Nutritional Supplement NAC Reduces Skin-Picking
The antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been found to be an effective treatment for a variety of habit-based behaviors—substance abuse, including cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine; gambling; obsessive-compulsive behaviors; trichotillomania (compulsive hair-pulling), and repetitive behaviors among people with autism. Recent research by researcher Jon Grant and colleagues revealed that NAC can also treat skin-picking disorder.
At a 2015 scientific meeting, Grant reported that 1200–3000mg of NAC per day led to improvement in 47.1% of patients with a skin-picking disorder, compared to 19.2% improvement in patients who received placebo.
In addition to its positive effects in people with addictions and habit-based behaviors, NAC has also improved mood and anxiety in bipolar disorder and treated negative symptoms of schizophrenia, such as withdrawal and lack of motivation.
Editor’s Note: Given NAC’s effectiveness in such a wide range of disorders and behaviors, it could be a particularly useful treatment for people with major psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, with co-occurring substance abuse.
