Getting Help?

[Duke of Stratford]

Hi, all. I hope it’s appropriate to post this here. I’ve had anxiety issues pretty much my entire life, and I suspect I might have OCD symptoms as well, especially in relation to faith. I keep worrying that I haven’t genuinely repented, I keep doubting parts of scripture and God’s character (when I don’t want to), I have really bad intrusive thoughts, and I always feel like I have to DO things right. I want to have a greater desire for God, but I’m convinced I can’t because of my heart’s sin. There are almost certainly spiritual things I need to work out, but I think mental stuff might be making it more difficult (and halting me whenever I make progress). It feels like I keep returning to the same place of doubt, which, from my research, seems like it could be scrupulosity?

How would you recommend I proceed to get help? I’d never diagnose myself, but I’d like to get a professional opinion of what I’m going through. I’m a little worried about going to psychiatrists for diagnosis when my issues are related to faith; I don’t want those concerns to be dismissed or receive unbiblical advice.

 

[Tolworth John]

Would you trust a friend or passer by to diagnose and fix a problem with a strange sound coming from your car?
Or if your dog is coughing trust a passer by to say what is wrong with him?

Go and talk to your doctor about your concerns, if you live at home ask your parents.

 

[Duke of Stratford]

Would you trust a friend or passer by to diagnose and fix a problem with a strange sound coming from your car?
Or if your dog is coughing trust a passer by to say what is wrong with him?

Go and talk to your doctor about your concerns, if you live at home ask your parents.

I do want to get help from a medical professional. I was wondering if anyone had advice on finding the right sort of doctor to go to, experiences along those lines, etc.

 

[subtlecollision]

Hi,

I would look for a therapist/psychiatrist who specializes in OCD. I have struggled with scrupulosity myself; I have found the most help from people who specialize in OCD. Not all therapists are super familiar with scrupulosity, from what I've found.

 

[Grace1234]

I recommend you to watch a video of Ali greymond on youtube. She makes a video about ocd. I have got ocd too and those video makes me better. Hope this help.

 

[Mari17]

Hi, all. I hope it’s appropriate to post this here. I’ve had anxiety issues pretty much my entire life, and I suspect I might have OCD symptoms as well, especially in relation to faith. I keep worrying that I haven’t genuinely repented, I keep doubting parts of scripture and God’s character (when I don’t want to), I have really bad intrusive thoughts, and I always feel like I have to DO things right. I want to have a greater desire for God, but I’m convinced I can’t because of my heart’s sin. There are almost certainly spiritual things I need to work out, but I think mental stuff might be making it more difficult (and halting me whenever I make progress). It feels like I keep returning to the same place of doubt, which, from my research, seems like it could be scrupulosity?

How would you recommend I proceed to get help? I’d never diagnose myself, but I’d like to get a professional opinion of what I’m going through. I’m a little worried about going to psychiatrists for diagnosis when my issues are related to faith; I don’t want those concerns to be dismissed or receive unbiblical advice.

I have scrupulosity too! I've never been to a therapist, but from all I've heard, it's best to go to an OCD specialist. A good therapist will be able to work with your beliefs, and should never make you go against them. I'd be happy to talk more on here or via pm about OCD if you'd like. Also, I'm part of a pretty good support group on Facebook which you might be interested in joining: Christianity and Anxiety Disorders - Let's Talk

 

[Duke of Stratford]

Thank you for the offer of help! I’ve just joined the Facebook group, and the support there already seems so wonderful.