- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 1y
I have never been religious despite being raised Catholic. While I’m not religious I also do believe in a higher power. My faith has ebbed and flowed over the years, and that is ok. The nature of uncertainty that faith requires and the nature of certainty that ocd demands are inherently at odds, so ERP would say that whatever your doubt about your faith is, your best bet is to give space for it being possible that your doubt is true. This of course is best done with an ERP therapist, I tried doing erp on my own prior to getting a nocd therapist and it was basically impossible to self administer. I’ll add that the Buddhist philosophy—which can be your faith or simply complement your faith—and the philosophy of OCD treatment have a lot of overlap. I have found it extremely helpful as a complement to ERP to read and learn about Buddhism, especially as I suffered through vicious months-long episodes of existential ocd (am I alive, am I dreaming, is everything a figment of my imagination, are people around me actually robots, am I in a coma, etc) In general I think the things we obsess about are the things we most try to approach with rigidity. If we can find and embrace the gray in something we typically see as black and white, we can probably loosen the grip ocd has on us within that theme. Easier said than done, I struggle with new themes all the time and need to let those grips loosen, but that is my advice regarding your struggle with faith. Good luck and stay strong
@yeah_it’s_possible Really appreciate your comment. Sounds like our paths are very similar. I’ve also struggled with faith and was raised Catholic. I started looking into Buddhism a few months ago and it was really helpful, but as the OCD worsened for me, so did the existential thoughts. Feels like I’ve just been surviving ever since.
@yeah_it’s_possible Thank you very much for the detailed answer, I was once very religious and also I studied religion philosophy, I am muslim but was open to other religions.. I had trauma and then developed harm ocd, then this messed with my faith and values.. my problem now is not putting the faith in the gray zone its that I began to reject my faith and think that it can not be true, though this might be only stubborness on my side.. will try to look into Budhism🙏
hi. yes I am a fairly religious person but now my religious ocd is worse than ever and im struggling with my faith a lot and it’s quite scare
Prayers and love to y’all. I just try my best to continue reading the Bible and start off my day reading it most of the time and that helps me. The more you read the Bible and meditate on Gods word the more you fill you mind with what he says is true.
@Aj carpio Will try to do that, I am a muslim but I am open to read the bible I recently purchased king James version.. I want to find out what is the true faith
@Loranqadri Wow! Really! That’s awesome! Please let me know if you have any questions! God bless you! Jesus is the way, the truth and the life!
any struggle with ROCD ? Any Christian’s ? Need some support
Anyone else struggling with reading their bible or having a certain feeling to feel like God loves them and if they don’t it ruins their whole time with God. Makes pursuing him really hard. Any tips ?
Hi friends. I recently had a relapse with OCD and I haven’t felt that real intense pain/fear/panic since I was first diagnosed 3 years ago. It was awful. I’ve been on medication and going to therapy for some time, and I am happy to report I have grown a lot. Long story short, it’s just become a burden for me recently trying to understand why this had to happen to me (and all of you). When I first started following Jesus, it was such a spiritual high. I had so much peace and joy, and I think within that first year with Him I became obsessed with the Bible and learning as much as I could. I think it was a sweet time, but suddenly a switch flipped. I became concerned that all my head knowledge, though I took to heart, became all I cared about. Then all the intrusive thoughts started, and you know the rest. I was relieved when I got my diagnosis, to know that scrupulosity is even a thing. But today, I sit and realize my OCD has taken on other forms (existential/fear of going insane) and then of course I started asking God “why me?”. And then… of course.. I feel bad for asking that. And then it triggered that same old feeling that I’m not in right standing with God. It’s so meta I can’t take it. Does anyone wonder why this had to be? I know the typical answers “we live in a broken world” and “God will use this for His glory” but is anyone just able to sit in that frustration, and work it out? I want to keep fighting, try understanding, like there’s this itch in me that I need to “figure out” something. But I know God isn’t the voice that’s speaking that to me. But gosh, it’s so brutal and hard. I believe God is carrying me through this. 2 Corinthians 12 has been a blessing for this. I just feel so weak. I get upset this is happening, start doubting God, and then feel guilty. It’s a stupid cycle and I see it. I have a very intellectual mind, and I find that most people with this kind of OCD share this trait. But it’s like, the logic doesn’t help. I just want God to sit in my bedroom and tell me it’s real, my faith is intact, and to keep trusting. I don’t know why He won’t do that for me, and I feel guilty for even feeling that way. Anyways, I don’t know what I’m seeking here, but for anyone feeling this way, know you’re not alone. I deeply love you all, even though we are all strangers. 1 Peter 5:9… right?
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