Question about scrupulosity

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I understand that there are many threads I can go to for advice on overcoming scrupulosity, so I won’t ask for that advice. What I do want to ask is; have any of you actually had scrupulosity and were able to truly overcome it? It seems impossible to overcome and if I find out that it is possible, I will become more confident in my struggle to do so. Thanks and God bless.
 
One thing that helps is to stop reading texts that mention eternal fire, blaspheming, and other dire and permanent consequences that you will likely never find yourself in. These scary books and writings from the past indeed have their place, but for young people it can be disastrous.

Live in joy and gratitude, keeping yourself in a state of grace, and put scruples behind you. You may need therapy though. We can’t know your particular situation.
Prayer helps everything,
 
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Someboy113 said:
What I do want to ask is; have any of you actually had scrupulosity and were able to truly overcome it?
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I’ve suffered with scrupulosity since I was a kid. I’m better now but the thing is, for me anyway, it’s like being an alcoholic. You can be sober for 20 years and still be an alcoholic… Just in recovery. Scrupulosity is like that for me. I generally don’t have problems with it anymore but I’m in recovery, so I know it’s still possible to slip back into it.
Read books about how much God loves you. That helps me lot.
 
Yes. I am scrupulous and suffered from scrupulosity for some years. It caused much anxiety and worry. Through God’s gentle love and guidance, He helped me really recognise what was going on. First through a book “The Devil you Don’t Know” by Father Cameli which helped me understand about Spiritual Warfare and a couple of years later I was guided to another book “Cleaving to God” by St Alfred the Great. Every time I decided to read the latter book I felt so tired I couldn’t keep my eyes open, but when I shut down my Kindle I woke up, so I figured it must have a powerful message for me and it did - I could almost hear a chain snapping.

Now the chain of scrupulosity has been broken and I am free to see simple scrupulousness as a blessing. It helps me to stop, consider whether I really know the answer and be comfortable about saying “I am not sure, so I will confirm and get back to you.” Speaking of which, I must find out how deep the river Jordan was when Jesus was baptized before the Saturday First Holy Communion Prep class.
 
As a scrupulous myself, I think it’s kinda like being an alcoholic: you’re never really stop being one.

I’ve only learned to control it by (1) taking the advice I’ve received and heard of in the past to heart; (2) relaying that same advice to those who would listen; and (3) believing my confessor when he tells me I don’t need to worry about this-and-that. For example, I would take “that is only a venial sin” at face value.

Part of this includes (the taking my own advice part), never posting questions to this forum about sin and guilt, asking myself what kind of advice I would give to someone else if he asked my about this and that situation, and (3) confessing ONLY when I know I need to; never confessing “just to be safe.”

I can say the scrupulosity does not actually prevent me from recognizing real mortal sin. If I’m unfortunate to fall into real mortal sin, my scrupulosity actually does not flare up; the conscience is very clear as to what needs to be done. If I’m arguing with myself about “Did I sin?”; I take my own advice and err on the side of “No”, and if needed, I ask my confessor.

I’m not “healed” of this, but I have learned to flick it away. That’s why there’s not a single post from me, in all my years here, of “I did this: did I sin?”
 
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There is a scruples anonymous website and newsletter you can get. The priests that run it also have written a few books that might help.

I don’t think I suffer from it but I do have a “tender conscience” which causes me some stress (rightfully so) sometimes.

I second the “prayer helps all things”.
 
Someboy113 said:
I understand that there are many threads I can go to for advice on overcoming scrupulosity, so I won’t ask for that advice. What I do want to ask is; have any of you actually had scrupulosity and were able to truly overcome it? It seems impossible to overcome and if I find out that it is possible, I will become more confident in my struggle to do so. Thanks and God bless.
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For me, it was connected to a really intense period of anxiety that I was going through at the time, many years ago.

I was in counseling for the anxiety and also in Spiritual Direction, too.

When the anxiety was more under control, then the scrupulosity was more under control for me, as well.

This is just how it went for me.

I try to watch my thinking carefully, regarding the possibility that I might have to deal with scrupulous thoughts again.
 
How about extreme perfectionism? That’s my issue. When I pray, for example, I question if I’m praying “correctly”, or when I’m at Mass, I worry that I’m not paying close attention.

Yeah, perfectionism is not fun! At least it’s not OCD! That I don’t need!
 
(name removed by moderator), it is a real thing…look it up.

Knowing I am not along does help.
 
Yes. If you have some form of ocd, then it may never be completely gone but it can get a LOT better.
What helped me is understanding God’s Mercy and grace, becoming sorta legalistic (this provides a clear guideline to base my actions on, to judge if they were truly sinful or not), and prayer.
And realizing that you are not a thought. A thought doesn’t define you.
 
Think, does God really care about exact wording or is that something you care about, and who are you trying to please in the end?

God bless
 
Thanks Kei!

This is exactly what I need to hear! Very helpful!

Stuart
 
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