Does an anti-anxiolytic invalidate a confession?

[steve975]

Would it invalidate a confession if a person took an anti-anxiolytic prior to confession to ease his/her nerves? It seems to me that it might, given that it puts the person at ease and gives him/her an advantage in more easily being able to confess things he/she might normally have more trouble with. Perhaps this example, taken to the extreme, could be compared to going to confession while one is not in a state of clear-mindedness, in which he/she is not fully appreciating and/or aware of the significance of his/her actions. For example, if a person were under hypnosis, he/she could be in such a state and fully confess sins which he/she normally would be prone to withhold. Thoughts?

 

[DaughterOfMary6]

No, it does not invalidate the confession. The only invalidation would be if you were not truly contrite to begin with and went simply “because you should.” Contrition is necessary to be absolved. God bless.

 

[bpbasilphx]

If you have to take medicine, take it and thank God for the provision He has made for you.

Even going to confession because you “think you should go” is a start of contrition. Get your body there and let the Priest and the Holy Spirit do the rest.