There exists a group of religious individuals who have excessive anxiety, guilt and fear over religious matters. To relieve such anxiety, the group will perform various compulsions, such as repentance or repetitive prayer, to make the negative emotions go away. Such is the untreated life of those with scrupulosity, a religious form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that can ruin the spiritual lives of those who suffer from it.
What is Scrupulosity?
Scrupulosity, though spiritual in nature, is an anxiety disorder characterized by obsessive thoughts about God, religion, sin, morality and other spiritual topics. This results in various compulsions (such as repentance, repetition of spiritual activities and prolonged searches for reassurance) designed to limit the stress and fear such obsessions cause.
The anxiety that scrupulous individuals experience does not stem from one’s sins or spiritual status, but from the chemical status of his or her brain.
Religious OCD’s Main Symptoms
Joseph W. Ciarrocchi, in his book The Doubting Disease, explains that “The term ‘scrupulosity’ refers to seeing sin where there is none.” Those with the disorder will often repent for things that religious leaders within their faith would not consider sinful, and may avoid certain harmless activities that appear to be morally unsound.
The scrupulous, as Ciarrocchi’s book title indicates, also have a tendency to doubt their spiritual status and performance. A sufferer of religious OCD may perform rituals repeatedly out of fears that he or she did not execute them correctly.
The person might repent many times in a row, fearing that the initial prayer was not said right, and might continuously seek a spiritual advisor’s reassurance that he or she is in good standing with God. The scrupulous go to great lengths to find certainty in religious matters, but their disease prevents them from attaining it.
While friends and family may notice these types of odd behavior, they might not realize the degree of anguish, sorrow and fear that the scrupulous individual experiences. Scrupulosity distorts religious individuals’ perception of themselves, causing them to feel far more sinful or wicked than the average population.
For a description of one famous Christian’s experience with the disease, consider reading about John Bunyan’s battle with religious OCD.
The Unwanted Thoughts of Scrupulosity Sufferers
One other indicator of OCD is the experience of intrusive and blasphemous religious thoughts. Many scrupulous individuals find themselves besieged by curses directed at God, graphic images involving God or other religious individuals, or thoughts about renouncing religion.
These thoughts are not deliberate, and thus not sinful, but scrupulous individuals may feel that they are the source of such blasphemies. As a result, they apologize for the thoughts whenever they occur and seek to avoid them, but such actions only increase their anxiety over the intrusions. Some may consider the thoughts proof of their wicked or unregenerate state, which only increases their guilt and anxiety.
The Consequences of Religious OCD
As explained above, scrupulosity causes mental trauma for the individuals who suffer from it, causing them to feel intense guilt, doubt and anxiety over their religious condition. But the disorder also has definite effects on one’s spiritual life, making religion into a chore and decreasing one’s motivation to love and serve God. "The Negative Effects of Scrupulosity," another article on religious OCD, has more on this topic.
Treating Scrupulous Individuals
Education is essential in helping relieve those with religious OCD of their symptoms. Scrupulous individuals should understand that their compulsive repenting, feelings that they are one of the world’s worst sinners, intrusive thoughts and failure to find certainty all stem from scrupulosity, not from their spiritual status or past sins.
From there on, scrupulosity can be treated like other forms of OCD, though a priest or other religious authority can provide guidance and support in the process.
The article “Treatment for OCD” has more information on the recovery process for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Online Resources for Religious OCD
Though internet articles are not a substitute for the expertise of a certified psychologist, psychiatrist or therapist, there do exist a number of web locations where one can find more information on scrupulosity.
Two such resources are “Scrupulous Anonymous,” a newsletter that examines scrupulosity from a Catholic perspective, and Laurie Krauth’s comprehensive article on religious obsessive-compulsive disorder. There are also organizations dedicated to helping provide support to those with scrupulosity, including “The Scrupe Group,” a Yahoo! hosted group of religious OCD sufferers.
Sources:
- The Doubting Disease, a book on scrupulosity by Joseph W. Ciarrocchi.
- Scrupulosity: Blackmailed by OCD in the name of God, an ADAA article by Laurie Krauth, MA.
- Scrupulosity: Religious Obsessions and Compulsions, by Carol E. Watkins, MD.
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