How He Reversed OCD and Anxiety Without Medication

“Are you okay?” Everyone kept asking Adnan that question…right as he was finally starting to feel alive again.

In this deeply personal story, Adnan Alkhalili shares his transformation from a high school student overwhelmed by OCD, anxiety, and panic attacks…to a thriving young adult who found freedom through metabolic health.

His journey wasn’t fueled by medication. It was driven by radical lifestyle change, starting with a ketogenic diet, movement, and reconnecting with what it means to be human.

🎓 From missing school due to daily panic attacks to launching a mental health initiative and reclaiming his identity, Adnan’s story challenges the conventional approach to youth mental health.

💡 Key themes in this video:

Living with undiagnosed OCD and panic disorder in high school
Feeling “stuck in a cage” and breaking free with diet and lifestyle interventions
How nutrition, light, movement, and mindset transformed his brain and body
Why lived experience should guide the conversation around mental health care

🙌 “Try to be human first.” That’s the invitation at the heart of Adnan’s story.

Adnan’s story contributes to a growing body of evidence demonstrating that ketogenic therapy can be a potential treatment option for young adults living with depression, anxiety, and other serious mental illnesses. To learn more, visit our Youth Mental Health Hub: https://www.metabolicmind.org/resourc...

Resources:
Learn more about the THINK+SMART framework: a self-guided, community-based framework that helps you develop a customized metabolic approach to mental health: https://thinksmart.metabolicmind.org/

To learn more about Adnan’s personal journey, check out her full THINK+SMART profile: https://www.metabolicmind.org/thinksm...

About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.

Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.