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dice3510
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I have read that meditation can help with the struggle with obsessive thoughts.
Someone know more about this? Has anyone tried it?
Someone know more about this? Has anyone tried it?
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gracealone
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Meditation is one thing that some professionals recommend as a tool to help calm the body and mind of people with anxiety disorders. It can have a lasting effect if you practice it regularly.
I don't, however, believe that "mind emptying" meditation is a good idea for a Christian, just my opinion, but there are forms of meditation that I've found very helpful for my OCD.
I do two types and both are "moving meditation" methods. I speed walk and during my walk I will either quote a verse over and over with the rthymn of my breathing or a hymn of praise. The other type I do is a program created by Laurette Willis called "Praise Moves" which is the Christian alternative to Yoga. It's very beneficial in managing anxiety. As you learn the deep breathing, holding and releasing of certain muscle groups, stretching etc. you meditate adn focus intently on certain portions of scripture. It's rather like doing a very long and intense session of progressive muscle relaxation. What's interesting about it is that when I first starting doing it I was in a very bad bout of "religious OCD" and it actually forced me to do exposure because my OCD would latch onto certain words or phrases in the scripture and slap me in the face with them in an accusatory way. Not fun! But I stuck with it because I knew doing it was giving me a double benefit. It was teaching my body to relax while forcing me to stay in the presense of the triggering phrases rather than running from them. So I was doing a form of ERP and muscle relaxation at the same time. Cool!! Hard work though. Now I'm doing the advanced program - called "Power praise moves", which is even more challenging. I'm not too swift at it yet, but determined to keep at it.
Just some suggestions that have helped me to employ meditation to treat my anxiety but in a way that keeps my focus on God.
Mitzi
I don't, however, believe that "mind emptying" meditation is a good idea for a Christian, just my opinion, but there are forms of meditation that I've found very helpful for my OCD.
I do two types and both are "moving meditation" methods. I speed walk and during my walk I will either quote a verse over and over with the rthymn of my breathing or a hymn of praise. The other type I do is a program created by Laurette Willis called "Praise Moves" which is the Christian alternative to Yoga. It's very beneficial in managing anxiety. As you learn the deep breathing, holding and releasing of certain muscle groups, stretching etc. you meditate adn focus intently on certain portions of scripture. It's rather like doing a very long and intense session of progressive muscle relaxation. What's interesting about it is that when I first starting doing it I was in a very bad bout of "religious OCD" and it actually forced me to do exposure because my OCD would latch onto certain words or phrases in the scripture and slap me in the face with them in an accusatory way. Not fun! But I stuck with it because I knew doing it was giving me a double benefit. It was teaching my body to relax while forcing me to stay in the presense of the triggering phrases rather than running from them. So I was doing a form of ERP and muscle relaxation at the same time. Cool!! Hard work though. Now I'm doing the advanced program - called "Power praise moves", which is even more challenging. I'm not too swift at it yet, but determined to keep at it.
Just some suggestions that have helped me to employ meditation to treat my anxiety but in a way that keeps my focus on God.
Mitzi
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gracealone
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I use deep breathing and counting also in order to treat panic attacks and anxiety and it helps me too. Most anxiety causes us to breath very shallow or only halfway in to our lungs and this tends to exacerbate the anxiety and make it worse.
Mitzi
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Test All Things2
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How about a simple prayer.....ask God to bless you with "self-control" for your obessive thoughts or anxiety? Self-Control is a fruit of God's Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Also ask for the comfort and peace of the Holy Spirit to be yours...to fill you (Romans 15:13). Seek and ask in prayer for the fruit(s) of his Spirit. Draw close to God and he will draw close to you (James 4:8)
Jesus said he came so that we could have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10).
Jesus came to set the captives free (John 8:36)
Jesus healed many who had various diseases (Mark 1:34)
You have not because you ask not...........I ask God all the time....he always answers right away with one of these 3.
Yes, No or wait.
The wait option is hardest for us....but God's timing is there for a good reason. He sees the end of things (and what is produced).
A final note: reading the Bible is where you get to know God. The more I read the better I understand him, and my faith in him grows. "Faith comes by hearing"
I have faith in the healing power of God
Jesus said he came so that we could have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10).
Jesus came to set the captives free (John 8:36)
Jesus healed many who had various diseases (Mark 1:34)
You have not because you ask not...........I ask God all the time....he always answers right away with one of these 3.
Yes, No or wait.
The wait option is hardest for us....but God's timing is there for a good reason. He sees the end of things (and what is produced).
