Is there such a thing as "mental" martyrdom?

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BenSinner

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I had an extremely beautiful experience today.

For years I’ve been struggling with OCD and I had an obsessive thought today that caused a big panic attack. Here was what the thought was trying to convince me during this panic:

“This panic attack won’t stop. It’s going to kill you. You are going to die, but there is a way out. Deny Christianity, because you know it’s a hoax. This anxiety will go away if you deny Christianity and accept the truth.” (this fear has been trying to convince me the last couple of days that as long as I remain a Christian, I will have the anxiety because somewhere deep inside me, there is something causing the anxiety trying to bring me to the “truth” and it’s not Christianity)

I was “convinced” enough by this fear that I actually tried to call a priest to go to confession just in case. I got in my car and went to the Blessed Sacrament I could feel my heart rate getting faster, but I didn’t feel scared…because I was very firm in that I don’t care how bad the anxiety gets, even if it kills me right now. I am NOT going to deny my faith. I felt a peace because if I died, I knew I died from standing up for my faith…and if the attack goes away…then I know it’s just OCD and not some hidden intuition.

After this moment, the attack went away quickly and it’s like the floodgates just completely broke and I was crying tears of joy all the way to the Blessed Sacrament, because at the time, I felt I like “endured to the end” even in the face of “death”. I arrived at the Blessed Sacrament and I just felt a sense of consolation.

Believe me, I know how stupid this sounds, but at the time. This was a huge deal for me, and still kind of is.

What happened to me be considered martyrdom? Even though I was in no real threat of death, but I sincerely thought I was. And obviously I didn’t die, but I had the intent to.
 
Believe me, I know how stupid this sounds
Doesn’t sound stupid to me at all.
I used to have very debilitating anxiety, not so anymore thanks to God.
I’m unsure regarding the " mental martyrdom "

But I like the thought.

God bless you🙏
 
That’s wonderful. I pray you can start to move forward. But

You need the help of medical professionals.

Martyrdom is up to the Vatican to define and declare. I think what you did was push through your OVD and discipline your thoughts sufficiently to stop thinking those distressing thoughts.
 
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Sounds like diabolical harassment since it went away when you were near the sacrament. You are not alone. I don’t think I’d go as far to call it martyrdom since you didn’t actually die. There are other types of martyrdom but I forget context and what they are called. Either way good for you for not despairing.
 
It’s often called “white martyrdom” (as opposed to red/blood martyrdom).

We can look at the idea of “dying to ourselves” all day long. Mortification. Small acts of dying to our preferences, dying to our pride, dying to our love of comfort.

Putting up with people’s unkindness…with a sincere smile, though it may hurt to do so.

A smile is often the best expression of a spirit of mortification. This is something I once heard in a meditation given by an Opus Dei priest.
 
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