Scrupulosity is a form of religious OCD that often involves having blasphemous or unacceptable thoughts about God.
What is Scrupulosity?
Scrupulosity is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) characterized by religious and/or moral obsessions. Scrupulosity can sometimes be difficult to recognize because even within a single faith community, religious beliefs and practices vary widely. There is no singular belief or behavior that is diagnostic for scrupulosity.
Instead, scrupulosity is best regarded as a pattern of beliefs and behaviors associated with excessive worry about having committed a sin or engaging in immoral acts. Concern may focus either on thoughts or actions already taken or the possibility of committing sins in the future. This results in significant emotional distress, guilt, and despair.
Scrupulous individuals also worry about the sinfulness of having bad thoughts. This experience is very similar to individuals with OCD who experience harm-related obsessions (e.g., the fear of harming a child or loved one). People with scrupulosity often wonder why they’re having bad thoughts and worry that these thoughts have special meaning. They also mistakenly assume that they wouldn’t be having these thoughts if the thoughts weren’t true.
Because the sinfulness of thoughts is discussed in the Bible and other religious texts, many scrupulous individuals take this as “proof” that they should be able to control their thoughts at all times. For individuals who hold this belief, it is especially important that treatment includes steps related to belief clarification. Treatment of scrupulosity may also include consultations with religious professionals. When I treat individuals in South Florida (Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, Jupiter) with scrupulosity, I typically incorporate these elements in my treatment plan.
Feared consequences associated with scrupulosity often focus on damnation, estrangement from God, making God angry, or living an empty existence. There may also be the fear that one may “corrupt” others or experience uncontrollable feelings of guilt forever.
In order to prevent these outcomes from occurring, individuals with religious scrupulosity engage in a variety of rituals. These compulsions typically involve taking preventative action to keep a sin from occurring or engaging in some type of restoration ritual to repair their relationship with God. People with scrupulosity also commonly engage in a variety of mental rituals.
How is Scrupulosity Diagnosed?
Diagnosis of scrupulosity is complicated because symptoms of scrupulosity exist at the intersection of spirituality and mental health. This results in symptoms of scrupulosity frequently going undetected. Psychologists may not sufficiently inquire about one’s faith tradition and overlook scrupulous symptoms. Similarly, religious professionals may have less experience in recognizing signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Parents of scrupulous children often take pride in their children’s seemingly strong faith and fail to recognize that their “faith” is predominantly fear-based. Because of these challenges, it is especially important to foster better public awareness about scrupulosity and how it relates to OCD.
Here are some common obsessions and compulsions associated with scrupulosity. Because many of these behaviors are normal within certain faith traditions, it can be useful to consult with an OCD specialist if you’re concerned about these (or other) symptoms.
Symptoms of Scrupulosity (OCD)
- Fear of committing blasphemy or having blasphemous thoughts.
- Excessive fear of hell and/or damnation.
- Excessive doubt about “being saved.”
- Excessive fear and doubt about the existence of God.
- Fear of committing (or having committed) an “unpardonable sin.”
- Excessive worry that one’s life is on the “wrong path.”
- Fear of being responsible for creating a rift in your relationship with God.
- Fear of God not listening to your prayers.
- Excessive fear and doubt about choosing the “right” church/religion or having the “right” beliefs.
- Excessive concern about doing the “right thing.”
- Applying different moral standards to one’s own behavior than to the behavior of others.
- Excessive concern about clothing choices (i.e., not wanting to dress provocatively).
- Excessive concern about child-rearing practices.
- Afraid that one will (or has) sold one’s soul to the Devil.
- Afraid that one is secretly a Satanist.
- Intrusive images of sex or violence related to religious figures (God, Jesus, Mary, saints, etc.)
- Repetitive thoughts about being sexually attracted to God, Jesus, Mary, saints, or other religious figures.
- Intrusive images of inverted crosses, pentagrams, or other sacrilegious icons.
- Fear that one may secretly be possessed by demons.