A final note: reading the Bible is where you get to know God. The more I read the better I understand him, and my faith in him grows. "Faith comes by hearing"
I have faith in the healing power of God
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Apparently coloring in coloring books is a proven good form of focused mind attention (or meditation). I know it sounds silly, but it really does work for me! Run to the dollar store and grab some books and crayons or pencils for cheap 
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gracealone
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Hi ... and thank you so much for reaching out with concern for those of us with OCD.
Do you have OCD? I'm just curious because as a person with this disorder, I'm always curious as to why many other Christians assume that those of us with OCD haven't already done or don't do most or all of the things you mentioned in your post.
These are all good things but it's important to have an understanding that a person with OCD has absolutely no control over the thoughts that pop into their consciousness or over the way their brain reacts to them. The thoughts are unwanted and intrusive. The person who has them has no more control over their presence than the person who experiences the verbal ticcing of Tourette's.
What IS in the realm of our control is how we respond to the presence of the thoughts as well as how we respond to the excruciating anxiety that accompanies them.
If we try to exercise any type of control over them by pushing them away, arguing with them, seeking reassurance about them, then our OCD will wax worse and worse.
This is a real disorder, not a sinful choice or spiritual flaw. It has to be treated like a real disorder with real treatment options that actually work.
The only way we are challenged spiritually by this disorder is in learning to rely on the Grace of Jesus Christ to work out His good purposes IN and though this disorder and that is the exact same lesson that all Christians can learn in and through any affliction. OCD is not an exception to that rule.
I remember an incident that occured after speaking publicly about my experiences as a Christian living with an Anxiety disorder how one well meaning woman called me on the phone shortly thereafter and suggested; "Why don't you just pray about your worries and give them over to God and just trust Him to take care of you? That's what I do and He gives me peace." I just listened and thanked her for her concern but when I hung up the phone I thought. She must think I'm a complete idiot to assume that I hadn't already done that over and over and over and over before I understood what OCD was. She had totally missed the point of my talk which was based upon: "My grace is sufficient for you" and "I will therefore glory in my affliction in order that the power of Christ may rest more fully upon me... for when I am weak I am strong." To her my OCD was something that had to be gotten rid of before God could do a good work in my life. For me my OCD is something God has used to grow me up in Him, and He has done this not in spite of it but actually because of it. And that is a very good thing.
I hope you understand what I'm trying to convey here. My aim is not to attack you as I am positive that the motivation behind your post is kindness and empathy. My aim is to educate so that people have a clearer understanding of what OCD is and what it is not.
Thanks for hearing me out.
God bless you.
Mitzi
Do you have OCD? I'm just curious because as a person with this disorder, I'm always curious as to why many other Christians assume that those of us with OCD haven't already done or don't do most or all of the things you mentioned in your post.
These are all good things but it's important to have an understanding that a person with OCD has absolutely no control over the thoughts that pop into their consciousness or over the way their brain reacts to them. The thoughts are unwanted and intrusive. The person who has them has no more control over their presence than the person who experiences the verbal ticcing of Tourette's.
What IS in the realm of our control is how we respond to the presence of the thoughts as well as how we respond to the excruciating anxiety that accompanies them.
If we try to exercise any type of control over them by pushing them away, arguing with them, seeking reassurance about them, then our OCD will wax worse and worse.
This is a real disorder, not a sinful choice or spiritual flaw. It has to be treated like a real disorder with real treatment options that actually work.
The only way we are challenged spiritually by this disorder is in learning to rely on the Grace of Jesus Christ to work out His good purposes IN and though this disorder and that is the exact same lesson that all Christians can learn in and through any affliction. OCD is not an exception to that rule.
I remember an incident that occured after speaking publicly about my experiences as a Christian living with an Anxiety disorder how one well meaning woman called me on the phone shortly thereafter and suggested; "Why don't you just pray about your worries and give them over to God and just trust Him to take care of you? That's what I do and He gives me peace." I just listened and thanked her for her concern but when I hung up the phone I thought. She must think I'm a complete idiot to assume that I hadn't already done that over and over and over and over before I understood what OCD was. She had totally missed the point of my talk which was based upon: "My grace is sufficient for you" and "I will therefore glory in my affliction in order that the power of Christ may rest more fully upon me... for when I am weak I am strong." To her my OCD was something that had to be gotten rid of before God could do a good work in my life. For me my OCD is something God has used to grow me up in Him, and He has done this not in spite of it but actually because of it. And that is a very good thing.
I hope you understand what I'm trying to convey here. My aim is not to attack you as I am positive that the motivation behind your post is kindness and empathy. My aim is to educate so that people have a clearer understanding of what OCD is and what it is not.
Thanks for hearing me out.
God bless you.
Mitzi
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Medication is a decision everyone has to make for himself. its not always good to take meds but when you need it its the only solution
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