Scrupulosity: Find Help for Religious OCD in Utah

Finding Help For Scrupulosity (Religious OCD) in Utah

It might not surprise you to hear that religious OCD, also called scrupulosity, is a concern for many people here in Utah. Living in an area with religious influence can be very beneficial for your mental health. However, if you are experiencing scrupulosity, then you may find that religion becomes a source of anxiety and frustration.

Thankfully, religious OCD doesn’t have to take the joy out of your religious experiences and your life in general. Today, you will learn about scrupulosity and how to find help for religious OCD in Utah. 

What is Scrupulosity (Religious OCD)?

Scrupulosity is a common subtype of OCD. In fact, of the 2.3% of the population who has OCD, about one third show scrupulosity symptoms. (Source) 

But what is scrupulosity, exactly? It is a form of OCD that revolves around religion. Maybe you find yourself obsessing over religious and moral questions. Or, you might participate in compulsive behaviors related to church and spirituality. 

Obsessions

If you are experiencing scrupulosity, you may be familiar with the following obsessive thoughts that are difficult to control (Source):

• Thoughts/fears about being a bad or immoral person. You may worry constantly about accidentally sinning.
• Worrying that you are not praying correctly. 
• Extreme concern about displeasing God or a deity. 
• Fears about breaking religious laws, codes, or commandments. 
• Worry about being abandoned by God.
• Belief that you are not practicing religion perfectly enough and obsession with doing more to try to “catch up”. 

• Intrusive thoughts that are blasphemous or distressing related to your religious observance. 

Compulsions

You may also be familiar with some of these compulsive behaviors that are common when it comes to religious OCD (Source):

• Repeating prayers or other religious actions over and over. You might believe that you need to repeat them until they are perfect. 
• Feeling the need to constantly pray for forgiveness. 
• Ruminating about your actions. You might feel overwhelming concern about your actions being potentially sinful or evil. 
• Believing that you must do a certain act a particular number of times to make it legitimate. For example, you might believe you need to pray a specific number of times in a row to receive forgiveness. 
• Avoiding certain religious locations or activities out of fear or anxiety. These places and activities might be tied to past experience you’ve had with any of these obsessions or compulsions you read above. 

Alternatively, you might find that your obsessions and compulsions are not specifically religious or tied to church. Maybe you obsess constantly about your morality. You may find that you are overly concerned about accidentally lying, to the point where it interferes with your ability to interact with the people around you. (Source). These are also examples of scrupulosity. 

Finding Help and Hope

If you can relate to some of the things we talked about above, know that help is available. Scrupulosity can take the joy out of your religious observance or even your daily life. And that’s where therapy can help. (Related article: Anxiety Help- Individual Counseling). 

In individual therapy, an experienced counselor can help you to understand scrupulosity and give you tools to manage your symptoms. One common type of therapy used for OCD that you can try is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT. CBT can help you recognize obsessions and compulsions and give you the skills you need to not only manage these symptoms, but thrive. (Source)

Help for Scrupulosity in Utah

In therapy, you won’t be judged or chastised for your scrupulosity. Instead, a therapist will give you a safe place to explore and address your religious OCD effectively. A therapist can help you emotionally process a variety of faith related issues, from mixed faith marriages to faith crises to scrupulosity. 

If you are ready to make the first step, contact us today to schedule an appointment to talk about your religious OCD with a therapist in Orem, South Jordan, or Spanish Fork. 

Written by Lauren Adkins