OCD and Lust

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fons_vitae

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I have OCD, and this complicates my recent efforts to get my lust under control. Let me explain: let’s say I see one part of a woman’s body and fall into lust. Well, thanks to my obsessive-compulsiveness, I’ll want to “balance” that with thoughts about another part (top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top). If I immediately try to halt this balancing act, I’ll be stricken with the same fear I’d have if I were to stop in the middle of an OCD routine. Do any fellow sufferers have any suggestions? :o This is a gnarly topic, I know.
 
Surley you shouldnt take any chances. Believe me I know what your going through:o

I see that you are becoming Catholic:). That is ineed good and I commend you for it. I embrace you as the Church does:grouphug:

Now straight to the point, Lust is one of the most infamous sins that all Christians deal with. And it is indeed a most difficult one to overcome. What I suggest you do is wear a Rosary, or crucifix around your neck. Hopefully whenever you see a woman and you begin to have impure thoughts you can clutch your crucifix or rosary, look at it and think pure and holy and pure thoughts. Begin to pray to Our Lady ASAP(DONT WAIT UNTIL YOUR BAPTIZED). Pray to her every day, she is all pure and all loving. She will guide you and help you evercome this habit. Remember that even Our Lord humbled himself on Calvary as to be stripped down, almost naked and hang on that cross.
I pray that God may guide you and console you from all sins against the flesh. May he implant the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ cross into your heart. May you contemplate his Son’s passion every day. And may the the Glorious Virgin Mary intercede and protect you. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
 
callmeChris said:
Surley you shouldnt take any chances. Believe me I know what your going through:o

I see that you are becoming Catholic:). That is ineed good and I commend you for it. I embrace you as the Church does:grouphug:
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Aw, thank you! 😃 I’ve had to wait on being confirmed by the priest due to my punishing grad schedule but yes, I still go to Mass and attempt the Divine Office sporadically.
callmeChris said:
Now straight to the point, Lust is one of the most infamous sins that all Christians deal with. And it is indeed a most difficult one to overcome. What I suggest you do is wear a Rosary, or crucifix around your neck. Hopefully whenever you see a woman and you begin to have impure thoughts you can clutch your crucifix or rosary, look at it and think pure and holy and pure thoughts. Begin to pray to Our Lady ASAP(DONT WAIT UNTIL YOUR BAPTIZED). Pray to her every day, she is all pure and all loving. She will guide you and help you evercome this habit.
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Two things about this…

First, for whatever reason, I just can’t hack the rosary. I can do formulaic prayers, but if I say a Hail Mary, I think specifically of Mary, her womb, etc. I can’t focus on the particular mystery at hand, but only think of the same things with each Hail Mary… it gets kind of boring, to be honest. 😛

Second, fortunately I was baptized by my father at age 12, so I at least got that taken care of. 🙂 And I do pray to Our Lady and certain saints, though I’m not sure if I’m “doing it right.” Thank you for your prayers, kind poster! 🙂
 
A “counter-habit” I’ve tried to develop to get out of this dichotomy is the phrase “one flesh”… that each part is of a whole, and the body is also only part of a person. It hasn’t fully caught on yet, but with time it may.
 
fons_vitae said:
I have OCD, and this complicates my recent efforts to get my lust under control. Let me explain: let’s say I see one part of a woman’s body and fall into lust. Well, thanks to my obsessive-compulsiveness, I’ll want to “balance” that with thoughts about another part (top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top). If I immediately try to halt this balancing act, I’ll be stricken with the same fear I’d have if I were to stop in the middle of an OCD routine. Do any fellow sufferers have any suggestions? :o This is a gnarly topic, I know.
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Having known those who suffer such and having studied some the subject…I know it can be a painful one…I would just mention that OCD is usually approached with “exposure and blocking”…often the help of say a Catholic theropist would be suggested. Someone who is faithful to the Church and morals.

I also remembered this article that I ran across from Jimmy Akin of Catholic Answers that can be perhaps of some help.

jimmyakin.org/2005/04/a_crown_of_thor.html
 
Crazy as it sounds, I believe (or just hope) that this latest manifestation is some deep-seated lust finally coming to a head. In other words, it will be pruned back.
 
Three books that have helped me lately. You might want to give them a read. They’re really small books and you could read each one in a day.

Uniformity with God’s Will be Saint Alphonsus de Liguori. Chapter 5 Section 3 was particularly helpful to me.

The Wonders of the Holy Name by Fr. Paul O’Sullivan, O.P. (E.D.M)

The Holy Ghost Our Greatest Friend: He Who Loves Us Best by Fr. Paul O’Sullivan, O.P. (E.D.M).

Also, I read in The Power In Penance by Fr. Michael Scanlan (the book was written for Priests concerning the confessional… which I found comforting in it’s sensitivity to people in the confessional)
Pg 41-42
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The final point of confirmation is to determine whether the root problem calls for a prayer of healing, delivering or strengthening. Healing pertains to wounds and deficiencies in personal growth. Where lack of love or understanding, betrayal, rejection, alienation or particularly frightening incidents are determined as the root, healing is indicated. Ordinarily, scrupulosity, drug addiction, alcoholism, habitual masturbation and continual depression or anxiety warrant prayers of healing.
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This above quote is related in that the priest is advised to pray for the healing of the penitent. After reading Saint Alphonsus’s advice in the first book I mentioned, I figured that it wouldn’t hurt for someone with OCD to also say prayers for healing of their affliction.

Try reading all three books I mentioned. You’ll quickly see how they all seem to be related to each other.

Also, you should look up the term “groinal response”. I understand many people with OCD (as well as PTSD) experience the involuntary sensation and confuse the physical response with desire or lust. In most people, groinal response can be ignored and goes away, but it can become a center of obsession for people with OCD. In other words, we think we have lusted because of the involuntary response and when the response won’t go away (due to obsessive worries about it)… or inspires compulsive acts to make the obsession go away… we become convinced that we are choosing to sin. It can be very confusing, because the line between involuntary thoughts, motivation, and free choice can be blurred.
 
Thanks, Sonic… I read St. Alphonsus today. Pious reading is at least one act of devotion I actually do–I’ve always loved to read.
 
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