A Christian’s Perspective on OCD

Ocd is ranked in the top ten be the world health organization as one most debilitating disease. It affects 2 % - 3% of people. It is known as the secret illness with the fact suffers tend to hide the battle one has in their mind. It affects both Christians and Non-Christians alike. If one looks at the history of Christian faith, one can come to the conclusion that this experience known as OCD has effective some of the most influential leaders of the Church. With this is mind, the Christian community today needs to address the question how do we understand and address it. Is this just an attack of Satin on the believer’s mind and we need confront it by pray and claiming the promises of God in the Bible? Suffers John Bunyon and Martin Luther viewed obsession with ungodly thoughts as attacked from Satin. One cannot deny the influence of Satin in attacking a believer‘s mind. The Apostle Paul states this clearly in describing the spiritual battle the believer experiences. However, it also demonstrates the believer‘s in that time period viewed illness both mental and physical were attributed to attacks from Satin. As a suffer, I have become to the believe that OCD is anxiety disorder in man. It is not moral issue but anxiety disorder in makeup of man. The more the suffers tries to understand and confront it in his mind the worse it gets. The fact it affects a devout Christian and non-believer indiscriminately demonstrates it is does not fall in category of being in disobedience to God’s word for having this condition. Today the Christian community appears to just address OCD from spiritual perceptive by pray and renewing one’s mind by God’s Word. I am not questioning the benefit of these practices. God can heal all diseases. In addition, God in his grace has provided medicine and skill of trained doctors to heal our body of diseases. There is also prevailing believe in the Christian community to address all mental illness by Christian psycho-therapy. This to have the suffer develop trusted relationship with a Christian therapist in which they explore how the suffer‘s past and up bring have influenced incorrect believes which have directly or indirectly caused the OCD. It is the believe if you address the root causes the OCD will go away. While this kind of theory has been effective in addressing other mental health issues, there is no evidence that this effective in treating OCD. As researchers today examine OCD , they are developing clearer understanding what group of people more likely to suffer from it. It affects people with certain personality types, there might be generic disposition, and there is chemical balance in one’s brain. They have discovered for the majority suffers they begin to show the symptoms in the early stage of adulthood and are triggered with major life changes. (I.e. leaving the family home, going into the workforce after college, getting married, having children) As researchers examine OCD there is still mystery of out is the cause. There is however clear evidence how to treat it. That is CBT and anti-depression medicine. It is my burden that the Christian community will come to embrace correct view what OCD is and how to provide treatment that has been scientifically proven to treat it effectively.