Does anyone out there obsess about sins and if you’ve committed sin? And get bad thoughts in your head that could become sinful if you don’t blink really hard or repeat things to yourself ? It gets to a point where I cry and cry about it cause I can’t see anything clearly. I’m always questioning.

I’m catholic too. But I get sooooo much anxiety going to confession. I’m so worried I won’t say my sins Right. Then I get obsessive thoughts about my confession afterwards and if it was valid or not and then I remember things I should have mentioned. I always make a list but that’s a compulsion of mine. My ocd is so bad after I go to confession. And before.

I get this but I’m not as worried about sinning as much as I am “being pure,” if that makes sense. I know purity is an unattainable goal, but I feel this pressure to be pure and have pure thoughts. Years ago my mother said to me that I “wasn’t pure,” and it still messes with me today, I know that obsession stemmed from that moment.

Yeah I’m always unsure about being in the state of grace which maybe that’s along the line of pureness

I get a version of this sometimes...in the past it’s helped me to go to confession (i’m catholic) but that’s not always helpful. maybe try writing your thoughts down, just to get it out of your head? if it freaks you out to have it in the open, promise yourself that you’ll shred or burn the paper when your done, but idk, it might be cathartic?

*potential trigger* yeah Chrissy_27 I’ve been procrastinating confession for so long at this point! I totally feel that. I guess I’m just realizing how triggering the mention of confession is (not atm, I’m distracted ?) but I get sooo anxious about it worried that if anything were to happen to me i wouldn’t go to heaven because i put off going to confession etc etc.....and then I spiral.

Yeah just thinking about confession puts me in a panic. But I feel terrible about it. I want to trust God and his mercy but I get so worried I’m messing up my confession because I can’t state things clearly because I’m afraid I’m lying or over exaggerating things or not adding enough detail that is needed. I cry a lot in the confessional. I just started seeing a catholic therapist. But I am almost always thinking “is this a sin?” Is this a mortal sin? Did I want to do this? Did I know I was sinning? Just so much in my head all the time. Almost nobody understands either.

If you’re afraid of confession and about saying/identifying your sins juuuuuuust right: go to confession and say your sins wrong. The only way to deal with OCD is to face your fears. Go to confession and vaguely summarize some sins. Afterwords, sit with knowing it wasn’t perfectly “right,” that it wasn’t 110% accurate and that you may have even left some things out. Then resist the urge to do compulsions (like going back to “fix” it) and just accept the anxiety until it dissipates. The more you practice this, the better you’ll get at this. I know if feels scary. But you said yourself: you want to trust god and his mercy. Prove it.

That sounds terrifying.

I’m sure it does! But doing what is terrifying is exactly what you have to do to get better.

I think I should start by not taking a list with me. Not so extreme

You can start small. But work you way up to this. Try going without a list. Then try saying one sin not perfect. Then maybe two. Each week challenge yourself a little more. It’s scary, but facing your fears is the only way to heal. And you deserve healing.