- Fear that one’s children may be possessed by demons.
- Fear of future actions (e.g., worry that one will have to murder their children if they are possessed).
- Fear of being (or becoming) the Antichrist.
- Fear that one’s kids may be the Antichrist.
- Worry about whether one is fundamentally good or evil.
- Afraid of repeating prayers backwards.
- Fear of secretly wanting to go to hell.
- Fear of impulsively or intentionally praying to the Devil.
- Intrusive thoughts related to loving the Devil (e.g., Satan is Lord).
- Fear of secretly being controlled by the Devil and carrying out his wishes.
- Intrusive thoughts about rejecting the Holy Spirit.
- Intrusive thoughts about impulsively committing suicide and going to hell.
Compulsions Related to Scrupulosity (OCD)
- Repeating or restarting prayers.
- Praying excessively.
- Compulsively seeking out information online about the sinfulness of certain activities.
- Excessively attending confession.
- Compulsive reassurance-seeking from family members or members of one’s faith community.
- Did I do the right thing?
- Do you think it’s okay if I…?
- Compulsive self-reassurance
- Repeatedly saying: “I’m a good Christian person” after experiencing an unwanted thought.
- Repeatedly saying: “God loves me” after having an unwanted thought.
- Compulsive writing (e.g., Jesus loves me).
- Mentally reviewing or analyzing events to determine if a sin was committed.
- Taking religious practices to extremes.
- “Observing the Sabbath” in a way that’s not typical for others in one’s faith tradition.
- Fasting in a way that’s not typical for other members of one’s religious community.
- Engaging in self-punishing atonement practices that are not characteristic of one’s faith.
- Making deals with God.
- Planning and preparing for future religious problems (e.g., researching exorcisms).
- Replacing unwanted thoughts or images with safer or holier images.
- Thinking of images of the cross, doves, Jesus’s face, Mary’s face.
- Mentally inverting unwanted images.
- Inspecting one’s body for “signs” from God or the Devil.
- Examining birthmarks or looking for moles that indicate whether one is good or evil.
- Restarting or cleansing rituals.
- Getting out of bed again.
- Taking showers.
- “Renewing” oneself through mini-Baptisms.
- Asking for forgiveness excessively.
- Excessive study of religious texts (i.e., Bible, Torah, or Koran).
Avoidance Behaviors Related to Scrupulosity (OCD)
- Avoiding religious services (if one is afraid of God’s judgment for having bad thoughts while attending a service).
- Avoiding communion (if afraid of dropping a communion wafer).
- Avoiding triggers related to other spiritual or secular belief systems.
- Avoiding books, movies, or magazines that mention evolution.
- Avoiding yoga or other practices that developed out of a different faith tradition.
- Avoiding numbers that are unlucky or have religious significance (e.g., 13, 666).
- Avoiding reading the Bible, Torah, or Koran.
- Postponing decisions until they “feel right” or until God gives a clear sign about what to do.
- Avoiding prayer (if afraid of having a bad thought while praying).
- Deferring decisions to other people.
- Avoiding eye contact with members of the opposite sex (if afraid of committing adultery).
- Avoiding conversations with atheists (or people of other religions) for fear that their beliefs may pollute or corrupt your own belief system.
Remember, effective treatment for scrupulosity is based on exposure and ritual prevention, a type of behavioral therapy that was designed to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, ERP will typically be augmented with steps related to belief clarification.
Questions? Comments? Do you experience scrupulous symptoms that were not mentioned above? Sound off below.
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Scrupulosity & OCD: Religious/Moral Symptoms
Pure-O OCD Rituals: Starting Over, Resetting, & Undoing
OCD symptoms: the obvious (and the not so obvious)
This sounds all too familiar. I began suffering from scrupulosity as a child. My main compulsion was to repeat prayers over and over. They had to be said a certain way until I felt “right.” I was also obsessed about any sin that might be “between” me and God, because I learned that God wouldn’t hear our prayers if there was sin between us. And I confessed sins to my mother, even those that I thought possibly I might have done or thought about doing.
