Does Ozempic also have effects on addictions? It’s a belief that’s becoming increasingly widespread, especially in certain online circles, but there’s a catch

In recent years, a specific strand of content promoting an alternative approach to health and, more broadly, to medicine,as compared to the so-called “traditional” view, has become even more popular online, especially on social media. This context also includes the idea that Ozempic, a drug that has become well known in recent years for weight loss, could have positive effects on a wide range of conditions, including ADHD, alcoholism, social anxiety, or certain neurological disorders. Recently, Dazed analyzed the phenomenon, showing how such beliefs often stem more from personal anecdotes than from solid scientific evidence.

This content appears in podcasts, video essays, and posts from profiles followed by hundreds of thousands of users: Ozempic is described as a drug capable of “rebalancing” the body, going beyond its conventional use. To understand why these ideas gain so much traction, it is necessary to clarify the cultural context in which they develop: the common thread running through these contents is distrust toward institutional medicine and the idea that the body can heal more or less autonomously if properly “stimulated.” Within this strand, moreover, personal experience often carries more weight than clinical studies: if a user reports feeling better after taking a certain substance, that testimony is often considered sufficient proof by many people.

The spread of GLP-1 drugs

Ozempic belongs to the category of GLP-1 drugs, developed to treat a specific type of diabetes: they act by mimicking a hormone that the body naturally produces and that regulates blood sugar, appetite, and the feeling of fullness. For this reason, they have also proven effective in the treatment of obesity.

In recent years, these drugs have become very popular, especially among young adults. In many countries, it is possible to obtain them through private prescriptions or online services, even when there are no real medical indications. This has greatly expanded their use and encouraged increasingly loose interpretations of their effects.

Some content creators also claim that microdosing Ozempic improves concentration, mood, and social behavior. Doctors interviewed by Dazed point out, however, that it is generally the weight loss itself, facilitated precisely by Ozempic, that leads to an increase in physical performance: this, in turn, may also be reflected in mental well-being,but that does not mean the drug is capable of treating psychological or neurological disorders.

What we don’t know about Ozempic 

More generally, it should be remembered that the effects of drugs like Ozempic on the human brain are not yet fully understood. For example, some patients report that, in addition to reducing appetite, the drug has also decreased the desire to consume alcohol. On this basis, studies are being launched to understand whether GLP-1 drugs can actually influence reward mechanisms and play a role in reducing other forms of addiction, such as smoking or substance use.

The growing number of people using Ozempic has attracted the attention of numerous research groups, which are evaluating possible applications in other clinical areas as well. Beyond interest in addiction treatment, researchers are beginning to explore whether GLP-1 drugs could play a role in the prevention or slowing of Alzheimer’s, in chronic kidney disease, or in certain liver conditions, among other things. These are, however, still hypotheses under investigation, which will require solid confirmation before they can be turned into actual therapies.