OCD and Breaking Promises. Please help!!!!

ScaredyCat · Apr 11, 2011

Hi everyone!

I am pretty certain that I have OCD, though I have not been to a therapist to talk about this problem. Lately, I have had intrusive thoughts involving promises to God. For example, I will be driving down the road when I think something like "God, I promise not to smoke or you can punish me severely." Or "God, I promise not to speed today or you can kill me." I do not really mean these things ... they just sort of pop into my head. The more I try to stop making these promises, the more they pop into my head. Do you think that God will punish me if I break these promises, even though I do not mean them? Or does he understand that I do not want these thoughts and then just sort of ignore the promises? Please help! I have been experiencing so much anxiety about this! I have tried to talk to friends and family, but they just do not understand.

hollyda · Apr 11, 2011

Or does he understand that I do not want these thoughts and then just sort of ignore the promises?

This.

First of all, I hope you don't mind taking advice from an atheist, but I have suffered from OCD for the last twenty years or so. I've been on three medications and am currently seeing a therapist. My OCD is manageable, and I want to do everything I can to help others who are suffering.

OCD is often caused by a lack of a brain-chemical called seratonin. When you have an unwanted thought (which everyone does, all the time, every day), and cannot brush it off, fighting it becomes a mental finger-trap. The less you want it, the more you have it. The more compulsions you give in to, the more your anxiety heightens. Since you have not seen a doctor, I strongly recommend you go to one as soon as possible.

Obsessive thoughts are unwanted and essentially "not you." If God is there, he knows you have these thoughts against your will and acknowledges them as being "other" or "irregular." OCD is a medically verified disease and it affects 1/3 people, the same statistical amount of people that have asthma. Since you are suffering from unwanted thoughts of a religious nature, I recommend visiting this link: Religious OCD - Why it's Different: A Comparison of Religious OCD with Other Forms

As I said, I strongly urge you to schedule an arrangement with a therapist. What you described sounds like OCD, but only a professional is able to diagnose you and prescribe treatment. In the meantime, I hope you find some sort of peace with this information and the information from fellow Christians. The most important thing to note is YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN YOUR THOUGHTS.

canamer · Apr 11, 2011

At the end of the day you just have to remind yourself that God made you and that he knows you better than yourself. If your desire is to please God in your life do you not think he knows that?

I believe he certainly does know the true desire of our hearts.

God knows which thoughts are truly 'ours' and which ones are not. All of our OCD thoughts are unwanted. We don't want to think them. And, as the previous poster already said, OCD's nature is such that when we try to fight those thoughts we just get 'stuck' all the more on them.

It's a very challenging and trying situation. I can stand before all of you and say that without God I would've given up on myself a long time ago over OCD. It's just so overwhelming at times. Last night, I was lying in bed and my head just felt like I was going to explode because I was so anxious. So, I prayed for peace and you know what... I got it. Continually commit your struggle to God. He knows all about it and cares about you.

I'm not saying don't go to the doctor or don't take medication. God is a common sense God. Do what you have to do but remember that when you reach the end of your resources that that's just when God's grace and help begins for you. Above all, don't try to get through this alone. You're doing the exact right thing by opening up and sharing your thoughts. Yes, many people won't understand you. But, everybody on here that has OCD WILL UNDERSTAND YOU and that I can guarantee you... we all have a really good idea of how you're feeling right now - trust me on that! You're not alone!

Jesusisgood · Apr 19, 2011

I used to have that same problem and God is there. He knows you dont mean those promises and He understands its from OCD. I was so terrified before and now i feel God's grace that I dont have to worry. dont be afraid to walk out of your ocd and pray for God's help

You will be okay and God isnt looking for a broken promise but a hand in need of his guidance.ill be Praying for you tonight

lutherangerman · Apr 20, 2011

Like the others said, try to ignore the problem.

