possible cause of OCD....bad teaching?

[jc9992]

I just wanted to get something out thats been on my mind.

Do any of you think that part of the cause of OCD is not just brain imbalance but also bad bible teaching?

I mean ive always been an obsessor and ALWAYS worried about blasphemy.even since i was a little kid.

When i was little my mom was alot of times the sunday teacher she was very zealous with her teaching and tried to teach us about everything.even blasphemy.

the class was always scared of that sin.but i was by far the most scared.i had often wondered if i was guilty.then my first MAJOR struggle with blasphemous thoughts came when i just 11.it lasted from Febuary to somewhere around or after October.so about 10-11 months.although there was a big 2-3 month break in there after I received the Holy Ghost but i still thought i committed it afterwards.

i never truly knew what it was.even during this struggle after i knew it wasnt just bad thoughts ihad been taught that it was just as simple as that,so icoudnt forget it.im not blaming my mom for my struggle because of teaching.but im attributing the part of the problem to it.

Did anyone else have this problem?

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

From what very little I know about OCD I understand a lot of the anxiety which fuels it is based in the experience of intrusive thoughts, and a lot of the compulsive rituals, etc. are done to try to prevent those thoughts from entering. Is that fairly accurate?

In which case if there was a theological catch-22 or "gordian knot" embedded in one's thinking which, because of its irresolute nature coupled with the fear it evokes, continues to give rise to itself over and over, then yes, this could definitely lead to the onset of OCD
in people who have inherited the tendency toward it, or make a latent case of it burst forth, or make an existing case of it far, far worse.

 

[marcb]

I don't think bad theology causes ocd. However, ocd seems to affect you where you are most vulnerable, whether it is a self-image problem, contamination, or blasphemy. In my situation, I believe that misconceptions from my youth about God's love for me based on an emphasis on His wrath and punishment in my church-school contributed to being vulnerable or insecure in the area of being afraid of "blaspheming" my way out of Grace.

I don't think upbringing and past experiences should be entirely discredited in ocd. I don't have the "I think I ran somebody over" obsession, but a good friend of mine (with ocd) who was in a car that hit somebody does have this problem. I understand that "talk therapy" is not effective for ocd, but it seems plausible to me that our backgrounds may shape the object of our obsessions and if we are shaped by bad theology or misconceptions, this should be addressed in addition to the therapy of choice (ERP). For example, it is therapeutic for me (and I would imagine to everyone on the planet) to know that God loves us.

 

[gracealone]

Hi,
I find that even with the solid Biblical teaching I had when growing up about salvation through grace alone that OCD is still capable of taking a statement made by a Pastor which is directed toward unbelievers and throwing it in my face in an accusatory way. Or it can take a verse of a portion of a verse out of scripture which, again is directed toward unbelievers and do the very same thing. There have been long periods of time in my life when none of these things can shake me. But when my fight or flight center is on hyperdrive my brain will grab onto these things and torture me with them.
It's the same with other obsessions. When I'm well I can have a stomach ache and just ignore it but when I'm unwell, the stomach ache is an ulcer, or cancer, etc.
I do believe that my OCD can be aggravated by misguided biblical teaching when I'm going through a flare of it but when I'm well those things just don't shake me. I don't, however, believe my OCD is caused by those things.
Mitzi