which was also shocking and informative. Like, oh, that's OCD. Oh, I have OCD in that area.

Because I always thought OCD also was just sort of in a contamination OCD box, which I have, and my grandmother has. And my whole family acknowledged that we have that. There was no treatment, but, hey. Yes. You guys wash things a lot or do weird stuff.

But I was able to even just put my entire life into perspective. Oh, that was harm OCD. This is whatever it was, like, shocking. I mean, it was just shocking just redoing your life through a different lens. It takes I still do it to this day.

Sometimes I find things and I go, wait, that was OCD. I need to process my entire childhood differently, than I thought. I used to think I was a murderer, and that I was suicidal and turned out just to be harm OCD. And, again, because of wrong treatment, wrong diagnosis, misunderstanding, I ended up actually spending 8 years inpatient, at nearly 30 different facilities for being suicidal and homicidal when I was neither. So interesting ways that this can come out, and this is why it's important you go to someone who knows what they're talking about because you could end up, or your child, in more harmful treatment if somebody doesn't know what's going on.

I am so sorry to hear that, Tracy. Yeah. We'll deep dive into that. But, yeah, if you can only imagine, if somebody asks  to get myself out of here. So I started talking, you know, saying all the right things, not saying the OCD things that I didn't know were OCD. Like, just say everything's perfect. I'm great.

I don't have any of those thoughts anymore so that I could get out. And so I just played the game so that I could get out, actually, and then stayed out after that and, and went to and then I just started college actually 2 weeks later. And I said, I have to become a therapist. One of the things that inspired me while I was in there is I need to be a therapist for kids and teens. I didn't like adults that much at the time.

So I thought I'm gonna be children and adolescent psychologists or therapist because there is no way that people should be treated this poorly. And mind you, I still didn't know anything about OCD at this point. It was just this this was awful and not helpful. So, yeah, I just sorta had to figure it out myself. And mind you, my mom is actually a therapist.

So she was a therapist since the time I was born, and she missed it. So, yeah. Ouch. Ouch. Yeah.

Big owey. For sure. So, I mean, you need to take care of yourself. Right? Yes.

But at some point, did you ever think about, I've gotta go back and educate those people? Yeah. So one of the reasons that I am so strong in advocacy, especially for taboo topics, I'm I'm known on Instagram as Taboo Tracy because I want everyone to know taboo topics exist. I want people to know OCD is not just hand washing. I do I do things like podcasts to get the word out there.

I I post, regularly on Instagram. This is OCD. This is what it is. You might be thinking of killing people. That's right.

You might have images that are awful, and you can have OCD go and also promoting the evidence based treatments and things of that nature, so that people can get the right yeah, they were like, yeah. Just kinda go rot over there. It seems you're not help help help helpable, and they sent me there when I was 15. And there were very severe people in there.

And sort of to make it even worse, my roommate, she was a murderer, and it was because of psychosis, not because of any other reason. And then imagine what that did to my brain at 15. Oh, I'm in the murderer's room. That makes sense because I also could murder. So that yep.

And they don't care about us. They lock us in together at night because they figure, hey. Murders can just kill each other, and that would be fine. I mean, this is how I'm thinking because I don't know any other reason to put somebody with OCD, at a state hospital, let alone lock you in with somebody who murders people. So you can just imagine.

It was just completely, completely nuts, the things that that that misdiagnosis and mistreatment. What what can happen to you? And I was actually there for about 7 months and I got myself out. Shockingly, I actually took the hospital to court and I filed a writ of habeas corpus, which is the patient's right that you can do that. And I forced them to show evidence that I had ever done anything that was suicidal or homicidal since my stay.

And had I said any of those words, because I had learned not to say those words at that time, and they could not, provide evidence, and they had to let me out. So I came out, and then my parents put me back in a couple weeks later to a different place. So that was sort of this revolving you know? And it's not that I knew I had OCD at that time. It was just I was like, I have to get out of here.

This is crazy. What can I do to get out of here? Like, stop talking about it. Stop saying your symptoms. Act like everything's fine.

See if you can win in court. Maybe you could get out and see your friends. In the meanwhile, you're left managing your OCD sort of on your own. Right? Correct.

And and not even knowing. I mean, again, knowing I had OCD, not knowing that these symptoms were. And it was a very dangerous environment because there were a lot of psychotic people in there who were put there for a reason. There were a lot just a lot of people in there doing a lot, and there was a lot of suicidal stuff going on. There was, in all the stairwells, they had a special gate for if you jumped over, it would catch you so you couldn't die by jumping off of the stairwells.

So everywhere you looked, there was some trigger of this is about suicide or this is about homicide and just what a weird situation to be in when it's not your deal. You know? And I was like, oh, you know, I I asked. I remember, like, why are there those weird gates ouldn't use public bathrooms.

