OCD, or Mental Disorder??

pw89 · Jan 24, 2008

Hey everyone,

Just this early morning, I found this area of Christian Forums--I am not sure if I have OCD; some of the symptoms that I have seen discussed in some of the threads do seem to fit some of the thoughts and feelings that I have been having/feeling.

However, my question is this:

Relatively recently, I read an article (from a link from CF, I believe) about evil spirits/demons (I believe), curses, and other such things, specifically, I believe, in relation to exorcism/how to exorcise them/how to break the curses, and such.

From some of the thoughts I have been feeling, some of the fears that I have had, and some of the extreme panic, seeming feelings of almost an oppressive nature (oppressive sensations on my chest, stomach, back, and possibly elsewhere) that I know are in/from my mind and a result of fears/doubts/urges or surges of panic, anxiety, or uncertainty that I am feeling (for instance, a common source of fear is Satan himself and anything related to Satan, which is made worse by the fear of Satanism, evil spirits, demons, the number 666, and (as odd as this seems), the number 888, as well, which I take or feel for some reason, to be a lucky/good number (yes, it is superstitious, I know)), I have considered the possibility that it was evil spirits/demons, possibly Satan or the devil himself, within me.

My question is: How do you know it is not evil spirits, demons, or Satan or the devil himself, inhabiting you, OR that it is not Satan telling your mind lies and inducing fear, and that indeed it is simply OCD or a mental disorder?

I am sorry if I offended anyone by this post; I am praying that I did not.

Sorry, again, though, if I did.

Thank You, very much.

-pw

gracealone · Jan 24, 2008

Hi PW,
I'm not really fond of this saying but it fits just here - "been there, done that". When I was a young woman I heard a missionary speak at our church who suggested that a born again Christian could be possessed or controlled by a demon or evil spirit. As if the Holy Spirit was so weak that He had to share the temple of my body with satan. My OCD grabbed onto that in an instant and I spent months fighting that particular obsession because of those feelings of oppression that you mentioned. But if we begin to use our feelings as a measurement of truth we will be changing our minds about things as often as the weather changes.
The scripture teaches very clearly that Christians cannot be possessed by satan - "the evil one touches them not".
What you are experiencing is a symptom of your OCD. A dreadful, doubt filled thought called a "spike". OCD is not the result of satanic influences any more than diabetes, high blood pressure, heart conditions, epilepsy, etc. It is the result of the fall in the same way all illness are. "The whole of creation groans under the weight of sin." The anxiety response of OCD which tends to latch onto themes that we hold near and dear is the result of imbalanced chemistry in our brains which causes us to have an overreactive and inappropriate fight or flight response to things that others can just simply shrug off.
This does not mean that satan doesn't seek to use our illnesses to his advantage. Just as he tempted Job to despair and the apostle Paul to think that his affliction somehow stood in the way of God's work in and through him. But Paul finally grasped that his affliction, was allowed by God for a reason. In order to keep him humble and fully dependant upon the strength and power of God. He finally said: "I will therefore glory in my afflicition that the power of Christ may rest upon me, for when I am weak, I am strong". Strong in the sufficiency of God's grace.
When those thoughts of demon possession pop into your brain you simply must treat them as a symptom of your OCD. Which means that you must not begin to ruminate and endlessly struggle against them. You have to do your level best to ignore them and shift your focus to something else. The more attention you give to them the more stuck they become in your head.
I hope this helps sort it out a bit for you.
Praying for you,
Mitzi

seajoy · Jan 24, 2008

Good stuff from Mitzi.

My advice would be to see your doctor. You do sound like an ocd'er. No need for you to "go this alone" any longer. There is help for this illness.....and that's what it is, an illness.

Welcome to our group of folks who understand.

pw89 · Jan 25, 2008

Thank You, Mitzi and seajoy, for your responses and advice.

I completely agree with the fact that Satan, evil spirits, and demons cannot fill/take over a Christian's soul, one who has accepted and received Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Savior, and receives and accepts his sacrifice and price that he paid with His own life, on the cross, in order to clear that person of all his/her sins. That person has the Holy Spirit dwelling or indwelling within him/her. Consequently, evil spirits, demons, and Satan and the devil himself, cannot occupy or take over that person's soul--these entities cannot possess that person.

