OCD/Scrupulosity Group

Hi everyone. Keep the good fight going. My fear of "the unforgivable sin" has been wanting to rear it's ugly head in my mind. It makes me want to doubt my past confessions and everything. I'm doing ok though. As we all know there is nothing God will not forgive, but my mind wants to go back to when I would read all these protestant things. Please pray for me, I am doing ok, I will pray for all here in the Scrupulosity area. Jesus is with you. Satan's tricks is no match for our Lord.

Hi John1990,
I'm not sure of the best way to overcome scrupulosity, but here's some things that have helped me in the past.
- Having a regular spiritual guidance director. If you can't find one, maybe you could go to Confession regularly with the same priest. He will likely get to know you and help with the scrupulosity over time. Possibly start out by going to Confession on Saturday afternoon, followed by receiving Holy Communion at Mass. That way, you can receive the graces offered by both Sacraments as well as guidance from a priest.
- Sometimes people with scrupulosity focus on the fear of God a great deal more than on the love of God. Maybe reading or listening to lectures on the love of God would be helpful. Among other things, a daily audio meditation on the love of God was helpful for me. There are times that I just don't feel the love of God. My spiritual director said that I need to focus on what I know rather than on what I feel. We know of the love of God through the crucifixion and death of His Son.
- Focusing on others. Doing volunteer work or helping someone else can get us to focus on something other than our ocd thoughts.
- Lastly, don't give in to the negative thoughts. Think positive. The enemy may want us to feel hopeless and that everything we do is a mortal sin. However, this is not reality. When those thoughts crop up, don't subscribe to them. Recognize that it's ocd and move on. Believe that with God, all things are possible. Believe that you can and will overcome this with time, guidance, trust and patience.
Hope some of this helps! Blessings to All!

As you know John1990 the Lord is merciful and he see your struggles in life you should continue to receive Holy Communion . I'm in the same boat as you I always fall back. that's as far as I can help my prayers are with yuo. God Bless

Does anyone know the best way to overcome scrupulosity? I would go to confession, but I always fall back into the same old sins. I feel that everything I do is a mortal sin, hence I haven't recieved Holy Communion in the past 3 years.....but I do go to mass on Sundays.

Hello Heaven2001! The first thing I would recommend is to just relax. I know this sounds easy but hard to do. I have had moments where my mind starts to race and go in all sorts of directions, worrying about everything thing that needs to get done and I almost just freak out. That is when I catch myself and realize my mind is racing and I just force myself to calm down and realize these thoughts can not hurt me.

So the same goes for you, DO NOT fear these thoughts, they will only get worse if you fear or dwell on them. It is like dumping gas on a fire. When this starts to happen, just realize you have been there before and just calm your mind down. Maybe say some Hail Marys or the Lord's prayer. Ask your Guardian Angel to protect you or ask Jesus for help. Then just let the thoughts just flow right out of your mind.

If you panic or get anxious that will not help, trust me, I have been there and it just makes it worse. Like the Priest have said, they are just thoughts. I would call them intrusive thoughts, they are thoughts you do not want and do not consent to.

Everyone gets intrusive thoughts, with OCD you will probably get them more frequently and the Scrupulosity will confuse you and try to make you think they are your thoughts. Sometimes I have a hard time separating if it is my thought or a intrusive thought. Usually a key difference is, if you do not like the thought or it makes you sick, then it is probably a intrusive thought. The key here as far as sin goes, if you do not consent to the thought there is no sin. So if a intrusive thought that is impure or Blasphemous or any other sinful thought crosses your mind and you do not put your will behind it, there is not sin. Now if you take that thought and build it up, or keep it going or sit and enjoy it and keep it in your mind then that thought would become sinful, at that point you have used your will.

If things keep getting worse you might want to try and get a appointment with a Priest and see if he can give you some good advice face to face. If that still does not work, you might want to look for a good Catholic Therapist that could help you get this situation under control.

Another key thing to remember is that unwanted and intrusive thoughts are not our fault. Unless you know for sure you are creating them or encouraging them, then you are not responsible. This all comes down to the act of the will.

God Bless!

Hello everyone I'm in need of help. Yesterday I went to confession and did what I felt was a whole hearted confession and own some thoughts which I thought were my own and I felt good the rest of the day. Today once I walk into the church I began to feel scared and thoughts kept rushing through my head, I try my best not to go into confession but in the end I did. But today thoughts have not stopped no priest has ever mentioned that I may have scrupulosity, they kept telling me there just thoughts.
Do any of you feel that sometime you really do bring the thoughts on and doubt yourself asking yes or no did I bring the thought.

Does anyone know what I need to do, please I need help my family don't know how to help me. Please

Thankyou Maria 1993 and Mustang1971 I'm try to stay positive and remind myself I'm a child of the Lord. That he will forgive me

Hello Heaven2001! Maria has given you some very good advice. I would also recommend that you do not panic or fear the thoughts. Like is like dumping fuel on a fire. Just know like Maria said these are not your thoughts, just let them slide right out of your mind.

I have posted this link many time before on this page, but it helped me a lot.

http://jimmyakin.com/2005/04/a_crown_of_thor.html

God Bless!

Hello everyone, I hope you are all well. God bless you all

Hey there heaven. I had the same thing. It affected me deeply. I could not eat or anything, suffered terrible anxiety from it. Not to mention those pesky thoughts. Do not feel guilt from that. They are not your thoughts, do not own them. I recommend you look up the 10 commandments for the scrupulous. They helped me. I recommend also to get a medal of St. Bennedict and get it blessed, or just hold it in your hand and ask God to work through it and wear it. It helped me so much, Keep some holy water in a bottle, I have some and place it on my forehead before bed. Lot's of prayer, this can be purification that od is allowing, I am not the same person I was before my scrupulosity/intrusive thoughts. That's a good thing. Make sure to tell the priest you have scruples/ intrusive thoughts. God Bless you, I know it' hard, but you CAN do it! I trust in the benedict medal and the prayer to keep satan away. Whenever you get those thoughts try saying "Jesus be with me!" That is what a priest told me and it worked.