The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines superstition as “unreasonable or irrational or groundless awe, fear, notion or belief about something unknown, mysterious, or imaginary, especially in regard of religion; religious belief or practice based upon fear or ignorance; in specific meaning: An irrational religious …

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary (http://www.merriam-webster.com), a superstition is “a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation.” Focusing on one or several aspects of this broad definition, some authors have …

Magical thinking (also called magical ideation) commonly occurs as part of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). People with OCD typically engage in specific rituals, or compulsions, to quiet the obsessive thoughts they experience.

Treatment for Magical Thinking OCD This treatment involves exposing oneself to the items, thoughts, images, and situations that trigger their obsessions and/or make them feel anxious so they can practice tolerating the anxiety without engaging in any compulsions.

Developmental psychologist Jean Piaget first documented magical thinking in children and typically it should start to wane around the age of 10 years (give or take a couple of years either way).

Magical thinking, or superstitious thinking, is the belief that unrelated events are causally connected despite the absence of any plausible causal link between them, particularly as a result of supernatural effects.

Vitamin B12 and folate are thought to be effective in OCD treatment due to their associations with neurotransmitters. Depending on their antioxidant effect, zinc and selenium can be used in augmentation therapy for OCD.

A healthy, balanced lifestyle plays a big role in easing anxiety and keeping OCD compulsions, fears, and worry at bay. Exercise regularly. Exercise is a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment that helps to control OCD symptoms by refocusing your mind when obsessive thoughts and compulsions arise.

Findings of this study demonstrated lower levels of vitamin B12 and higher levels of homocysteine in OCD patients. Vitamin D levels were found to be lower in OCD patients and had a negative correlation with disease severity.

Since B12 is a water-soluble vitamin, it’s generally considered safe, even at high doses. No Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) has been established for B12, due to its low level of toxicity. UL refers to the maximum daily dose of a vitamin unlikely to cause adverse side effects in the general population.

Early research suggests that taking twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin B12, with or without folic acid, does not reduce the risk of diarrhea in children.

Though daily high doses of B12 are unlikely to cause harm in most people, extremely high doses should be avoided unless prescribed by a healthcare professional. If you think you may be deficient in B12, speak with your doctor, who can recommend an appropriate treatment based on your level of deficiency.

Some studies have indicated that elevated serum levels of vitamin B12 might be a sign of a serious and life-threatening disease. Such falsely high valued of serum vitamin B12 levels are observed in myeloproliferative disease, acute hepatitis, severe alcoholic liver disease, and cirrhosis.

When taken within the range of recommended amounts, vitamins have not been implicated in cases of drug induced liver injury. Even in high doses, most vitamins have few adverse events and do not harm the liver.

Herbal supplements. In fact, some common herbs could cause toxic liver disease. Watch out for supplements that contain aloe vera, black cohosh, cascara, chaparral, comfrey, ephedra, or kava.

Water-soluble vitamins absorb best on an empty stomach. That means taking them first thing in the morning, 30 minutes prior to eating, or two hours after a meal. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water so your body can use them. Vitamin C, all B vitamins, and folate (folic acid) are water soluble.

Weakness and fatigue are common symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. They occur because your body doesn’t have enough vitamin B12 to make red blood cells, which transport oxygen throughout your body. As a result, you are unable to efficiently transport oxygen to your body’s cells, making you feel tired and weak.

The most important steps are to fit vitamin D into your routine and take it consistently to ensure maximum effectiveness. Try taking it alongside breakfast or with a bedtime snack — as long as it doesn’t interfere with your sleep.

Best Vitamins and Supplements for a Good Night’s Sleep

• Vitamin C. The first thing that comes to mind when you think of vitamin C might be that it’s a great boost for your immune system.
• Vitamin D. It may come as a surprise that the main vitamin we get from sunlight, vitamin D, is also incredibly important to us at night.
• Magnesium.
• Iron.
• Calcium.

The direct relationship between insomnia and vitamin B12 levels is yet to be established. However, vitamin B12 deficiency is known to be involved in the pathophysiology of depression, which can commonly be associated with insomnia [19].