Ugh! It was a painful time, and going to a fundamentalist Christian school didn’t help. In college, I began to pull away from religion and for many years, wanted nothing to do with it. I was avoiding what brought me so much pain.
I have gotten a lot better. I have learned ways to pray that don’t set off the mindless chants. Meditation is more important to me than words. I have begun to be much more comfortable with uncertainty when it comes to my beliefs in God and our spiritual natures.
Thank you for writing about this. When I was in the throes of scrupulosity, I never imagined it was anything other than the signs of a sinful person. I’m sure you are reaching many people with your work!
Thanks for sharing, Tina. Your description is moving and really highlights how devastating scrupulosity can be. I’m so glad you’ve found your way through it. If you don’t mind, I’m going to add some of your descriptions to the original post. Here’s to fighting OCD in whatever form it takes!
That’s OK with me. Thank you for the help you provide us OCDers!
I had the same problem. Not the repetitive prayers necessarily but the whole”God won’t hear my prayers if there’s sin in my life” thing got me. And I confessed things to my mom about what I thought and all that Jazz. It’s horrible. You’re not alone
Thanks for sharing, Tori.
Great article Steve. I’ve hadscrupulosity for many years. It started with sexually related thoughts during mass in church such as the ones mentioned in your article, but the worst has beenover the last 2 years about Gods existence which were even more painful then the others. Plus it happened during my debates with atheists . I had so many panic attacks that I had to dip my body in the tub every day for 6 hours.
The pain is a bit better ( only have stomach and side stress pains), and I’m on medication, and thanks to some good friends on both a catholic and Christian forum I now understand that faith is not based on feelings but an act of the will and Jesus’s promises.I still struggle with the thoughts every day but it hasn’t stopped me from praying and going to church.
I know what erp is but its tough to practice and the almost free clinic I have been going to doesn’t know much about it.
God bless you for writing about this disorder
Thanks for reading, Bob. Fear that God doesn’t exist is a very common scrup fear. I’m glad that you’ve been able to get some relief in that regard.
I would like to post more about scrup treatment at some point, but ERP for scrup is so individualized that it’s tough to talk about in general terms on a blog. I’ll probably try to do so in the context of a specific obsession or case example.
Best wishes in your recovery!
Dr. Seay, I wrote about scrupulocity on my blog tonight. I linked to your post in it. If you’d like to read it, it’s at http://bringingalongocd.blogspot.com/2012/02/showing-my-scrupulosity.html
That was a moving post, Tina. Thanks so much for sharing.
Yea Steven from what I read even John bunyan went throught, but it’s always nice to hear it it common from someone. The hardest part is reaching for that reassurance fix.
God bless you all, you are all in my prayers
Wow! Thank you for covering this so comprehensively! I have been in treatment for many years and have improved a lot, but I still have a long way to go. For some reason, it is comforting to me to know that others experience the exact types of thoughts that I suffer from. Don’t get me wrong – I wouldn’t wish them on my worst enemy, but your list was the first that I have seen that acknowledged the exact types of thoughts that I have experienced and I don’t feel so all alone anymore!
Thanks for reading, Kristen. It’s great to know you’re not alone.
IS FEELING A BURNING SENSATION ON THE SKIN A SYMPTOM? I HAVE ALMOST ALL OF THESE SYMPTOMS, ESPECIALLY FEELING LIKE GOD IS TALKING TO ME IN SIGNS (ACTUAL ROAD SIGNS, SONGS, CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHERS, PANIC ATTACKS ABOUT FEELING CERTAIN THAT I AM GOING TO HELL EVEN THOUGH I HAVE SAID THE SINNER’S PRAYER HUNDREDS OF TIMES.
Hi Brandon,
OCD can be associated with all sorts of symptoms, but that’s not a commonly reported symptom. Check with your doctor.
