Taking the Lord's Name in Vain

[seekinghelp135]

I’ve seen dozens of threads already on this subject, but I’m still gonna ask my question.

I have scrupulosity and I think I might have OCD (haven’t been officially diagnosed). I get these unwanted thoughts where I blaspheme God and take His name in vain, like all day long. I sometimes dwell on them way too often in my attempt to like push them away (I try to ignore them, but then I’ll just end up thinking the blasphemy). Sometimes they’re just these (unwanted) desires to have the thoughts, and I give into them way too often and have the thoughts just so I won’t have the desires anymore. I also sometimes try to like “re-create” the blasphemous thought in my head later on to see if I sinned (like I analyze it to see if I really gave full consent). Sometimes I’ll just think the thoughts without really thinking. After a while I’ll even start to forget about the thoughts, and then I’ll remember and it’ll start all over again.

I just went to confession this past weekend! Do I have to go back for having these thoughts? And any recommendations on how to overcome this?

Any prayers would also be appreciated.

 

[PietroPaolo]

If the thoughts are involuntary, they are NOT sinful because all sins are acts of the will. I recently wrote an article on struggling with Recurring Sin, if you are interested, it might help, you can read it online HERE. The best advice I can give is to try to just let it go, it can be hard, but, with Christ, you can do it! I’ll say and Ave for you.

 

[seekinghelp135]

If the thoughts are involuntary, they are NOT sinful because all sins are acts of the will. I recently wrote an article on struggling with Recurring Sin, if you are interested, it might help, you can read it online HERE. The best advice I can give is to try to just let it go, it can be hard, but, with Christ, you can do it! I’ll say and Ave for you.

Yeah usually they are involuntary but sometimes I get these urges to have these thoughts and I sometimes give in and have the thoughts just so I won’t want to think them anymore… if that made sense. Wouldn’t that make the thoughts voluntary?

And thanks for the advice and prayer.

 

[fred_conty]

I’ve seen dozens of threads already on this subject, but I’m still gonna ask my question.

I have scrupulosity and I think I might have OCD (haven’t been officially diagnosed). I get these unwanted thoughts where I blaspheme God and take His name in vain, like all day long. I sometimes dwell on them way too often in my attempt to like push them away (I try to ignore them, but then I’ll just end up thinking the blasphemy). Sometimes they’re just these (unwanted) desires to have the thoughts, and I give into them way too often and have the thoughts just so I won’t have the desires anymore. I also sometimes try to like “re-create” the blasphemous thought in my head later on to see if I sinned (like I analyze it to see if I really gave full consent). Sometimes I’ll just think the thoughts without really thinking. After a while I’ll even start to forget about the thoughts, and then I’ll remember and it’ll start all over again.

I just went to confession this past weekend! Do I have to go back for having these thoughts? And any recommendations on how to overcome this?

Any prayers would also be appreciated.

There have been cases in the lives of holy people who felt the need to blaspheme God just as you did. In fact I remember reading about one such person, a nun, who offered her life as a “victim soul”. She just finished loving Jesus in prayer and offered herself as a victim to suffering to make up for others’ indifference and hostility. When she left her prayer hour, she suddenly felt a strong need to curse and swear at God. It was so compulsory that she put her hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t do it. This compulsion did not end until the next morning.

Sometimes God is good to us and we just don’t recognize it. Whenever he allows us temptation, he is presenting to us a real opportunity to show him our devotion and love for him by denying ourselves. For love is really shown thru suffering. So now he allows us thru these suffering temptations to come closer to his heart and to become more like him in spirit by following him. We have two ways to look at temptations, either as opportunities, or as liabilities.

I believe looking at them as opportunities takes the sting out of them and especially the worry, which of course the devil dosen’t want. He would rather play us like a fiddle and make us doubt ourselves and our loving saviour. When we realize that nothing comes to us except for our betterment, then our displacement into the hands of Jesus and Mary of these become our salvation and also the salvation of the ones we love.

May God bless and keep you. May God’s face shine on you. May God be kind to you and give you peace.

 

[Jeremyah]

I just went to confession this past weekend! Do I have to go back for having these thoughts? And any recommendations on how to overcome this?

I have one suggestion: Depakote. It sounds like you have OCD. I have OCD and depakote has worked great for me.

See a psychiatrist. If you don’t have insurance, go to the Mental Health Authority agency in the state where you live.

Any prayers would also be appreciated.

I’ll pray for you.

 

[Mystical_Seeker]

If you fight the thoughts, or judge them, it can give them more power over you. If you let them gently run their course they may quiet down.

Btw don’t take medical advice from someone on the internet unless it matches what you already know and makes sense to you, or you have checked it out.

MS