If it persists, go to a pastor. Jesus said we shall not make oaths and I think that includes promises. In ancient jewish society, someone who made a vow to God was supposed to keep it by all means. But there are accounts in the bible about where this is going if we're not ethical about it. For example, there was a man who vowed to God to give God the first thing coming out of the gate to his lot if God would grant him victory in war. Well, he got victory and came home and the first to greet him was his daughter. So this ancient jew felt compelled to sacrifice his daughter to God.

I was very distressed by reading this, but then I went to ask jews about this and they said that in such cases the man who made such a vow was supposed to go to the high priest to annull such a vow.

Now we have a high priest in Jesus. Sure, He wants us to be honest and to keep promises if we had to make them. But He can always annull them.

So if your problem persists and you really think it's getting out of hand, visit a pastor or a priest if you're catholic, and ask him to annull all these promises and to pray for you finding christian liberaty and a clear head again. Jesus will by all means respond and help you, He is your elder brother, and our compassionate and merciful High Priest!

gracealone · Apr 20, 2011

Good Advice Holly! Although I'm a Christian I go to non-Christian Doctor's for a lot of other health concerns. It's often hard for Christians to seek help from a non-Christian therapist for their OCD which is sometimes because, too many other Christians will not acknowledge that it's a real disorder rather than a spiritual problem. Some Christians will even condemn the person with OCD for having these intrusive thoughts as if they chose them. The only way OCD affects us spiritually is that it can either strenghten our faith or cause us to despair just as any other affliction or trial would.
Thank you for caring.
Mitzi

hollyda said:
This.

First of all, I hope you don't mind taking advice from an atheist, but I have suffered from OCD for the last twenty years or so. I've been on three medications and am currently seeing a therapist. My OCD is manageable, and I want to do everything I can to help others who are suffering.

OCD is often caused by a lack of a brain-chemical called seratonin. When you have an unwanted thought (which everyone does, all the time, every day), and cannot brush it off, fighting it becomes a mental finger-trap. The less you want it, the more you have it. The more compulsions you give in to, the more your anxiety heightens. Since you have not seen a doctor, I strongly recommend you go to one as soon as possible.

Obsessive thoughts are unwanted and essentially "not you." If God is there, he knows you have these thoughts against your will and acknowledges them as being "other" or "irregular." OCD is a medically verified disease and it affects 1/3 people, the same statistical amount of people that have asthma. Since you are suffering from unwanted thoughts of a religious nature, I recommend visiting this link: Religious OCD - Why it's Different: A Comparison of Religious OCD with Other Forms

As I said, I strongly urge you to schedule an arrangement with a therapist. What you described sounds like OCD, but only a professional is able to diagnose you and prescribe treatment. In the meantime, I hope you find some sort of peace with this information and the information from fellow Christians. The most important thing to note is YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN YOUR THOUGHTS.

gracealone · Apr 20, 2011

lutherangerman said:
Hey lutherman,
While I understand that you post this out of a compassionate heart that wants to help you must remember that she said she didn't want the thoughts. They were intrusive and unwanted, not at all intentional.
If she goes to a Pastor or a priest to try and get then annulled she will actually be performing a compulsion in response to the thoughts. This will then cause her brain to mark them as valid/important emergencies that need attending to. Then the viscious cycle will go on. She'll think of them even more and feel a great urgency to undo them. So I'm going to disagree with this portion of your counsel because with OCD doing this sort of thing will only make the disorder worse. I hope you understand why I'm saying that.
Thank you though for your obvious empathy and compassion. Clearly you are a kind and caring individual.
God Bless,
Mitzi

gracealone · Apr 20, 2011

Hi Cat,
I agree with Holly's counsel. This does sound like pretty classic OCD but seeing a professional who understands how to treat these disorders is a good idea. One thing I'd look for in doing that is finding one who understands how to use ERP and understands the form of OCD called Pure "O".
Praying for you,
Mitzi

ScaredyCat said:
Hi everyone!