However, within the article, (I cannot remember if this is exactly correct...I wish I could find the article again to refer to, but I cannot--this is my guess from what I remember

I read that the evil spirits and demons can inhabit a person in other ways, such as the mind or body, or possibly heart (?--again, I do not remember exactly, this is my guess).

So, basically, evil spirits, demons, and Satan cannot inhabit the soul of a Christian (possession), but can inhabit other parts of the person (according to the article, I believe).

If this is true, how can I tell if I have OCD or another mental disorder, or if it is evil spirits, demons, and/or Satan/the devil himself occupying my mind, body, or possibly, heart? How can I tell it is not both?

Also, as for Satan being able to use OCD or any illness against a person; how can I tell it is not a lie Satan is telling me and feeding into my brain and mind? I just have a fear and sometimes a feeling that Satan is attacking my mind and making me feel/have all these feelings, thoughts, and oppression/oppressive feelings and sensations (as in physically felt feeling of oppression, as if a weight or tightness is in my chest, stomach, stomache "pit," and/or back, neck, and/or shoulders, or within these general areas), or at least, causing me to have the thoughts and feelings/sensations that lead to me to have such oppresion/oppresive physically felt sensations and feelings in these areas. Also, these sensations/feelings, and fears, oppressive or other, sometimes go away if I move my body into a different position, or try to think about/do think about the number "888"--it forms a "good feeling" in my mind and/or body, and I feel relief (at least temporary). How do I know that these surges of these feelings/sensations, doubts, and fear, and just all these things in this heightened state of feeling these feelings/sensations, fear, and paranoia, are not lies by/of Satan? How do I know spikes are not lies by/of Satan?

Thank You, very much, for the responses, and Thank You, very much, in advance for your response(s).

-pw

gracealone · Jan 25, 2008

HI PW,
Seajoy's advice to get to a Doctor is the very best. If this is OCD, and it certainly sounds like it is, then the quicker you get diagnosed and begin treatment the faster your recovery will be.
I'm quite certain that no matter how many reassurances any of us or any body else, such as a Pastor or Christian counselor offers to you about this doubt filled - fearful thought, that the feelings of doubt won't go away. This is because OCD feeds on reassurance. The continual checking to try and get certainty that everything is OK, no matter what the doubt is only gets the doubt stuck more and more in our minds. This is the compulsive activity of the disorder.
Furthermore, even if we we're being "fed lies" by satan... so what? How does this remove our volition - our free will to choose to ignore those lies and walk in obedience to Christ to the best of our ability?
People who are being influenced by satan are happy in their sin because they choose it. They are not in continual torment about it. We don't choose OCD thoughts but we can choose how we will respond to them.
Hope you'll see a Doctor soon and open up about the nature of your thoughts, the amount of time each day they plague you and most especially about the overwhelming and excruciating anxiety that they cause.
Keep us posted on how you are doing. We all understand these relentless mind battles and we really care.
Praying for you.
Mitzi

stacii · Jan 26, 2008

Any word on how you are dealing with this now? I totally struggled with this before. It actually led to my discovery of OCD and other obsessions/compulsions that I had. I suppose it was the straw that broke the camel's back because it's so so scary to think about. But Mitzi and SeaJoy both already gave you great advice, so I'll spare you any more insight. I was just looking for an update.

pw89 · Jan 27, 2008

I am alright; at times, it seems like a "slow-broiling"/"simmering"-type fear or anxiety, not really like a spike or a full-out flare--it is almost as if I can do normal things, but in the back of my mind, I am vaguely or somewhat conscious of that "slow-simmering" fear/anxiety. If I face it or think about it more, it could get worse. Also, usually, it seems that I have to face it and have a spike or flare-up (go through a period of increased emotional turbulence and turmoil) in order for the fear, anxiety, or panic to go away.

So, I do not know if it is OCD or a different type of OCD, or another mental disorder...it seems to me that from what I have read on this thread, OCD involves intrusive thoughts which seemingly come out of nowhere and the sufferer does not want to think about those thoughts, and the mind latches onto those thoughts, and the OCD sufferer obsesses over these thoughts. That certainly fit part of my condition, but there is the aspect that I described above, as well.

