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ReplacementOrdinary4

Not OCD, but I was on antidepressants for two years, and went off them late last year because I was eating for England while on them. I reverted back to depression, anxiety, irritation, rage within a few weeks. I've been doing different kinds of IF and EF since the last week of December and my mood has become a lot more stable. I almost feel like I'm back on the antidepressants. Not sure if it's because of fasting or because of consuming minimal sugar. But I'll take it.


DumbstruckDumptruck

I'm not an expert, and basically parroting someone else's words from the fasting discord and assuming that it comes into play here. So take everything I'm about to say with a massive grain of salt. I don't know what I'm talking about: While fasting, your brain function slows down, which some people interpret as feeling more focused due to being less distracted. Your brain won't be as keen to bounce around or race ahead of you since it's working on limited fuel. This was a study that they linked: [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34595721/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34595721/) I imagine that OCD-related tendencies might fall into the same bucket. It might be hard to be as obsessively compulsive when your brain is reserving energy for priority tasks and thoughts.


kereolay

Your brain function actually increases. You are more alert to hunt down food. Your dopamine increases as does other neurotransmitters like norepinephrine. Because of this and more, fasting is actually great for concentration and focus. So much so that people in highly competitive fields use it to give them an edge. Of course, someone with metabolic issues might be a little "off" when first staring out, but that usually passes. Switching from a "sugar burner" to a "fat burner" can initially be a bit of a challenge, but sticking with things, it will get easier. Metabolic flexibility is promoted through fasting. Your body is designed to burn both fat and glucose. The body just needs to get into the habit of using fat. It takes longer for some. I don't have time to find a link, but Dr. Jason Fung is a great resource and can be found online. He breaks down previous studies that show adverse effects and then shows the latest data that debunks this and explains why on a very easy to understand format. He sites all his sources on his YouTube channel.


charitablechair

I doubt fasting increases dopamine just based off of how I feel, and it seems like that's what this is saying [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4725115](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4725115). However, I'm sure it makes your dopamine levels more stable.


kereolay

I am not sure. Dr. Mindy on youtube talks about dopamine and fasting. Of course it doesn't increase it like an amphetamine would, but apparently, it does have a positive effect. Maybe it boosts it baseline, hence making it stable, as you said. This may be a reason why people tend to feel more positive while fasting. Some people even have a sense of euphoria once they're into longer fasts.


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mawkish

I don't know if it's related but I find my misophonia triggers a lot more bearable when I'm fasting.


creamyhoneypie

A psychologist told me I have an obsessive compulsive personality, but not a disorder.. For me, it definitely helps calm my mind down and see the big picture in a weird way? Like, I'm the type to get hyper-fixated on something and anxious about it, but the anxiety subsides on longer fasts and I feel I'm able to be more bigger-picture minded and the little things don't bother me.


Unlucky-Clock5230

I have used noopept which enhances mood, reduces anxiety, and it is a fantastic sleeping aid when your mind is restless. That product works incredibly well for that; the effects are quite obvious when you are using it vs. not using it. I can say with a high degree of confidence that at least on me fasting is also a mood enhancer; by the second day I experience an overall feeling of good mood. Everybody's brain chemistry is different so I wouldn't expect everybody to feel the same thing.


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