I have scrupulosity and it’s impacting my Christian faith. I do study the Bible but I am taking a break so as not to trigger it too much, but my Christianity is important and I want to study it and how do I do so without triggering that? My trigger is mainly on heaven & hell, so my plan was to study something else other than that.
I can completely relate. I have scrupulosity also. I have learned that you can take just a handful of scriptures and meditate on them, instead of doing a lot of intensive Bible study. It really is OK to do this. Going to church, reading the Bible, and having religious discussions all trigger me. And I have learned that God is merciful about that. It's OK for us to take a little bit of scripture at a time, or to focus on Christian videos or books that talk about God's love and grace (because these are topics we really need). There's a time and place for exposure therapy, where you refuse to avoid triggers. But there's also a time in place to give your brain a rest. For years, I have been focusing on the places that don't trigger me, and that strengthen the needs of your heart. For me, that meant watching a lot of Mark DeJesus videos about God's love and grace. And studying topics that encourage me. And, like I said, I only take a handful of scriptures and stay focusing on those. Since I am always worried about hell, I choose the verses that assure me of my salvation. I've been meditating on these for years. They are helping me to get stronger in the truth where I really need it.
@Tea and Honey There was one time in my journey where I took four months off of church. I was really getting triggered, and my brain just needed the break. I think that time was good for me. I also spent about a year on "vacation" where I hardly studied the Bible at all. I just focused on five or 10 scripture verses. I think my brain needed this break also. After a period time, I was able to go back and do more Bible study. But our brain just needs a break sometimes. And sometimes it's a long break, because our brains are so broken by the OCD. That is OK.
@Tea and Honey What scripture?
@Tea and Honey I like mark dejesus too. I do love Bible study, I just have to take care of myself through it
@Tea and Honey And thank you. Yes, I do need a break right now. Maybe like one to two weeks before doing immense Bible study. 📚 or more. God’s got me anyway.
@jaydenmcleo9 My OCD centers around a fear of losing my salvation. So for me, I am memorizing and meditating on verses like Psalm 89:1-2, Romans 4: 18-21, Zeph. 3:17, and more
I struggle with it too, and one thing I like to do is read not necessarily Scripture but Christian literature. It is less triggering but still helps me grow.
What always helps me is remembering that he loves me more than I could ever love him. Whenever you catch yourself worrying about offending God and or eternity, remember that the very fact you are concerned about these things shows you love him and care about God very much. If you didn’t you would live your life, sin mortally, and not even think about God at all. Like not even a single thought
Anyone else struggling with reading their bible or having a certain feeling to feel like God loves them and if they don’t it ruins their whole time with God. Makes pursuing him really hard. Any tips ?
So I am a practicing Catholic, and I've gotten into reading the Bible this year, praying the Rosary, things like that, and while I love to do that, my OCD has been seeming to take over, in ways such as like I have to read the Bible for a certain amount of time before I'm satisfied with the time read, or something along those lines, and it's starting to make the thought of praying and reading the Bible unenjoyable, which is really hurting me inside, because I used to and want to enjoy it so bad, but now this is making it really hard to, because it feels like I don't have control over my own thoughts, and little things trigger the thoughts, it's just so annoying. If there's anything anyone thinks I can do to combat this please let me know.
I haven’t really been in my Bible lately cuz I just feel like when I read it like it’s to mark a box off and my ocd flare ups make it worse I don’t even want to read. I will read like a daily devotional or like a chapter but that’s like the bare minimum like it doesn’t even count so I don’t know what to do does that make me lukewarm I don’t want to backslide in my faith but I feel so far from God I mean I never really feel close either I just can’t even focus my brain is too loud.
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