Hello, Friend, and welcome back to the show. Today, we're diving into a topic that may not be the first thing that you think about when you consider how to manage OCD, but it could have a surprising impact. We're talking about the connection between processed sugar, how well your brain works, and how well you're able to manage OCD. So let's dive in. Welcome to the Free Me From OCD podcast.

If you or someone you love has OCD, you know that OCD can hold you hostage. OCD can get in the driver's seat of your life. Here, you will find information, tips, and tools to put you back in the driver's seat of your life. I'm Dr. Vicki Rackner, your host. I call in my experience as the mother of a son diagnosed with OCD when he was in college, physician, and certified life coach to help you evolve into the best and highest version of yourself.

I'd like to speak to you today with an idea that's actually being explored in the laboratory, and that is could cutting down on your sugar make it easier to manage OCD. Now you already know that what you do affects how your brain works, right? You think different thoughts when you're tired, when you're angry, when you feel safe, when you feel unsafe. So we know that what happens inside and outside impacts our brains. Is cutting out refined sugar from your diet something that we know we've got evidence that it's gonna help you manage OCD more effectively?

No. But here's my thought. Anything that makes your brain work more effectively is gonna help you manage your brain more effectively. Right? We know that the gut is called the second brain.

It's actually lined with nerve cells that are found in the brain. Further, there is active communication between the brain and the gut through the vagus nerve, a part of the autonomic nervous system. So the brain and the gut are in constant communication with each other. What we also know is that inflammation is probably the final common pathway to pretty much any sort of health issue. And we know that sugar insights the inflammatory process.

When you eliminate sugar, you reduce inflammation. So here's a breakdown of how reducing sugar might help. The first is the connection between sugar and anxiety. So several studies have shown that a diet high in processed sugar can increase symptom of anxiety, depression, and stress, which often co occur with OCD. And we also know that stable blood sugar levels are essential for balanced energy and mood.

When blood sugar is stable, it supports better cognitive function and emotional regulation. For people with OCD, this stability can be crucial in managing intrusive thoughts and compulsions as blood sugar fluctuations can trigger the stress response. So while these connections suggest that reducing sugar could help manage OCD, It's important to note that more specific research is needed. I don't know about you, but I have a real problematic relationship with sugar. I love sugar.

Once I have something sugary, I can feel my blood sugar spike, and then I can feel it crash. And what do I want? I want more sugar. So I get on this roller coaster. It doesn't feel very good, and I'm not really at my best.

So I decided for reasons that had nothing to do with OCD to give up sugar, and I was amazed at how differently I felt. Well, my blood sugar variations are within a more narrow range, and I can feel it in my body. But I noticed that everything works better when I'm off of processed sugar. Now if you try eliminating sugar, let's say tomorrow, are you gonna feel better the next day? No.

You're probably gonna feel worse. Your body is going to withdraw from sugar. But here's the good news. After a couple of days, the cravings start going away. Within a couple of weeks, I noticed some changes.

I noticed particularly my mood becoming more stable and my brain working better. And by a month, I feel so great that I wonder why in the world did do I eat sugar in the first place? But then here's what sometimes happens. There's a special event. And to celebrate, I'll just take that one little thing.

And you know what? When I go back on, I go back on the roller coaster. Abstinence is the best way for me to manage refined sugar. If you wanna give this a try, what action steps should you take? The first thing that you can do is cut out sugary drinks.

So replace the sugary drinks with water or tea. The second thing that you can do is think about how you start your day. Think about how you break your fast. You probably don't wanna break it by saying, hello, body. Here's a huge bolus of sugar.

So if you're eating sugary cereals, you might wanna consider having some eggs or maybe oatmeal with some berries on it. Next, you probably wanna think about when is it that I reach for my sugary thing? And maybe I can replace that sugary thing with something that's more helpful. Maybe some nuts or dried fruits or carrots and hummus. But you gotta be prepared because when your body tells you it wants sugar, it wants sugar.

Right? Last, if you fall off and you start eating sugar again for whatever reason, just hold your hand over your heart and say, oh, how human of me, And then try getting right back on it. Give it a try. If it feels right, let me know how it goes. Do you find any difference in your ability to manage OCD if you're an OCD warrior?

If you're the parent of somebody with OCD, do you find that it's easier for you to be the kind of parent that you want to be? Maybe you don't get as anxious. Maybe you don't get as worried. We know that if we can keep the sugar in your bloodstream in a more regulated zone, everything in your body does a better job of staying in balance. Now I just wanna be clear.

There is no extensive research specifically linking sugar reduction to easier management of OCD, but there's a growing body of evidence that suggests a connection between diet, sugar intake, and mental health in general. And that's what I've got for you today. Thanks so much for stopping by. I really appreciate your commitment to managing OCD. And if nobody has told you yet today, I honor your courage.

I think managing OCD is probably the single hardest thing I've ever done in my life. So thanks again. See you next time.