I am so glad I found this…it’s good to know I’m not alone. I didn’t realize it, but I have dealt with anxiety ever since I was a child. It started getting worse when I was 12. After one episode, everything was pretty normal until I turned 18 1/2. That’s when I was suddenly hit with uncontrollable anxiety. I think the trigger was that I was getting sick. Of course, the illness didn’t last long, but my constant anxiety feeling would not go away no matter what. Depression soon followed so I was dealing with anxiety, depression and intrusive thoughts.
After a few months, they were so bad, that I felt paralyzed and I would cry. My parents were never keen on putting me on anti-depressants, but I was placed on them and things got better. It was also an anti-anxiety anti-depressant, so it helped a lot. Although I have never quite felt the same since the day it all hit me. That was three years ago and I still don’t feel quite the same.
All of my intrusive thoughts have ranged to common Pure-O symptoms to what you describe as Scrupulosity. Mostly violent thoughts that included killing myself or someone else. On the symptom list you wrote, I have dealt with the fear of “what if I really want to go to hell?/maybe I wouldn’t care if I went to hell…” and “What if God doesn’t exist? What if evolution is right?”
These have all been frightening. Sometimes I worry that the anxiety is actually desire or something. Sometimes I fear that happiness won’t be enough for me.
It’s difficult. Sorry for the long message. But I’m glad I’m not alone. Thank you for writing this.
Thanks for reading, Cat. Many people with OCD have symptoms that cut across multiple domains, just as you’ve described. I don’t think I’ve blogged about “Harm Obsessions” yet, but they can be incredibly frightening. Many people experience the ones you mentioned (fear of committing suicide, fear of hurting others). These symptoms often involve Intention Checking, a mental compulsion that I wrote about here:
http://www.steveseay.com/mental-checking-ocd/
Hang in there. You’re certainly not alone.
All the Best!
I hate this scrupulosity. I am a devout Christian, who believes Jesus is the son of God and that he died for my sins. But I was in a very strict fundamentalist Church of Christ years ago, and fears of losing salvation, the unpardonable sin, and issues on vows and oaths, would cultivate all kinds of intrusive thoughts that would make me afraid of God. It was like my mind would take something from scripture, and a totally unwanted intrusive thought would cause me to panic. My story is similar to John Bunyan’s, “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners.” The anxiety has been paralyzing, because God knows our thoughts, but yet we don’t want the thoughts.
Bad, Sacreligious thoughts, that come from anxiety are far different than the thoughts that come from a genuine person who hates God. The thoughts get worse the more moral of a person I become. Saul of Tarsus was adamant about wiping Christianity off the face of the planet and even murdering Christians, saying hateful things about Christ, and yet God still loved him on the Damascus Road. When Saul of Tarsus had bad thoughts, his heart also was delighting in these thoughts as well. We who are disturbed in our hearts with these thoughts, must realize that we are being taking hostage by thoughts that go against our heart. We wouldn’t be seeking God’s forgiveness, reading the Holy Scriptures, or wanting to be around other Christians, if our heart truly consented to these thoughts.
Nevertheless, these thoughts can at times be of such torment, they make one think God is ready to destroy them. We must realize, that the very fear that originates, shows we believe in God. An Atheist has “No Fear.” of God. The fact we have fear, shows something has been done to our hearts by our Creator.
Learning to relearn “Who God is?” can be very hard. Spiritual abuse can turn our loving Heavenly Father, into a demanding harsh Judge. When our salvation is based on our performance, or not sinning, or fighting bad thoughts in our head. We can feel that we are hopeless causes that God couldn’t stand to look at us sinful wretches. Christ died for us, when we were a “Saul of Tarsus.” Think about that, Paul “the former Saul” knew more about Grace than we ever will.
Paul wrote Romans and when he wrote Romans 5:10. (For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.)
I think he must have reflected on himself and said, Christ died for me, and God loved me, even when I was full of hatred toward Him and Christ, and was on a ravage pursuit to destroy His Church. Paul realized what an enemy of God he was, and to think God would have used this violent, former blasphemer, and hater of the gospel, to be the one who would pen the very scriptures we have today to express to us the astounding goodness and mercy of God.
