Religious OCD, also known as scrupulosity, is the mental health condition I get asked about the most often in my work with religious trauma survivors.
I think this is probably because the symptoms of religious OCD can have an extremely negative impact on someone’s sense of well-being and overall quality of life.
If this sounds like you {or like someone you love} — you’ve come to the right place.
This article is going to take a deep dive into the topic of religious OCD.
And even more specifically, we’ll tie it all together by looking how it’s connected to religious trauma.
Of note: You CAN have scrupulosity without even being religious.
However, based on my work as a religious trauma therapist, as well as the work of others in this field, it seems like being indoctrinated into a high control religion (and the ensuing religious trauma) will significantly increases someone’s risk of developing religious OCD.
Here’s What We’ll Be Covering
What Is Religious OCD?
In this section, we’re going to talk about what religious OCD is, but first, I wanted to give you some more information about what OCD is in general.
Unfortunately, it seems the term “OCD” has become somewhat watered down and misunderstand because of the way it’s so glibly tossed around throughout society.
For example, have you ever heard someone say — “Ugh! I can’t stand not having a clean house. I’m so OCD.”
Or maybe you’ve heard somebody criticizing another person’s detail-oriented behavior, classifying it as, “they’re being way too OCD about that.”
This watered down use of the term “OCD” is absolutely not what we’re talking about in this article.
OCD can be, and often is, a very serious condition that takes a profoundly negative toll on someone’s quality of life.
So with that being said, let’s lay the foundation for understanding religious OCD by first exploring what regular OCD is.
Understanding OCD
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, is a mental health disorder.
OCD is typically characterized by recurring and unwanted thoughts, images, or urges (obsessions) that will drive someone to perform certain actions or rituals repeatedly (compulsions) to relieve the stress or anxiety caused by the obsessions.
It’s important to know that OCD is not about habits like biting nails or always thinking about work.
It’s much more severe and all-consuming than that.
In most cases, true OCD will interfere with your daily routine, job, relationships, or overall quality of life.
Unlike how we often hear OCD referenced in day to day conversations, it’s not just about cleanliness or orderliness.
Here’s what’s important to know — OCD can revolve around many different themes, one of them being religion, leading to what we term as religious OCD or scrupulosity.
We’ll talk about religious OCD more in the next section, but first, let’s get a clearer picture of obsessions and compulsions.
I’m also going to give you a quick primer on something call “pure O,” which is OCD without the compulsive behaviors.
Obsessions in OCD
Obsessions, as they relate to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, are the recurring, persistent, and intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses that cause significant distress or anxiety.
It’s not the kind of obsessive thought you might have about a new song you love or a book you can’t put down.
No, it’s much more intense and unpleasant than that.
Think of OCD obsessions as the unwanted guests of your mind, showing up without invitation and refusing to leave no matter how much you try to ignore or dismiss them.
For many people, these obsessions can be downright terrifying and cause considerable distress.
What’s more, OCD obsessions are incredibly hard to control.
You can’t just will them away…
This is where compulsions come in.
You see, compulsions are the coping mechanisms that people with OCD use to try to neutralize or counteract their distressing obsessions.
We’ll delve deeper into compulsions next, but it’s important to remember that obsessions are the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ of compulsions.
Essentially, they’re the driving force that fuels the cycle of OCD.
Unless of course you’re dealing with something called “Pure O” OCD, which is OCD without the compulsions.
I’ll also be covering that a little later in this section.
Compulsions in OCD
Compulsions, as they pertain to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, are repetitious behaviors or mental rituals that someone performs to reduce or manage the distress arising from obsessions.
You can think of compulsions as makeshift life rafts.
They can provide temporary relief from the tidal wave of anxiety that obsessions bring, but they don’t lead to a permanent resolution.
A person suffering from OCD might engage in compulsive behaviors like excessive cleaning, constant checking, or repetitive counting.
It’s important to note that compulsive behaviors don’t originate from a place of enjoyment, but rather, they’re carried out as a desperate attempt to quell the relentless worry and fear that obsessions cause.
Yet, while compulsions might provide immediate relief, keep in mind that they’re a part of the vicious cycle of OCD.
Each time a person succumbs to their compulsion, it reinforces their obsession, strengthening the belief that these compulsive actions are necessary for preventing catastrophic outcomes.
That’s why it’s so important to understand compulsions and their role in OCD if you’re struggling to break out of this cycle.
But what about if you don’t deal with OCD compulsions as described above.
Well, it’s possible you’re still dealing with an OCD diagnosis, but instead of the obsessions-compulsion loop, you’re navigating a variant of OCD call “Pure O” OCD.
“Pure O” OCD
“Pure O” OCD, short for “Purely Obsessional OCD,” is a variant of OCD where the compulsive behaviors usually associated with the disorder are absent or less apparent.