I am pretty certain that I have OCD, though I have not been to a therapist to talk about this problem. Lately, I have had intrusive thoughts involving promises to God. For example, I will be driving down the road when I think something like "God, I promise not to smoke or you can punish me severely." Or "God, I promise not to speed today or you can kill me." I do not really mean these things ... they just sort of pop into my head. The more I try to stop making these promises, the more they pop into my head. Do you think that God will punish me if I break these promises, even though I do not mean them? Or does he understand that I do not want these thoughts and then just sort of ignore the promises? Please help! I have been experiencing so much anxiety about this! I have tried to talk to friends and family, but they just do not understand.

hollyda · Apr 20, 2011

gracealone said:
Good Advice Holly! Although I'm a Christian I go to non-Christian Doctor's for a lot of other health concerns. It's often hard for Christians to seek help from a non-Christian therapist for their OCD which is sometimes because, too many other Christians will not acknowledge that it's a real disorder rather than a spiritual problem. Some Christians will even condemn the person with OCD for having these intrusive thoughts as if they chose them. The only way OCD affects us spiritually is that it can either strenghten our faith or cause us to despair just as any other affliction or trial would.
Thank you for caring.
Mitzi

Thanks.

OCD can be absolutely crippling. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. When it comes to treatment, identifying someone in need, or just assuring them they are not wrong or abnormal because of what they can't control...to me, that (like many, many things) transcends ideological differences.

I really hope the OP got some help.

lutherangerman · Apr 20, 2011

Hey gracealone, I know what you mean. I just thought it would be approbriate if the problem persists and if ScaredyCat can't handle the issue anymore. We are christians who can rely on Jesus, not just in faith but also by going to a pastor or to a priest. They are in their function for such purposes. Jesus gladly helps us, He is not a distant or judgmental God. He is our friend who wants us to live in peace and to increase our happiness in Him. Just ignoring the issue may work so I have suggested it too, but if it gets out of hand (which I have also witnessed happening in my life), then going to the pastor with it may be a necessary step.

dwatson659 · Apr 20, 2011

Bless your heart. Sounds like me.. But I worry about health issues they just pop in my head and cause me great anxiety. Doctors aren't from the devil, they have incredible knowledge...I went and now I'm trying to recover. Find a good Christian Therapist too.

Tanner92 · Apr 11, 2014

Scardy Cat, how are you dealing with this almost three years later, I am having the same thoughts and I was wondering you could give me any advise on the situation. After I say these things in my head I am incredibly scared and regretful. Please if you have any advice I would appreciate it.

SeekingHisHope · Dec 19, 2014

Can Christianity Cure Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?: A Psychiatrist Explores the Role of Faith in Treatment by Ian Osborn MD

Cola Seven · Dec 1, 2015

Romans 8:26-27 - [26]In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. [27]And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God.

Does this apply to vows that we personally make to God in our own head, just as much as it applies to other things that we pray for?

Does this mean that the Holy Spirit will void some of our vows the moment we say them to God?

Cola Seven · Dec 1, 2015

Romans 8:26-27 - [26]In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. [27]And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God.

Does this apply to vows that we personally make to God in our own head, just as much as it applies to other things that we pray for?

Does this mean that the Holy Spirit will void some of our vows the moment we say them to God?

Cola Seven · Feb 2, 2016

The Bible gives examples of where following through on your own oath to God is a sin:

Judges 11:29-40 -- Jephthah offered his daughter as a burnt sacrifice (Which means that she was killed and slaughtered for this sacrifice like an animal, if you interpret this story literally.).

1 Samuel 14:24-48 -- Saul promised under oath to have his his son Jonathan killed.

1 Samuel 25:1-39 -- David promised under oath to have every male in Nabal's household killed.

Matthew 14:1-12 -- Herod promised under oath to have John the Baptist killed.

Acts 23:12-35 -- More than forty Hebrews promised under oath to not eat anything until they killed Paul.

Since these pop-up vows prevent us from living a productive life, and God wants us to live a productive life, maybe it's a sin to follow through on our vows. I'm not saying this to offend anyone. If it's a sin to follow through on our vows, then we don't need to follow them. Then it's NOT a sin to NOT follow through on our vows.

OCD and Breaking Promises. Please help!!!!

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