Navigating Religious OCD
Religion has long been a means of supporting connection to God.
But what of times when a religious experience, previously hoped to bring connection and peace, becomes a source of serious anxiety and deep fear?
This podcast creates space to discuss the journey of navigating religious OCD by sharing experiences, resources, and practical tools.
Navigating Religious OCD
Anxiety is at the Core of Religious OCD or Scrupulosity & Anxiety vs. the Spirit
In this episode, Sariah expresses that anxiety is at the core of Religious OCD or Scrupulosity.
She discusses an article by Psychologist Debra Theobald McClendon that brings the differences between anxiety and the spirit to the light.
Youtube: https://youtu.be/FzQwb6zENx0
Contact Info
Whether you're reaching out with similar experiences, questions, or comments, I would love to hear from you!
Email: sariah@navigatingreligiousocd.com
Contents of this episode:
00:00- Intro
00:09- Episode Overview
00:35- Anxiety is at the Core of Religious OCD
01:07- Giving Credit
01:40- Diving In
02:00- Anxiety can interfere with Spiritual communication
02:51- Helpful Anxiety
03:52- Everyone Experiences Anxiety
04:07- Harmful Anxiety
04:33- Anxiety can escalate to unhealthy levels for anyone
05:08- Anxiously Engaged vs. Over-Anxious
05:54- What Anxiety can look like
07:11- Drawing Connections to Describe Anxiety
08:55- The physical effects of stress hormones can make it difficult to discern
10:12- Anxiety vs. the Spirit Chart Preface
10:49- Anxiety vs. the Spirit Chart
11:21- Characteristics of Anxiety
11:38- Characteristics of the Spirit
11:52- Feelings of Anxiety
12:18- Feelings of the Spirit
12:55- Differences I’ve noticed between Anxiety & the Spirit in my life
18:57- Conclusion
Resources:
McClendon, D. T. (2019, April). Discerning your feelings: Anxiety or the Spirit? Ensign, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2019/04/young-adults/discerning-your-feelings-anxiety-or-the-spirit?lang=eng
Music: Vlad Gluschenko — Positive Thinking
License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en