Daniel O'Shaughnessy

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Daniel O'Shaughnessy

🍎 Nutrition • 🧠 Mindset • 🌈 Healing
Body Dysmorphia • Queer Trauma • Breathwork
Author 📖
🗣 Loud complainer of silent battles

I’m a London-based, award-winning nutritionist and mindset coach with over a decade of clinical experience, following a previous career in addiction counselling. My journey into nutrition began with personal struggles, including skin concerns and a long history of weight challenges dating back to childhood. With over a decade of experience, I’ve learnt that true health extends beyond what we eat—i

t’s about how we nurture every part of ourselves. I support people through a joined-up approach that brings together nutrition, mindset, and healing.

13/07/2025

I used to think I was just being productive.
Helpful. Responsible. The one who kept everything running.

But I couldn’t relax.
Not until everyone else felt okay.

For many of us, especially q***r people and neurodivergent folks, the nervous system doesn’t always recognise rest as safe.

It stays alert.
Not because there’s more to do, but because it is bracing.
Reading the room.
Tracking what others might need.
Unconsciously predicting trauma before it lands.

When I finally stopped, it didn’t feel peaceful.
It felt wrong.
Like I had missed something.
Like I might get caught out, or that rest would leave me open to more trauma.

That is not stress. It is hypervigilance.
A survival response dressed up as responsibility.

It takes time to unlearn.
To let rest in.
To stop confusing calm with guilt.
To recognise that safety is not earned by managing everyone else.

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
– Audre Lorde, A Burst of Light, 1988

***rmentalhealth

10/02/2025

Many of us walk through life carrying the invisible weight of trauma we don’t remember. But what happens when those memories start to surface?

My latest post dives into my recent journey with Ayahuasca, repressed trauma, and the power of remembering. It’s one of the most personal things I’ve written, and while it may not be an easy read, I hope you can connect with the intention of my post—to shed light on a topic not so frequently explored in the wellness space.

The link is in my bio or my channel (click below image)

A Note Before You Read: This post explores explicit themes of trauma, memory, and healing. If you find these topics difficult or triggering, I encourage you to prioritise your well-being and engage only if it feels right for you.

07/02/2025

I always go quiet when I’m busy, and I’m not great at planning social media.

Lately, I’ve been deep in editing my book, and I’m pleased to say it’s now moving on to the next stage of the process. I’m excited to finally share the title with you:

Letting Go of Perfect: A Gay Man’s Guide to Healing from Body Dysmorphia

You’ll be able to read it in October.

The irony isn’t lost on me—I’m writing about letting go of perfection, yet I’m such a perfectionist when it comes to my work. That’s probably why I burn out a little when I throw myself into something I want to give my heart and soul to.

12/01/2025

I’m not chasing perfection or apologising for who I am.
Instead, I’m embracing everything I already am — the messy, the beautiful, the flawed, and the real.

02/01/2025

The last 6 days at .love have been life-changing.

I realised I have been completely shut down for the last 30 years and not shed one single tear. I’m deathly afraid of people, I’d rather spend time with animals than go near a human being. Many have hurt me, more than you can imagine. I have many demons and I only just discovered I had them.

Ayahuasca is the medicine I didn’t think I needed. It’s rebuilt me slowly, allowed me to form a trust with it and relight that fire that was extinguished many years ago. Hope has been stored in the depths of my little toe all along.

It was and still is painful. I have gained a new prescription lens to understand my family, friends, my work and the q***r community.

My default has always been to feel guilty for my existence, apologise for just being me and always to those that have hurt me. I questioned my existence in this realm every second of the day for the last 30 years. I started healing and people laughed at me, I let them and others let them. I can’t tell you how hard it is to be bullied twice over in your lifetime for just being yourself.

But now, I have found out why I’m here, what my purpose is and understand myself completely. In rebuilding, I have learned to wholeheartedly love myself, a challenge that 5 years ago I would never have thought I would get to.

I’ve made countless mistakes, I’ve hurt people because I’m hurt, I thought I knew best in my fight for survival. My numbing was to expose myself, throw myself into the fire for max intensity pain.

I now know how to fight for my corner, embrace hate but more importantly love and forgive. I’m a judgemental little prick but this has all been lessons to realise all my judgements have been mirrors all along. Even if I couldn’t fathom the pain caused to me, I can understand the circumstances in which it led to my suffering. In that, I forgive my captors entirely and release their souls including my own.

Ayahuasca is like enrolling in the University of life where you’re always getting D’s until you don’t.

I love you all. Please always remember you are loved and there is always an option.

14/11/2024

A bit about me:

I’m Daniel, a functional medicine nutritionist, author, and breathwork facilitator dedicated to an informed and research-based approach to healing. My work draws on both professional training and personal experience, guiding others through challenges I’ve faced and overcome myself.

I’m the author of Naked Nutrition: An LGBTQ+ Guide to Diet & Lifestyle and have just completed writing my second book on overcoming body dysmorphia for gay men. I also frequently share reflections on my Substack, How to Love Yourself—all links are in my bio!

You’ll often see my furry sidekick, Wallis, by my side. She’s my steadfast companion and a daily source of inspiration.

In my practice, I believe that true health requires nurturing nutrition, mindset, and healing from trauma—an integrated approach that supports genuine, lasting health and honours each person’s unique experience.

My aim is to share raw, unfiltered authenticity around body dysmorphia, LGBTQ+ health, and self-love, creating a space where others can find understanding and support as they navigate their own healing journey.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments or reach out if you’d like to connect on any of these topics!

Love

Daniel x

13/10/2024

Recent outtakes.

Highlights include:

- Proudly, seeing my book in
- Branding shoot with the fabulous
- Mum time
- Wallis time 🐾

11/09/2024

In my latest Substack, I talk about why healing is painful. It’s not something to avoid, but something to learn to sit with, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Full article access on the link on my profile.

Address

London

Telephone

+442072930939

Website

https://danieloshaughnessy.com/

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