Either way, I am not in the best position to see a doctor about this, right now, I am at college, away from Home, and the Spring 2008 semester is about to start.

granolagurl · Jan 28, 2008

pw, just wanted to let you know that I am going through a lot of the same things that you have described. Especially the "slow simmering" anxiety. I have those thoughts in the back of my mind and they dont cause any real fear unless I pay attention to them. A positive attitude and a trust that Christ has an awesome plan for my life has been whats working for me. I just ignore the thoughts (or let them fade out) and focus my attentions on something "good, true or lovely" (phil 4:8) I know that this is easier said than done. I also have my bad days. Anyway, I will pray for you!
p.s. I am also away at college and therefore unable to see a doctor.

texastig · Feb 21, 2008

I think OCD is demonic because of the compulsiveness.
Fear is from the devil but God has not given us a spirit of fear but of Love, Power and a SOUND MIND!!!!
God can set us free. We must surrender to Him, repent of our sins, confess our sins and this will break the hold of the devil in our minds.
Thanks,
TT

Boxers1 · Feb 21, 2008

OCD is not demonic. It is an anxiety disorder where our central nervous system puts off too much anxiety and we are unable to ignore certain thoughts b/c of the adrenaline and overstimulation in our brain.

However, when OCD manifests itself with religious obsessions it is easy to think it is a spiritual issue. However, it is purely biological but can appear spiritual b/c the obsessions are of that content.

God understands OCD and knows that we need therapy and/or medication to get better. And absolutely God gives us love, power and a sound mind as we seek him in our treatment with our doctors.

Boxers1

quote=texastig;43868950]I think OCD is demonic because of the compulsiveness.
Fear is from the devil but God has not given us a spirit of fear but of Love, Power and a SOUND MIND!!!!
God can set us free. We must surrender to Him, repent of our sins, confess our sins and this will break the hold of the devil in our minds.
Thanks,
TT[/quote]

texastig · Feb 21, 2008

Boxers1 said:
OCD is not demonic. It is an anxiety disorder where our central nervous system puts off too much anxiety and we are unable to ignore certain thoughts b/c of the adrenaline and overstimulation in our brain.

However, when OCD manifests itself with religious obsessions it is easy to think it is a spiritual issue. However, it is purely biological but can appear spiritual b/c the obsessions are of that content.

God understands OCD and knows that we need therapy and/or medication to get better. And absolutely God gives us love, power and a sound mind as we seek him in our treatment with our doctors.

Boxers1

quote=texastig;43868950]I think OCD is demonic because of the compulsiveness.
Fear is from the devil but God has not given us a spirit of fear but of Love, Power and a SOUND MIND!!!!
God can set us free. We must surrender to Him, repent of our sins, confess our sins and this will break the hold of the devil in our minds.
Thanks,
TT

Boxer that does make sense. Do you think evil spirits could cause adrenaline and overstimulation in our brain?
Thanks,
TT

Jayangel81 · Feb 21, 2008

Hey TT,

As it really does seem like OCD can be spiritual, someo f the things we compulse about, our thoughts are well evil in my eyes..

For the longest time i kept asking God is i was possesed, truth is God revealed to me that Not everything is demonic or from satan. I still get paranioa but it happens.

Like boxers said this is an anxiety order of the worst kind imo. Greatest thing about it is God gives us so much love and comfort and peace at mind while we endure this illness. He also teaches us many things, i know He did with me.

I DO however believe..

that Satan and other unclean spirits can use our illness against us. but the cause of it is not spiritual.

jc9992 · Feb 21, 2008

Hey TT,

As it really does seem like OCD can be spiritual, someo f the things we compulse about, our thoughts are well evil in my eyes..

For the longest time i kept asking God is i was possesed, truth is God revealed to me that Not everything is demonic or from satan. I still get paranioa but it happens.

Like boxers said this is an anxiety order of the worst kind imo. Greatest thing about it is God gives us so much love and comfort and peace at mind while we endure this illness. He also teaches us many things, i know He did with me.

I DO however believe..

that Satan and other unclean spirits can use our illness against us. but the cause of it is not spiritual.

AMen! I too thought the cause was spiritual for a long time.

Wherever OCD comes from ive learned a lot from it and have strived to be a better christian and have a stronger relationship with God because of it(although my true desire does not come from OCD).

rubycakes · Feb 21, 2008

I too was thinking about this today. One of my coworkers happens to be a pastor and I asked because I was struggling with these sex obsessions. WHat he told me and I agree is that Satan is always trying to attack us with thoughts. He said that at a conference of pastors- one got up and said-" I know we all deal with this and no one wants to think about it but I know we all deal with unwanted thoughts etc..."