I am daily relearning who God is! Its a daily process, and renewing our mind from spiritual abuse, and learning the warm compassions of our Father and will allow us to grow in the likeness of his Son. It is Christ that does the work in us, not we ourselves. Scrupulosity will be defeated, when we truly rest in the true, unwavering love of God in Christ Jesus. Pray for a deeper revelation of His Love for you.
By the way, Think about this! God loved Saul even when he had deliberate Bad thoughts against Christ, that still didn’t stop Him from loving Him. So if God could love Saul of Tarsus with murderous thoughts toward his sheep. Keep in mind that same love is still extended to you, through the blood of Jesus Christ. Lets keep these truths in our minds when OCD, Intrusive thoughts come in, bad thoughts are covered by Christ Blood. Our thoughts though sinful, can never overcome divine love and grace. If that were the case, We wouldn’t have most of our New Testament!
Thanks for sharing this, Dan. You’ve presented a good example of how OCD can distort one’s beliefs and cause one to shift from faith-based spirituality to knowing-based spirituality. For many people, overcoming OCD involves relearning and/or reorienting your belief system in a way that isn’t dictated by OCD.
All the Best!
Thank you so much for what you have published here. This is was convinced me I had OCD – scrupulosity. I took your article to the Doctor and discussed it with him. As a result he changed my medication and has referred me for CBT.
I have spent 12 years being told I was anxious and depressed, but that never fitted for me as I knew my thoughts were always religious and I thought I was being punished for sins, or ignored by God or having it confirmed that God doesn’t exist because I’m not feeling any better.
I have started blogging about my experience as a way of giving my thoughts a release or some kind of exposure to the big bad world. I have linked to your site as one of the main saving moments I realised what I was suffering.
I hope anyone who has scrupulous thoughts can find access to your articles because it changed my whole world. I re-read it to help me remember it’s OCD. I’m slowly on the road to recovery I hope.
I’m so happy to hear that the article was helpful. Scrupulosity can be extremely confusing–at first, it can feel nearly impossible to know where religious beliefs end and OCD begins… However, stick with your treatment, work hard, and your efforts will pay off. BTW, your blog looks great! Thanks for helping spread the word about scrupulosity.
Wishing you the best in your recovery!
Thanks for the article. My husband suffers from this, since he was a child. I’m really trying to get him help but not quite sure who to turn to. He’s spoken to hundreds of pastors through the years, and our pastor has talked to him on numerous occasions. How would you recommend finding someone local who can help? I suppose it is time we sought help from a psychiatrist? This is crippling to him, I’m watching him waste away with worry, obsessions, and compulsions.
Check out the ocfoundation.org database for therapists who have experience working with scrupulosity. Psychiatrists can also be helpful–as with other forms of OCD, the SSRIs are thought to be a first-line treatment. Medication combined with therapy may be your best course of action. Good luck!
What is the treatment? I have a daughter that is so Happy about your web site that she knows now she is not alone & understands what she has.
However, surely there is an effective treatment. What is it?
Thank You!
Even before I knew what it was, scrupulosity manifested itself in my actions as a school girl. I compulsively wrote the sentence ‘if the Lord wills’ after everything I wrote, whether it was a journal entry or a question on a test at school. I was raised in a conservative church of Christ, and its teachings reinforced the tendencies I probably had anyway. After trying for some years to do everything right, I took another 20 years or so ‘off’, not thinking about God at all. Though this allowed me to live more peacefully at a certain level, deep down I knew that not walking with God was going to send me to Hell. I should at least try. But now that I am in ‘trying’ mode again, I am scared of God again. Everything I read in the Bible is through the filters of fear and judgment. My image of God is one of a strict, exacting being who monitors my every thought and action–and always finds me coming up short. The very mindset that I must try to do everything ‘by the book’ makes me want to avoid this God. I try to draw near, but though I know He loves me, the fear of His discipline (I think of it as discipline now instead of judgment) is ever with me. It is like walking on eggshells. I go to church with a very strict and unyielding lot of church of Christers who preach truth; but I have no love for truth. The very idea of its exacting standard torments me night and day. I am so filled with anger and hatred toward God and others that it feels like demons must possess me. I don’t know how much longer I can go on.
