Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder. It causes unwanted repetitive thoughts and actions.
It is managed with medicine and therapy. Some people use natural therapies to ease OCD behaviors. They should not be used in place of standard care.
Natural Therapies
Likely Effective
These therapies are likely to ease symptoms:
May Be Effective
N-acetyl cysteine is an antioxidant that may ease OCD symptoms. A2, A4
Not Enough Data to Assess
Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.
Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.
Herbs and Supplements to Be Used With Caution
Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse, such as:
- Glutamate should not be taken by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
References
Herbs and Supplements
REFA1 Laoutidis ZG, Lekka GE, et al. Glutamatergic Agents as Add-On Medication for the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Clin Psychiatry. 2016;77(12):e1576-e1583.
REFA2 Couto JP, Moreira R. Oral N-acetylcysteine in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review of the clinical evidence. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2018 Aug 30;86:245-254.
REFA3 Sarris J. Herbal medicines in the treatment of psychiatric disorders: 10-year updated review. Phytother Res. 2018 Jul;32(7):1147-1162.
REFA4 Deepmala, Slattery J, et al. Clinical trials of N-acetylcysteine in psychiatry and neurology: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015 Aug;55:294-321.
REFA5 Mukai T, Kishi T, et al. A meta-analysis of inositol for depression and anxiety disorders. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2014 Jan;29(1):55-63.
REFA6 Davidson JR, Crawford C, et al. Homeopathic treatments in psychiatry: a systematic review of randomized placebo-controlled studies. J Clin Psychiatry. 2011 Jun;72(6):795-805.
REFA7 Sarris J, Camfield D, et al. Complementary medicine, self-help, and lifestyle interventions for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and the OCD spectrum: a systematic review. J Affect Disord. 2012 May;138(3):213-221.
REFA8 Sarris J, Kavanagh DJ. Kava and St. John's Wort: current evidence for use in mood and anxiety disorders. J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Aug;15(8):827-836.
Morita therapy
REFB1 Wu H, Yu D, et al. Morita therapy for anxiety disorders in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(2):CD008619.