Basically, he said too that one of the pastor said that he always prays for an hour because the first 15 minutes are spent fighting all the unwanted thoughts that satan is throwing at him. He said too that it is very common that even the most Christian of folks gets insane thoughts in their head.

Obviously this makes since. THe difference is that people w/OCD latch onto the thought and take a trip with it.

I believe that Satan uses our illness to his advantage. He tries to break us down and make us suffer. He tries to attack us when we are weak. I know everytime I go thru this, God provides me a way to get help. I know that every episode I go thru, I am become closer to God. Religous guidance and medication has been the greatest help to me so far but I havent had a chance to get traditional thearapy yet.

Good Luck, you are in my prayers

gracealone · Feb 22, 2008

TT,
What proof/evidence can you provide to support your claim that our OCD is not a real disorder?

What proof/evidence can you provide to show that OCD is the result of unconfessed sin and demonic influences?

Are you not presupposing many things here?

Do you believe that the following disorders of the brain are also the result of demonic influences? Tourettes syndrome, Epilepsy, Brain tumors, Manic/Depressive disorders, Clinical Depression, Pituitary disorders, Schizophrenia,Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers, Lewy Body dementia, etc. etc.

Last time I checked with the medical books it appeared to me that my brain was made of flesh and blood and is subject to all sorts of diseases, disorders and chemical imbalances just like any other organ in my body.

Have you read that verse about the "spirit of fear" within it's proper context?
(It is always a bad idea to pluck a verse out of context and attempt to apply it to things that do not fit that context.)
I have. Allow me to share.
The apostle Paul was encouraging a young man named Timothy to not allow his youth, his inexperience or his shy/timid nature, (spirit of fear) to prevent him from exercising the superior gift of teaching that God had given him. He was instructed to "stir up this gift". This gift included incredible discernment and clarity of thought and a special appointment by God to be a teacher of the gospel message. None of the above mentioned weaknesses were necessarily removed from Timothy. They didn't need to be because God's power would be sufficient for this task not Timothy's. God would provide for Timothy His spirit of love, power and soundness of mind which would demonstrate to Timothy that He has power enough to use even the weakest of vessels.
( How much can God use a person who doesn't really think they have any weaknesses but instead just relies on their own strength to do His work? )
Listen to the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:3 *italics mine
"I'm here among you as somebody weak and shaking all over with fear... (FEAR .. you've got to be kidding me Paul experienced FEAR!?! uh, oh...does this mean he needed to confess the sin of demonic influences??) ..And the delivery and the content of my message isn't dependant on compelling words of wisdom but instead is dependent on the power of Christ's Spirit, so that if you trust it won't be because of me or my wisdom but only because of God's power." This is the point Paul was making to Timothy, he was in a sense saying... yes.. Timothy my dear son, you are young, shy,timid, fearful... you are all these things, so what?? None of these things inhibit the Spirit of Power that God will give you to do His work... after all it is HIS work and not yours so get on with it!!

Having said all that and it really did need to be said.. OCD is still nothing like simple shyness or timidness. It is a very distressing and excruciating disorder which causes an inappropriate misfiring in the amygdala of the brain which sends out exaggerated fight of flight hormone surges. This chemical imbalance is what causes the exaggerated sensations of fear within the brain and body of the person who has the disorder. It is biological,chemical and most often inherited in the same way diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol are.
My name is Mitzi and I am a believer in and follower of Jesus Christ and I have several afflictions called OCD and panic disorder. I have learned that these afflictions are purposeful in my life. They have put me in the position of being more humbled and fully dependant upon the power of Christ's Spirit. I will therefore "glory in my affliction in order that the power of Christ may rest upon me for when I am weak then I am strong." Strong ONLY in HIM.
Respectfully,
Mitzi

texastig said:
I think OCD is demonic because of the compulsiveness.
Fear is from the devil but God has not given us a spirit of fear but of Love, Power and a SOUND MIND!!!!
God can set us free. We must surrender to Him, repent of our sins, confess our sins and this will break the hold of the devil in our minds.
Thanks,
TT

gracealone · Feb 22, 2008

Boxers1 said:
OCD is not demonic. It is an anxiety disorder where our central nervous system puts off too much anxiety and we are unable to ignore certain thoughts b/c of the adrenaline and overstimulation in our brain.

However, when OCD manifests itself with religious obsessions it is easy to think it is a spiritual issue. However, it is purely biological but can appear spiritual b/c the obsessions are of that content.

