I have had severe OCD for 40 years.
It has manifested and mutated itself in countless ways. I’d like to make a few points.
- Suffering from OCD is something that few people understand.
- A good priest once told me in confession: “your thoughts, those that pass in and sometimes out of your head, those you cannot control - they ARE NOT SINS”. This gave me much relief. A sin is only those thoughts we entertain in a meaningful and personal way by our own free will.
- Relief can be found. Medicine does work, as does therapy, but everyone is different. No two people are the same in terms of treatment. What has worked for me? (aside from medicine and therapy - which does work)
Going to Church, praying, relying solely on God and His Son and Mary and the Saints. Even if my OCD revolved around my love for God.
I repeat the following: “God, I leave things in your hands. I know that I cannot control my future, and I know that you know that my thoughts are sometimes NOT my own. I know you know this. Thank you. I love you.”
If I’m having a bad episode of rituals of having to check or recheck something, I pray the Hail Mary, and say: “God, I am broken, utterly broken, but I will trust that if misfortune is what is coming to me, then it is part of your plan of greater good, and I will not resist. Like Mary I trust you and say, Yes!”
If you suffer from OCD, know this, I know what you are going through. Never ever ever ever ever give up.
Know that God loves you, and desires your good, try to silence the alarm bells in your head by saying:
“Jesus I trust you, Father I trust you, let your will be done”.
Finally, If your doctor isn’t helping you, try and find another, and then another, until someone does.
Medication does work,
therapy does work there is hope.
Never give up.