Hi Laura,
Many individuals with scrupulosity find that their personal beliefs about God differ from the beliefs that their scrupulosity tries to impose on them. As you reintegrate back into your church, it might be helpful to do some belief clarification with a therapist who has expertise in scrupulosity.
Wishing you the best with this!
Thank you for your response to my comments, Dr. Seay.
Laura
Laura, I know your spiritual abuse far too well!
Thank you Steven,
This has been very helpful for me, I been suffering from the specific Scrupulous thoughts of, “Do I really believe in God” and, “Why do I believe what I believe?”. I have been diving feet first into Christian Apologetics and texts/books that help me to both strengthen my faith and and my philosophical and historical arguments for my faith and belief in God. This helps me immensely and even allows me to further strengthen my foundations in Christ however, these scrupulous thoughts still pain me often. Its really frustrating to feel so alone in these thoughts and just reading this discussion and article have been so helpful.
Thank you!
Scrupulosity can be very difficult to manage. Glad the article and discussion have been helpful! Wishing you all the best with this…
dr,great blog,i hv no idea how could u find out the symptoms which sufferer cant notify it easily,great work,i am ocd sufferer,i hv doubt abt god existence,some time i think god exist some times not,when i see human mental illness,science ,pet dogs,i used to think god does not exist,but when i think human soul,heart and brain,that make me believe god exist,i am fighting in between that,another one view of mine none of holy scripture is have enough words,enough miracle to make me believe,i think so,i hvnot read all of it, what should i do doctor,what s doctor opinion abt god existence.and whats ur advice for me doctor…
My husband suffers from this since highschool. About all the symptoms named he has. He has it very bad. He’s medication has been doubled this year by a Physicatrist. Thanks for posting this. This helps me as his wife understand him better and give him the space he needs in order to get better instead of just adding more to it.
Good thourough article.
Dr. Seay,
I have not yet been diagnosed with OCD or scrupulosity. But here is what my life has been like. At 6 years old I cried all of the time. I told my mother that my thoughts got all mixed up in my head. I would say I love the devil and hate God. This scared me so bad. But my mom was able to convince me that I didn’t really feel that way. I was always afraid of religious pictures. I had depression off and on all through high school, but my mom could talk me through it. When I was 17 I had a bad flu and mom moved be down stairs where I slept in the living room. She had the picture of Jesus knocking on the door with no doorknob and i was terrified of that picture. I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior when I was 16 years old. Things go better after that then when I was in my early 20′s we were attending a Baptist church and i started going forward every altar call believing that I wasn’t saved. This went on until I changed churches. I have been on antidepressants for 25 years and am still uncomfortable in church. I have better times and then really bad times. Sometimes when I pray, bad words will just come out in the prayer, needless to say this scares me to death. After so long of suffering this, I start to feel angry at God because He won’t deliver me from this and then that scares me to death. Does this sound like I could have scrupulosity? I am seeing a new doctor next week and would like to talk to him about this. Thank you for listening.
Dr. Seay,
I have not yet been diagnosed with OCD or scrupulosity. But here is what my life has been like. At 6 years old I cried all of the time. I told my mother that my thoughts got all mixed up in my head. I would say I love the devil and hate God. This scared me so bad. But my mom was able to convince me that I didn’t really feel that way. I was always afraid of religious pictures. I had depression off and on all through high school, but my mom could talk me through it. When I was 17 I had a bad flu and mom moved be down stairs where I slept in the living room. She had the picture of Jesus knocking on the door with no doorknob and i was terrified of that picture. I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior when I was 16 years old. Things go better after that then when I was in my early 20′s we were attending a Baptist church and i started going forward every altar call believing that I wasn’t saved. This went on until I changed churches. I have been on antidepressants for 25 years and am still uncomfortable in church. I have better times and then really bad times. Sometimes when I pray, bad words will just come out in the prayer, needless to say this scares me to death. After so long of suffering this, I start to feel angry at God because He won’t deliver me from this and then that scares me to death. Does this sound like I could have scrupulosity? I am seeing a new doctor next week and would like to talk to him about this. Thank you for listening.