God understands OCD and knows that we need therapy and/or medication to get better. And absolutely God gives us love, power and a sound mind as we seek him in our treatment with our doctors.

Boxers1

quote=texastig;43868950]I think OCD is demonic because of the compulsiveness.
Fear is from the devil but God has not given us a spirit of fear but of Love, Power and a SOUND MIND!!!!
God can set us free. We must surrender to Him, repent of our sins, confess our sins and this will break the hold of the devil in our minds.
Thanks,
TT

[/QUOTE]
Great post Boxers1!!
Your education and insight about OCD is invaluable on this forum. I thank God for you and your courage to share.
It can be very counterproductive, even harmful for people to suggest to a person with OCD that their real problem is with sin or satanic influences etc.
Satan oppresses all Christians with all sorts of things that involve not just illnesses, but circumstances and sadly sometimes even with barbs thrown at us by our own brothers and sisters in Christ. But His oppressions in no way remove our free will to serve Christ, even in the midst of the oppression.
I can't imagine how person with diabetes would feel if I went up to them and suggested that they really didn't have a chemical imbalance, (lack of insulin), but rather they were under the influence of Satan and needed to confess their sin, repent and then the diabetes would just go away. Yet people feel free to do this all the time to folk who have mental illnesses. It's painful enough to have OCD without being blamed for it.
Thank you so much for your courage!!!
Mitzi

babegirl111 · Feb 23, 2008

Awesome post Mitzi! GOD BLESS YOU!

rubycakes · Feb 23, 2008

I love how you put it Mitzi! God Bless!

breanna_renee · Sep 28, 2009

Your post has really moved me. I thought I was the only one with this problem sweetheart!!!! I am only eighteen years old (going on nineteen) but I had been suffering from this problem nearly my whole life, and it truely kept me from loving the lord because my OCD was telling me that I was going to be possessed by a demon (or satan himself) if I were to accept Jesus Christ. My relationship with God was for the wrong reason I believe. It was out of desperation and fear alone, not because I really wanted that close relationship and love. So it has kept me from really being filled with the holy spirit. I was so focused on just binding demons away and asking for deliverance that I never thanked God in the first place for anything!. There is such a thing as Religious OCD and you should research for yourself, it has truely helped me and I thank God that he let me find it. I know your post was from a very long time ago and I hope by now you have found peace, but I just feel like posting anyway :sorry:

So god bless, Jesus loves you. Don't let fear enter your mind! It's all lies!!!!

annrobert · Sep 28, 2009

texastig said:
I think OCD is demonic because of the compulsiveness.
Fear is from the devil but God has not given us a spirit of fear but of Love, Power and a SOUND MIND!!!!
God can set us free. We must surrender to Him, repent of our sins, confess our sins and this will break the hold of the devil in our minds.
Thanks,
TT

religious ocd is a painful tormenting affliction

Jesus came to heal the broken hearted and deliver the captives and set at liberty those who are bruised

Jesus is touched by our infirmities
He cares for us
He invites us to come to Him for rest

He does not condemn us because of the pain and anguish
and fear and doubt
He came to heal
He is full of mercy and compassion
We are safe in Jesus hand regardless of any fear or ocd
people with religious ocd are no more sinful than a person with cancer or diabeties
We all sin and we all need a Saviour
We do not have to earn forgiveness
It is freely given to all who come to Jesus
Jesus said he that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out
We are given to Jesus by Father God
we are not our own , we are bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus
Jesus protects His own and none shall snatch us from His hand
and we shall never perish
Jesus leads us to still waters and restores our souls
He is the Good Shepherd who laid His life down for the sheep
He is our righteousness
He washes us clean with His own blood
We do not have to earn this forgiveness
It is freely given to all who come to Jesus
No one condemns a cancer patient of being an extra bad sinner(hopefully)
Their is pain is real
Yes they are a sinner saved by grace ,same as a person with religious ocd
A cancer patient is saved by Jesus and sins forgiven and washed away
A person with religious ocd is saved by Jesus and sins forgiven and washed away
Our righteousness is of God and not ourselves
Why some people with one illness feel superior to another person with another illness
is odd
why some people with one weakness feel superior to another person with a different weakness is strange
We are all washed clean by the blood of Jesus
our righteousness is of God and not ourselves
Jesus said he that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out
Just as we are
we can do nothing of ourselves

OCD, or Mental Disorder??

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