Does anyone else thats a Christian and struggle with religious OCD sometimes stress about preaching or reading certain books in the Bible because you know it will trigger obsessions? Because then I get frustrated because I want to know more and learn more and be able to worship without the obsessions and compulsions. If anyone has any advice i would be happy to hear how y’all do those things while having OCD.

I have a question for other people with Religious OCD or anyone that can help. Is it normal to feel guilty about not praying, worshiping, reading, etc enough? I struggle everyday feeling like I’m not doing enough and i also struggle to feel God’s presence. Like if I’m doing something or just relaxing enjoying myself I get this feeling like I could read right now and do more. I normally read at night before bed because its the time I’m most alone and not around family (I just like the be able to be personal with God) but when i wait till bed i get this feeling that I’m doing something wrong like that i should have done it at a different time and it would be better. And then I start worrying I’m not putting God first when i try to but i alway fall short. I try to pray every time before I eat, pray generally throughout the day and before bed. I try to listen to Christian music when i can but when i chose sometimes to listen to older music even though there isn’t anything wrong with the songs I feel so guilty because I should have listen to Christian music. I also feel guilty when i enjoy a gift or get a paycheck because its like i don’t want to put anything before God and i don’t want to enjoy this thing because its of the world in a way. Its materialistic. I try to read at least a devotional and the verse of the day and any verses that go along with the devotional i try to take to heart. I do that daily unless I absolutely cant i don’t normally miss a day of that ( i know devotions cant replace reading the Bible by yourself. I try to read like more of the Bible daily but reading the Bible itself sometimes triggers me to worry so Im slowly trying to get into more of my own personal study) I’m really lost in what to do. My anxiety was doing better and i was able to feel God. But for a past few months its been dead I don’t know if I’m worrying to much or something. I try to get into the Bible but everything has become so much more stressful because of how much I worry about how I’m doing in my walk as a Christian. Its like i want to feel God and i want to be better so bad but it wont happen. I know i cant earn anything i just don’t know how to do better. I know i could read more everyone could but what if im not doing it right or just not enough heart put into reading. I have tried but im not sure what to do.

Christians and ERP question: My OCD revolves around religion (Christian) and harm, often tying them together with arbitrary scriptures from the Old Testament. My compulsions are usually answering the questionable passages with things that help me resolve the uncertainty of the passage and how it relates to me. My therapist wants me to do exposures of reading these scriptures without finding the answers through research or even my own logic. Just let the question be there. This is so very hard because it threatens to pull my faith out from underneath me if I don’t answer it. Some of the questions are so anxiety-provoking because they are Old Testament laws of wrath and punishment. I know all the Christian answers to these, and I could easily answer it. Sometimes this will bring relief, other times it won’t. So, my challenge is simply not answering it, which then leaves me in a state of deep confusion. Anyways, since these are questions many people have and struggle with that don’t have OCD, I wonder how this can be OCD?? I’ve had OCD in other themes (HoCD, harm ocd), but this just seems so different because they are valid and legit questions and I just want to resolve them! Anybody have any insight into this?

Hi friends, To my fellow christian’s who struggle with OCD. Can you share what you notice to be compulsions for you mentally/physically when it comes to faith? I’m struggling to differentiate what is me and my faith and what is me and the OCD. I don’t have a therapist so just would love some advice. EXAMPLES Iv noticed in myself I think are apart of the OCD: - obsessing over reading the Bible first thing, needing to keep my Bible streak and feeling guilty if I don’t -repeating certain prayers that I think I need to pray to be safe -mentally checking that I still feel connected to God throughout the day