- Date posted
- 28d
Christian’s with OCD
What has helped you? What have you learned? Biggest success? How’s your OCD now?
What has helped you? What have you learned? Biggest success? How’s your OCD now?
I grew up religious and with undiagnosed OCD. I was always told that my thoughts meant just as much or even more than my actions. Something that I wished someone would have actually told me was that thoughts do not define you. God knows you, loves you, and does not judge you for your intrusive thoughts. I feel like if someone guided me that way my spiritual journey could have been very different.
@KaraClouds Absolutely! The word of God is sharper than any two edged sword. It’s capable of discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart! Mine is the same story. I grew up thinking bad thoughts=bad Christian. As an adult I was able to look deeper into the Bible and see that that’s wrong.
@Robyn🪴🧘🏻♀️🧠 I resonate with both of your stories.❤️🩹 You both are so strong! I was taught that bad thoughts were from demons taking over my mind. So when I started battling Harm OCD as a mom, I pretty much thought I was possessed. And it made me soooo sick. When I started treating it as OCD, it got much better. I have recovered for the most part.
One thing that has certainly helped me is a guy on YouTube named Mark DeJesus. He is a former pastor who has dealt with OCD. Listening to him has helped open my understanding in a lot of ways. I also bought his book called the OCD healing journey.
Mark DeJesus is AMAZING. I find it healing to just listen to him speak on his podcast. He always points us to the love of God. Once we get how much He loves us, we are on the right track to making major progress over OCD.
@phyrcracker93 I LOVE Mark Dejesus 💛💛💛
Listen to You Make all Things New by Big Daddy Weave. Reflect on God's love for you and imagine yourself giving Him everything you can, even the shameful ones.
@Anonymous Amen!! That is a beautiful song 💛 thank you for sharing!!
God has taught me so much about to fight this disorder....I wrote a book about all I learned - you can see more at WagingWarAgainstOCD.com If I had to sum it all up - our hearts have to grasp the GRACE of God. OCD condemns us constantly and we are very used to it, and we have to learn that our relationship with God is exactly the opposite of being based on condemnation - it's full based on grace.
@Waging War Against OCD Thank you so much for sharing!! ❤️ I will definitely look into your book! How’s your OCD now if you don’t mind me asking?
I wish I knew I can’t get over these thoughts and I’m so scared all the time
@Tulip1234 I understand and have been there! I know how hard it is. Take a baby step and start labeling those scary thoughts as OCD not you, and try your best to focus on something else. I promise the more you do this, the easier it will get.
What helped me is a variety of things, but one of the major ones was learning there were other atonement theories besides penal substitutionary atonement.
@julianofnorwich Thank you for sharing! Do you care to explain more on this? I’m intrigued to learn more!
@cexienl_10 My pastor here does a good job of explaining this a little. He holds to a different atonement theory. Basically he doesn't think teaching that we deserve to die for our sins but Jesus took the punishment instead tells the story correctly. More that Jesus came to show us he could deliver us from sin and death by resurrecting. Its a but more complex than that but this video is a start. https://bsky.app/profile/pastortrey05.com/post/3lu66jipwxk2z
I’m a devout Christian and was taught to take my thoughts captive. I started struggling with horrendous intrusive thoughts about 8 months ago. It made me incredibly sick and I almost didn’t make it. I’ve read many books and I’m new to NOCD. How does taking your thoughts captive work with OCD treatment?
I realize this may not work for everyone, particularly those who are struggling with moral or existential forms of OCD, but as someone struggling with relationship OCD, here’s my proposition and what’s worked- 1. ERP and resisting compulsions involves intentionally exposing yourself to distress and not trying to do anything about it, but just sit with it. It is a fundamentally ascetic and meditative practice. 2. Resisting compulsions also means overcoming your bodily desire (because more than anything OCD is a nervous system response, not a rational one) for relief from distress, and instead aligning yourself with a higher principle that overcomes your temporal state. 3. OCD also operates similarly to addiction, and recovery outcomes for addicts are significantly improved through belief in a higher power. Higher power is actually one of the core elements of AA programs because it makes self discipline a lot easier. 4. ERP/CBD is effective, in part, because it already fits within the psychology of someone with OCD. What I mean by this is that it involves homework, specific procedures done at regular intervals, intense self discipline, and is overall pretty formulaic/ritualistic/somatic in nature. And we know that it works, and this method of addressing OCD tends to really excite and appeal to those who suffer with it. We act like the totality of OCD psychology is bad, but it also seems to be the key to reversing OCD, and may be a kind of superpower when properly utilized. 5. We have countless religious traditions that are thousands and thousands of years old which have developed techniques and rituals precisely for what OCD recovery needs- Getting out of a reactive state, getting into a state of gratitude and meditation, developing ascetic skills to overcome temptation (compulsions), being okay with uncertainty, creating a place of inner peace and compassion, having a system of accountability and reminders which keep you from slipping back into compulsive patterns, and doing all of this in community with people who experience the same struggle. So far, religion has been *the most* helpful thing I’ve done for my OCD. Here’s how this has played out in my own life: -Hesychastic prayer. This is an Eastern Orthodox tradition where you project the Jesus prayer, in repetition, channeling it not just from the mind or mouth but from the heart. It is deeply psychosomatic, with the goal of creating ego death and achieving a state of seeing God in all things. It creates a calm, warm feeling in my chest that feels identical to a psychedelic afterglow. It takes me out of my head and into my body, and the first time I tried it, with a prayer candle lit beside me, I experienced very rapid relief and was able to sleep for the first time without having any nightmares. I now do this consistently, along with other kinds of prayer and hymn recitation, and gratitude before meals, and it’s something I genuinely enjoy and look forward to. Since doing it, my compulsions have gone done by like 70%. Every time I feel myself slipping into compulsions, instead of doing them, I pause and pray. Prayer fills me with warmth, gratitude, and comfort. I feel connected to something greater than myself, my body becomes calm, my heart stops racing, and afterwards, I no longer feel compelled to perform my compulsions, because I know that it is harmful to myself and those around me, and that God is watching over me guiding me to act in a more thoughtful and wise way. This has single-handedly brought me more long term relief than any other OCD technique or treatment has. Not only has it relieved my OCD, but I have so much more energy, motivation, and self discipline in other areas of my life. It’s like I can feel my neurochemistry balance itself in real time. I’m eating healthier, my relationships are richer, I’m a better student, I feel more creatively inspired, and I have so much more self discipline to resist habits that are bad for me. I hope this may be helpful to anyone else who might be struggling. I’ve searched online and there’s really no information out there that I could find on religious ritual being an effective OCD treatment, but it’s been completely revolutionary in my life.
Can anyone share any success stories regarding Pure/Real Event OCD? I think I just want some uplifting news more than anything, though this may read as reassurance seeking… not sure what counts and what doesn’t. So any education on that may be helpful too. Many thanks!!
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond