Judging intrusive OCD thoughts

[bleh_confused]

pretty self explanatory title, i have intrusive thoughts (not terribly, think God, but enough to cause me anxiety) and i was wondering how i should examine my thoughts so i can tell if they are intrusive and i have no responsibility for them, or i willingly thought of something.

for example, i was running today and listening to music that you could call dark and heavy, not satanic by any means, just heavy and in a minor key. anyways in the midst of this a thought popped into my head of me desecrating the Eucharist. i became frightened and immediately asked for forgiveness assuming that it was a scrupulous thought, however i couldnt help feeling that i had somehow willfully let the thought into my mind and so i feel somewhat guilty.

so my question is this: how do i judge my thoughts so i can tell what is sinful and what is not?

 

[Poetess_Kera]

I have this problem too.

If they come in suddenly and cause you anxiety, you can be sure that God understands that you do not want to participate in these thoughts. He gave you this cross to bear for a reason and He will not make it a cause of condemnation.

If you actively persist in a thought, however, that’s of your own doing and can become sinful.

I hope this helps.

 

[1ke]

OCD and scrupulosity are conditions best handled through spiritual direction with someone trained to help people with these conditions and someone who can work with you long term.

Contact your priest and ask him to give you the name of a competent spiritual director in your area.

 

[Leticia]

Perhaps you should change your music to light and uplifting. There is good Christian music that you could exercise to.

 

[Et_Cetera]

These thoughts are a type of OCD, and they are a mental disorder. However, they are more common than you might think. If you feel that these thoughts are disruptive to your day-to-day life, then you should seek a psychologist or psychiatrist.