14 ms·

It's chilling when you see a description of what you are doing, online, in a random click that you just made. I have OCD, and hide it well. Looks like I have O

It's chilling when you see a description of what you are doing, online, in a random click that you just made. I have OCD, and hide it well. Looks like I have ON and have not hid it well at all. I run obsessively, eat extremely clean and have been struggling to even eat things that are outside my "normal" diet ever since the stress at work and relationships have increased. I figured it was something I needed to research when I felt _bad_ for eating a sandwich after a 56 mile bike ride. But I never did, maybe because I didn't want to know the answer. Oh well, the more you know... My OCD has increased as well. They're definitely connected. Edit: grammar and some spaces.

relative-energy 7y ago
I was in the same place until recently. I put together a list of things [1] that helped me get a handle on this stuff. There does seem to be a way out; this is the first time in my life where I've been able to focus on non-food and exercise things. [1] https://sites.google.com/view/the-no-nonsense-guide/guide#h.p_gacM0TyB5LbM https://sites.google.com/view/the-no-nonsense-guide/guide#h....
- reallymental 7y ago
  Thank you, I just read through that and it's all very anxiety inducing. Probably because it's true. I'll give it a try. I realise I need to.
gerbilly 7y ago
Anorexia nervosa and excessive exercise seem to be causally linked.¹ If you want to cure someone of anorexia, you will usually have more success if you both eliminate the excessive exercise and address the eating behaviour at the same time. For some reason, it seems as if each behaviour somehow supports the other, and to break the cycle, you have to address both. Also if you or anyone has an eating disorder, take it seriously and seek treatment. Eating disorders have the highest death rate of any mental disorder. 1: When researchers restrict rats’ food intake while giving them unlimited access to a wheel, the rats start running excessively. Paradoxically, these rats opt to continue running rather than eat during the short intervals of time food is made available to them. If allowed, they will literally run themselves to death. (https://www.verywellmind.com/excessive-exercise-eating-disorder-symptom-4062773 https://www.verywellmind.com/excessive-exercise-eating-disor...)
- reallymental 7y ago
  I wonder why its unethical to test such things on human beings. I'm assuming it's unethical, because there rarely seems to be any damn work on this using humans. Those rats ran themselves to death, will we humans? We share about 92% of the genes[0] (on the first google attempt), what changes does that giant 8% contain? Just pick up people like me, and make us run and give us food. I doubt we will object if it means there's a possibility that we might help ourselves. Are they afraid they'll make it worse? Sure that's a possibility, but that's the price to pay. I'm willing to pay that price if it means people after me, who have this wire crossed in their brains will be served better healthcare in the future. Some experiments might not work, but we've just discovered another way to _not_ make the lightbulb, but the good news is that the lightbulb _will_ be made if we try n times. [0] https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-and-you/genetics-101/genetic-similarities-of-mice-and-men/ https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-and-you/genetics-101/geneti...
  - gowld 7y ago
    It's far cheaper to run an experiment on 100 rats than 100 people, and it's unethical to let people run themselves to death obviously. It's not unethical to watch people run and eat -- Gatorade/UF exercise lab does this stuff all day long. Obviously it's unethical to let you continue to do so if adverse health effects are observed.
    - bluGill 7y ago
      Actually it isn't obvious. It only seems like it is obvious because most of us share some values.
    - gerbilly 7y ago
      > it's unethical to let people run themselves to death obviously. It's also unethical to let rats run themselves to death, and it wouldn't pass an ethics review board if you suggested an experiment like that these days.
      - pvaldes 7y ago
JamesBarney 7y ago
Just as a data-point when my wife treated her orthorexia her OCD got much better.

relative-energy 7y ago

I was in the same place until recently. I put together a list of things [1] that helped me get a handle on this stuff. There does seem to be a way out; this is the first time in my life where I've been able to focus on non-food and exercise things. [1] https://sites.google.com/view/the-no-nonsense-guide/guide#h.p_gacM0TyB5LbM https://sites.google.com/view/the-no-nonsense-guide/guide#h....

reallymental 7y ago
Thank you, I just read through that and it's all very anxiety inducing. Probably because it's true. I'll give it a try. I realise I need to.

gerbilly 7y ago

Anorexia nervosa and excessive exercise seem to be causally linked.¹ If you want to cure someone of anorexia, you will usually have more success if you both eliminate the excessive exercise and address the eating behaviour at the same time. For some reason, it seems as if each behaviour somehow supports the other, and to break the cycle, you have to address both. Also if you or anyone has an eating disorder, take it seriously and seek treatment. Eating disorders have the highest death rate of any mental disorder. 1: When researchers restrict rats’ food intake while giving them unlimited access to a wheel, the rats start running excessively. Paradoxically, these rats opt to continue running rather than eat during the short intervals of time food is made available to them. If allowed, they will literally run themselves to death. (https://www.verywellmind.com/excessive-exercise-eating-disorder-symptom-4062773 https://www.verywellmind.com/excessive-exercise-eating-disor...)

reallymental 7y ago
I wonder why its unethical to test such things on human beings. I'm assuming it's unethical, because there rarely seems to be any damn work on this using humans. Those rats ran themselves to death, will we humans? We share about 92% of the genes[0] (on the first google attempt), what changes does that giant 8% contain? Just pick up people like me, and make us run and give us food. I doubt we will object if it means there's a possibility that we might help ourselves. Are they afraid they'll make it worse? Sure that's a possibility, but that's the price to pay. I'm willing to pay that price if it means people after me, who have this wire crossed in their brains will be served better healthcare in the future. Some experiments might not work, but we've just discovered another way to _not_ make the lightbulb, but the good news is that the lightbulb _will_ be made if we try n times. [0] https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-and-you/genetics-101/genetic-similarities-of-mice-and-men/ https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-and-you/genetics-101/geneti...
- gowld 7y ago
  It's far cheaper to run an experiment on 100 rats than 100 people, and it's unethical to let people run themselves to death obviously. It's not unethical to watch people run and eat -- Gatorade/UF exercise lab does this stuff all day long. Obviously it's unethical to let you continue to do so if adverse health effects are observed.
  - bluGill 7y ago
    Actually it isn't obvious. It only seems like it is obvious because most of us share some values.
  - gerbilly 7y ago
    > it's unethical to let people run themselves to death obviously. It's also unethical to let rats run themselves to death, and it wouldn't pass an ethics review board if you suggested an experiment like that these days.
    - pvaldes 7y ago

JamesBarney 7y ago

Just as a data-point when my wife treated her orthorexia her OCD got much better.