Sin and OCD related question

[Flame4]

Hi everyone,

The last few days, my OCD has been 'acting up." I’m worried about a few things that might be sins. I am trying to tell myself to just forget about it and move on. The problem is that although I have confessed these possible sins, I am worried that if I just say to myself, “Just forget about it. If it was a sin it is forgiven and if its not, then no problem,” I will go to hell (for lack of a better expression) because I am not accepting I have sinned.

I’m just not sure what to do. I am so confused and worried. Any advice and prayers would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
God Bless and take care.

 

[Los_Angeles]

Hi everyone,

The last few days, my OCD has been 'acting up." I’m worried about a few things that might be sins. I am trying to tell myself to just forget about it and move on. The problem is that although I have confessed these possible sins, I am worried that if I just say to myself, “Just forget about it. If it was a sin it is forgiven and if its not, then no problem,” I will go to hell (for lack of a better expression) because I am not accepting I have sinned.

I’m just not sure what to do. I am so confused and worried. Any advice and prayers would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
God Bless and take care.

I understand where you are coming from having had scrupulosity issues myself before and after my conversion to the Catholic Church. However since I am not a psychologist or psychatrist I would reccomend to try to talk to one in dealing with Obessive Compulsive Disorder, they might be able to give you professional therapy to help you find the root cause of the disorder or prescribe a medication.

Please remember that all mankind has sinned (except for the Blessed Virgin and Jesus Christ). The more I grew in my understanding of the Catholic Church, I understood it to be more about fear of offending God, than it is about fear of going to hell. In other words you might have an inordinate fear of punishment and that is not what God wants you to be motivated to have to doing good/living a Christian lifestyle. The Bible says that the greatest commandment is to Love God with your whole heart, mind, body, and soul, and the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.

Also, the act of contrition that I used when I go to confession is “I am sorry that I have offended thee, not because I fear going to hell, but becuase I have offended thee.” This act of contrition taken to heart really rang true for me because it means that the reason I regret my sins is becuse they have offended God, not becuase I fear a punishment specifcally going to hell.

If there is anything specific you are worried about feel free to PM me.

If anything I have said is against the Catholic Church, let it be anathema.

 

[catharina]

Hi everyone,

The last few days, my OCD has been 'acting up." I’m worried about a few things that might be sins. I am trying to tell myself to just forget about it and move on.
The problem is that although I have confessed these possible sins,
I am worried that if I just say to myself, “Just forget about it. If it was a sin it is forgiven and if its not, then no problem,” I will go to hell (for lack of a better expression) because I am not accepting I have sinned.

I’m just not sure what to do. I am so confused and worried. Any advice and prayers would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
God Bless and take care.

Yes, it’s over by your own description (bolded above),
Move on. Don’t look back. Look foward.
Try it - you’ll like it!

 

[Bookcat]

Hi everyone,

The last few days, my OCD has been 'acting up." I’m worried about a few things that might be sins. I am trying to tell myself to just forget about it and move on. The problem is that although I have confessed these possible sins, I am worried that if I just say to myself, “Just forget about it. If it was a sin it is forgiven and if its not, then no problem,” I will go to hell (for lack of a better expression) because I am not accepting I have sinned.

I’m just not sure what to do. I am so confused and worried. Any advice and prayers would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
God Bless and take care.

While OCD per se does not = Scrupulosity and vice a versa…

one should get a regular confessor…and bring the difficult to him and listen to him…

He can help you know what is ocd or perhaps scruple…(it sounds that your ocd is involves scruples too) and what to ignore etc…what to do…

As to scruples in general…scruples are to be treated like barking dogs or hissing geese…one does not stop to argue with a barking dog or a hissing goose does one??

this too could be of help with other aspects of your difficulties

jimmyakin.org/2005/04/a_crown_of_thor.html

 

[Mustang1971]

Flame4, I know what you are going through. I have been battling scrupulosity
for about a year and a half now. It seems that there are times that are minds will just not allow us to let go.

I noticed, you said “might be sins”. Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but in order for something to be a mortal sin, it must first be a grave sin. Then we need to KNOW that it is a grave sin, and if we go ahead and do it, then it is mortally sinful. In your case I think the knowledge part was lacking. So in my opinion you were not even certain that what you did is a sin. Also, once you confess something, it is forgiven and gone.

Of course it is always good to ask a Priest if you are in doubt. Like Bookcat said, try to get a regular confessor. Finally, I have asked Jesus to teach me to trust. I know for me, trust is a huge problem. Sometimes going to confession feels like I am preparing for court. Need to make sure everything is perfect, if I make a mistake, bam, I am toast! Of course this is not how God is, but that is just one of the joys of all of this.