Thank you for the careful list of symptoms of scrupulosity. It helped me to strengthen my resistance to them. My best help has come from seroxat type treatment.
I HAVE SCRUPULOSITY AND HAD FEARS OF BAD THINGS HAPPENING BECAUSE I WOULD GET MAD A T GOD AND PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE DEVIL AND THEN I WOULD CALM DOWN AFTER REALIZING WHAT I DID AND BEG FOR FORGIVENESS
Hello,
My son is 22 and is afraid of doing anything wrong in the fear that only perfect people go to heaven, the vast majority go to purgatory, and others to the fire of hell. I myself get very disturbed when the kids are told to read books like the visions of hell, about stigmata’s, etc. No amount of confession, discussion, proof, or critical thinking helps. Additionally since he has not heard God, Jesus, visions of Mary, the saints, or any other “miracles of the Catholic Church”, he feels he is not holy enough like Padre Pio, etc. like anything does wrong and he is thrown to the fires of hell. There is discussion of the dark knight of the soul in my house and I do not participate in this. The vast majority of discussion is on negativity focused on avoiding purgatory and hell, whereas I continuously say that God is endless love and if the sin is venial, confess, repent, and do the will of God. How can I possibly help my son in this environment, it is tearing up my house. And also, Catholicism is not one of the perfect criteria to go to heaven. Even having thoughts of looking at a female makes him not perfect and doomed based on what the saints say. Talking to my sister who was recommended yoga exercises by therapists due to a spinal cord injury is talking to the devil and should be avoid, this is driving me crazy, too extreme, and I believe is having a significant impact on my son.
Thanks in advance
omg, all those symptoms of scrupulosity match me. I have an excessive fear of going to hell and there are certain bible verses that enter my mind which makes me feel like I am not worthy of heaven. I am 21 and I am the only one in my family who became born-again on Jan 2013 and they don’t even know about it. I have a huge fear that my family members are going to hell and I am scared of sharing my faith with my family members because of my lack of confidence. I think the biggest mistake I’ve ever made was reading all of the near death experiences of people going to hell and I cannot get my mind off the torment that my family members and I can possibly suffer. I have anger towards god in my heart and sometimes I even regret getting saved. Scrupulosity is the worst mental torment ever.
(continuation)
Also, I am afraid of reading the bible, especially the old testament because I feel like god was so cruel which is blasphemy. I also have thoughts of God being so pompous and arrogant whenever I come across verses in the bible about God talking about his glory and holiness. I am literally afraid of opening up the bible because I don’t want to come across bible verses about hell. Revelations is the scariest chapter ever and I always avoid it. I have read about people feeling peace and joy when they read the bible. I only feel fear and anger whenever I start reading the bible. I sometimes wish I wasn’t born.
Hi Steven
Thanks for posting this information. I’ve recently detected
I have had religious OCD for a while now too. It actually confuses me a lot. I sometimes don’t know what is real and what’s not. Lately, i keep worrying about making a vow of celibacy, but Im married! I’ll start to think if I do a certain thing it will mean that so sometimes I will deliberately think or pray that it doesn’t mean anything or Im not doing it as long as i do or dom’t do some other thing. Even though it is a result of my OCD if i deliberately say that to make myself feel better or be able to do what I want and i don’t follow through, will God hold me to that? I keep coming across scriptures about keeping vows and following Christ and I’m worried
I don’t want to make a vow just to clarify