OCD

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What It Feels Like:

OCD often feels like being stuck in a loop of intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors that feel impossible to ignore. You may have persistent worries, images, or doubts (obsessions) that cause intense anxiety, and you try to relieve this anxiety through specific actions or rituals (compulsions), like checking, cleaning, counting, or seeking reassurance. It can be exhausting, like your brain won’t let you rest until something feels “just right.” You may recognize that the thoughts or behaviors are irrational, but the fear of not doing them feels worse. Many people with OCD also wrestle with guilt, shame, or confusion about their thoughts.

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Psychologically Speaking:

OCD is an anxiety disorder that involves unwanted, intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors aimed at reducing distress. The cycle is maintained because the temporary relief gained from the compulsion reinforces the behavior, making it harder to stop. OCD can be linked to neurological factors and often involves overactive threat detection in the brain.

 

Christian Perspective:

One of the hardest parts of OCD for Christians is when the obsessions take on a religious or moral tone, often referred to as "scrupulosity." You may feel like you’re constantly sinning or that you need to confess, pray a certain way, or seek reassurance to feel “right” with God. Let me be clear, these thoughts are not reflective of your faith or character. God sees your heart. Scripture tells us that we have peace with God through Christ (Romans 5:1), not through perfect rituals or constant self-policing. OCD does not mean that you are failing spiritually. Instead, it’s simply a mental health struggle that God is more than able to meet you in.

 

Struggling With OCD? Try This:

One helpful strategy from CBT for OCD is called exposure and response prevention (ERP). The idea is to gently expose yourself to the fear without giving in to the compulsion. For example, if you feel the need to repeatedly check that the door is locked, try walking away after one check and sitting with the discomfort that arises. Of course this is going to feel hard at first, but over time, this retrains your brain not to see the situation as dangerous. As a Christian, this is a great opportunity to practice surrendering this to God. Try telling yourself something along the lines of "It is no longer my responsibility to worry about this and I will trust that You (God) are taking care of it." and "Lord, even if the worst happens, I trust You." The goal isn’t to eliminate all of your anxiety at once, but to learn how to tolerate it without letting it run your life. And when the intrusive thoughts come, remind yourself, “This is not who I am. I am not my thoughts. I belong to God.” Over time you can retrain your brain to no longer hold these compulsions to such a high level of importance in your life and true healing can begin.

 

Final Thoughts:

OCD can be incredibly isolating, especially when it makes you question your faith, your morality, or your sanity. But you are not alone, and you are not broken. Many Christians walk this road and find healing through therapy, community, and the steady grace of God. You don’t need to be “perfect” in your thoughts or actions, and quite frankly you will never come close to being perfect in anything you do. The most important thing is that you keep showing up. Healing is possible. Your value is not measured by your thoughts but by your Creator. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help. There is never any shame in needing support or talking to a therapist or mental health professional, as they can help greatly in your journey towards freedom.