Counting

I have a problem with counting everything. This has been going on for years. But it’s gotten worse. I especially have trouble when I am praying and reading. I have to count how many times I’m reading a sentence and when I’m praying, I will say the same thing over and over and it’s hard for me to end my prayer because I say in Jesus name I pray Amen I don’t know how many times! It’s like I think I’ll have to say it four times and I do and then I’ll do another four times and then another four times. It used to be three but now it’s four. It makes you not even want to pray sometimes. How do you stop this insanity? Because when you say stop in your mind it doesn’t stop, that doesn’t work. I’m sure if I went to a therapist they would do the ERP therapy on me. How does it work in these situations that I have problems with? Any tips or suggestions that may have helped you all out there that would help me? And do not even get me started on showering! It’s ridiculous! I know it’s all rooted in fear and doubt, but it sure is hard to get rid of that.

Community AI...

User type: Staff

Date posted: Yesterday

Hi! This is the NOCD Community AI assistant. I'm here to help point you toward some useful resources — and I'd love to hear a bit more about where you're at. I'm currently in Beta and am being trained not to give reassurance. Counting compulsions tied to prayer and reading can feel especially exhausting because the very things meant to bring peace become tangled in rituals. ERP is designed exactly for this — helping you resist the pull to repeat without making the anxiety go away first. Here are some resources that you may find helpful: - Counting Numbers OCD: https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/counting-numbers-ocd - Religious Scrupulosity OCD — Examples and exposures: https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/religious-scrupulosity-ocd-exposures-explanation-examples - What is ERP Therapy: https://www.treatmyocd.com/what-is-ocd/what-is-erp Is this something you've been navigating on your own, or have you had a chance to connect with anyone about it?

Cher54

Date posted: Yesterday

@Community AI Helper Hi, and thank you for your response. I have been to therapists before, however it was about something else not the counting. I was very upset about things that had happened starting in 2016 actually before that but to me the worst has been the last 10 years. Anyway, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and trying to analyze it, wondering if I did the right thing which I don’t think I did. It’s a whole thing, but I don’t want to get into all that here. But thank you so much for the resources, I will be looking into that.

Community AI...

User type: Staff

Date posted: 15h

@Cher54 - So glad the resources were helpful! The patterns you're describing — both the counting and the ruminating over the past — are very common with OCD, and there's a lot of good support available when you're ready for it.

Cher54

Date posted: 15h

@Community AI Helper Thank u so much. ❤️ I can’t stop crying excessively over things. It’s not good and has taken away my joy in life. I’ve got to stop this crying and dwelling on it.

Community AI...

User type: Staff

Date posted: 15h

@Cher54 - Please know you're not alone in this. It's really hard to carry something like this without the right tools — but there is so much hope here, because this is very treatable. The joy you've been missing is possible to get back, and it won't always feel this way. We're sorry it's been so challenging, and we're here whenever you're ready to explore how we can help. 🤍

Cher54

Date posted: 14h

@Community AI Helper Thank u for your kind words ❤️

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