When Faith Becomes Fear: Understanding Religious OCD

Majority of individuals perceive OCD as a hand-washing or over cleaning disorder or an unending fear of being contaminated. The representation of OCD germs is so often used, that is widely recognized and turned into a kind of stereotype. This is certainly a typical variant of OCD but other forms of it may also be equally devastating and very little known. One of them is the Religious OCD, also referred to as scrupulosity.

This type of OCD is not concerned with physical dirt or germs; but with moral or spiritual purity. Rather than worrying about dirty hands, those with Religious OCD might have obsession about the purity of their thoughts, prayers, or actions such that they can be considered of the righteousness required by their religion.

What is Religious OCD?

Religious OCD is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder in which the obsessions revolve around religion, morality or spirituality. Those who are plagued by this type usually have intrusive thoughts that conflict with their religion. As much as the person does not desire them, these thoughts can be offensive, sinful or even blasphemous.

They can do compulsions to alleviate the distress. These may involve repeating prayers until they perceive it as perfect, confessing sins repeatedly or not going to a place where they may violate a religious rule. Similar to OCD germs, the person could wash his or her hands many times to eliminate contamination fears, in Religious OCD, the person could perform rituals repeatedly and over and over again to eliminate guilt or doubt.

Religious OCD vs. OCD Germs

Religious OCD may appear extremely different on the face of it and contamination OCD. In OCD germs, it is normally the fear of dirt, sickness or illness. The individuals can fear being infected, contaminating loved ones, or being contaminated through interactions with unclean objects.

In the case of Religious OCD, the fear is more symbolic. It is not the hands it is the hands of the germs but the moral contamination. A thought of doubt that comes by may seem to a person like a spiritual blemish. They can be afraid that they have not prayed correctly, or have not obeyed a rule to perfection, and it has made God angry or hurt their relationship with their religion.

These two themes are different, but they have the same cycle: intrusive thoughts cause anxiety and compulsions alleviate the anxiety temporarily, but never permanently. The OCD is intensified by the more the compulsions are carried out.

The Two are similar in a number of ways

Religious OCD and OCD germs may appear to be opposite to each other, however, these two processes work rather similarly. They both are obsessed with undesirable intrusive thoughts, which cause distress. It may be in contamination OCD, where the thought may be, I have touched something dirty, I will become ill. In OCD in religion, it might be, I did not pray properly, God will punish me.

Both are also based on compulsions. A person having OCD germs may wash their hands in dozens of time during a day and a person with Religious OCD may waste hours in repeating prayers or confessing. The idea behind them is similar: to become less anxious and to feel secure.

What is threatening to one is the germs, to the other, the sin. However, their essence is that they are variants of the same disorder.

What is Unique about Religious OCD

The reason why Religious OCD is so painful is that it is closely related to the identity of a person. Religion and conscience are usually the main focus of how individuals view themselves and as OCD captures the beliefs, it may seem like the condition is assaulting the very foundation of their identity.

Religious OCD has compulsions which are usually not apparent. On the one hand, a person with OCD germs might spend hours cleaning his hands, and on the other hand, a person with Religious OCD might repeat his or her prayers silently or recount his or her day with sins. They might appear peaceful to an outsider, but deep inside they are engaged in a war which does not even appear to have a conclusion.

Guilt is another peculiar quality. Individuals afflicted with this type of OCD are usually extremely ashamed of thoughts they are incapable of controlling. It might seem to them that the presence of a blasphemous thought makes them bad, sinful, or unworthy, although the intrusive thoughts do not reflect the nature of them.

The Overlap of Morality and Germs

In some cases, the Religious and contamination OCD are combined. One may not simply be afraid of being infected by germs due to the health reasons but also because of being considered a symbol of impurity or sin. Washing their hands can also be not only a matter of hygiene but also a matter of washing up spiritually.

This ambiguity is capable of blurring the distinction between physical and moral fears. Is it about washing of the bacteria, or is it about spiritual cleansing? To most individuals, it is both, and the cycle of OCD becomes even difficult to get out of.

Symptoms indicative of its possibility as being religious OCD

Since most religions promote prayer, confession and moral introspection, it is easy to lose track of when religious devotion turns into OCD. The most prominent indicator is that the behavior is motivated by fear and it does not get to a point of being enough.

One can even use hours of prayer but cannot be satisfied that the prayer was right. They can repent indefinitely and yet they are not forgiven. They can simply skip religious services as they are afraid of sinning in the process. Faith is not the cause of peace or comfort, but it is a source of anxiety.

Effects of Religious OCD on Life

OCD in religion can really impact on life. It may result in spiritual fatigue, when the practice of faith ceases to be rewarding but makes a person afraid. It is also capable of ruining relationships since the individual will always be in need of assurance by relatives, clergy or friends. Work and school are likely to be impaired since a lot of time is devoted to rituals or review of the mind.

Worst still, Religious OCD may make people alienate themselves to their beliefs. What brought them hope is now a cause of pain and some might stop religious practices altogether just to get out of the fear process.

Finding Peace Again

Religious OCD may put an individual into a state between their beliefs and their anxieties. Nevertheless, one can regain peace. When treated, a great number of individuals become balanced as their spiritual practices are comforting rather than distressing. They get to understand how to exist with the indefiniteness, how to be content with the idea that thoughts are but thoughts, and how to rejoin their faith in more wholesome ways.

Similar to the individuals with OCD germs developing the idea that a small amount of dirt is not harmful, individuals with the Religious OCD can also develop the notion that the intrusive thoughts or flawed rituals are not an indicator of failure. Recovery is not about abandoning faith it is about regaining it under the control of OCD.

Final Thoughts

One of the not so famous yet very profound kinds of OCD is religious OCD. It might not include the use of soap, water and apparent pollution but its impact can be as consuming as OCD germs. It remains after all the same obsession, compulsion, and distress cycle.

It can greatly help to identify the symptoms, get assistance, and deal with the treatment. With the appropriate level of support, the fear, guilt can be put aside and life can be lived where faith, morality, and spirituality can make sense rather than cause one to feel anxious.

In case of your struggle with Religious OCD or that of your friend, you should remember that you are not alone. At OCD-Anxiety.com
There is a support and resources which can help you find the road towards recovery.