3
3DOCTORS
Guest
A few more thoughts about anxiety and doubts such as these. I’m a person with OCD and anxiety, and have battled both religious scrupulosity and other unwanted, intrusive thoughts (fear of harming others or self, “losing it” and doing something crazy, that sort of yuck). A few years ago I realized my OCD was more “O” than “C” - i.e., more obsessions than compulsions. It seemed everybody thought “Oh, yeah. OCD. Those people who wash their hands all the time.” And I was like, “I don’t wash my hands excessively or check the locks and all that - but if you heard some of the shocking things my brain comes up with!” 
So I turned to my trusty friend, Google. And I found information on what is called “Pure-O” OCD, which is just beginning to be known and discussed more. For awhile there was a forum called “theotherocd.com” but it got hacked and now has been shut down. I miss it, because it helped me and I was able to help others on there.
I learned there are some people who have obsessions about “What if I’m really (something undesirable such as a child molester) and just don’t know it or haven’t acted upon it yet. . .?” Another - and here’s where it’s relevant to this thread - were people who had doubts about their relationships to a paralyzing degree (“What if I’m with the wrong person?” and things like that). I can’t diagnose but your counselor could talk with you about this if you think it fits.
I also have a friend who has OCD but is also very intuitive and prayerful, and sometimes when she thinks God is telling her something she may be correct, but other times I think it’s wishful thinking or fearful thinking. Sometimes we’ve gone round and round about it!
The point is, discerning what’s from God or the devil or our own minds is a tricky business for anyone, and for a person with anxiety the difficulty is multiplied.
So I turned to my trusty friend, Google. And I found information on what is called “Pure-O” OCD, which is just beginning to be known and discussed more. For awhile there was a forum called “theotherocd.com” but it got hacked and now has been shut down. I miss it, because it helped me and I was able to help others on there.
I learned there are some people who have obsessions about “What if I’m really (something undesirable such as a child molester) and just don’t know it or haven’t acted upon it yet. . .?” Another - and here’s where it’s relevant to this thread - were people who had doubts about their relationships to a paralyzing degree (“What if I’m with the wrong person?” and things like that). I can’t diagnose but your counselor could talk with you about this if you think it fits.
I also have a friend who has OCD but is also very intuitive and prayerful, and sometimes when she thinks God is telling her something she may be correct, but other times I think it’s wishful thinking or fearful thinking. Sometimes we’ve gone round and round about it!
The point is, discerning what’s from God or the devil or our own minds is a tricky business for anyone, and for a person with anxiety the difficulty is multiplied.