This doesn’t mean the struggle is any less real or severe because those experiencing “Pure O” OCD are still burdened with persistent, intrusive thoughts or images, typically of a distressing or disturbing nature.
For example, you might find yourself plagued by relentless doubts about your religious beliefs, triggering a profound sense of guilt or fear.
The compulsions, in this case, are primarily mental.
This could involve repeated prayer, excessive religious study, or constantly seeking reassurance about your faith.
As you can see from the above information, compulsions aren’t actually absent in Purely Obsessional OCD, they’re usually just mental, rather than behavioral.
We’ll get into this more in the next section, but it seems like people who are dealing with religious OCD as a result of religious trauma are more like to experience Pure O OCD because of the expectation of manipulated mental processes: confessions, repentance, prayer, etc.
Understanding Religious OCD
OCD has a number of subsets that all fall under the broader umbrella of OCD, and religious OCD is one of them.
Religious OCD as a Subset of OCD
Religious OCD, also known as scrupulosity, is a form of OCD where the someone experiences obsessive religious thoughts and corresponding compulsions, often revolving around moral or religious fear or guilt.
Religious OCD is a unique form of OCD that got tangled up with your deeply held religious beliefs and practices.
{That’s why it seems to be more common among those indoctrinated into a high control religion.}
This form of OCD can may cause you to be excessively worried about committing a sin or violating a religious law, or you may have invasive thoughts that you perceive as blasphemous or sacrilegious.
Consequently, the compulsions associated with religious OCD often involve practices such as excessive prayer or confession, repeated rituals to ‘undo’ the perceived sin, or incessant research into religious texts to find reassurance or ‘proof’ of righteousness.
Scrupulosity Doesn’t Always Come From Religion
It’s important to keep in mind that not everyone who experiences scrupulosity has a background of religious indoctrination.
Folks dealing with scrupulosity who aren’t otherwise religious may experience obsessions and compulsions linked to moral or ethical standards, rather than religious laws or principles.
For example, a person might obsess over whether they’ve been honest enough, kind enough, or ethical enough in their actions.
They might perform mental or physical rituals to assuage these obsessions, much like how a religiously-oriented individual might resort to excessive prayer or confession.
This form of scrupulosity just goes to show how diverse and complex OCD can be.
With that being said, let’s look at few examples of how religious OCD might show up in someone’s life.
Not interested in the case studies? Feel free to Jump Ahead to How Religious Trauma is Connected to OCD.
Case Study Examples of Religious OCD
In this section we’re going to take a look at a few case examples in order to demonstrate how religious OCD can manifest in different ways for different people.
Religious OCD in an Adult Male: The Family’s “Leader”
Let’s consider Mark, a 40-year-old man who is deeply concerned about being a strong leader for his family in order to prevent eternal separation in the afterlife.
Mark is part of a religion that emphasizes the responsibility of the husband and father in maintaining a strong position as the “head of the household.”
Eventually, Mark started experiencing intrusive thoughts related to his role as a leader.
For him, the source of this was the Phobia Indoctrination used by his religious group to convince him of the seriousness of his responsibilities as a member of the church.
He would have recurrent thoughts about making mistakes or not being able to protect his family from harm.
These thoughts would trigger intense feelings of fear and guilt, as he believed that any failure on his part could result in eternal consequences for his family.
To cope with these distressing thoughts, Mark would engage in compulsive behaviors such as constantly seeking reassurance through prayer and in meetings with religious leaders.
He also became very demanding of his family members, growing increasingly intolerant of anything less than perfection as he believed all would be lost for eternity if anyone in the family “messed up.”
Despite his best efforts, the intrusive thoughts would persist, leading Mark to doubt his capabilities as the head of the household, which caused him significant distress.
This cycle of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors is a classic example of religious OCD faced by men in high control religions, where there is an outsized expectation of them to be strong leaders for their families.
Religious OCD in an Adult Female: Staying Pure
Next, let’s consider the case of Sarah, a 26-year-old woman who grew up in a deeply religious household.
Sexual purity and “saving herself for marriage” were strongly emphasized in her upbringing.
As Sarah entered adulthood, she began experiencing symptoms of religious OCD associated with her purity culture indoctrination during her adolescence and young adult years.
Intrusive thoughts plagued her, and she believed she was constantly sinning and failing to meet the strict standards of sexual purity that were expected by her religious group.
Even a fleeting thought related to romance, attraction, or sexual behavior would send Sarah spiraling into fear of eternal damnation, causing immense anxiety and distress.
To cope with her obsessive thoughts, Sarah found herself trapped in a cycle of compulsive behaviors.
She would spend prolonged periods confessing her perceived sins at the church and before bed at night, often repeating the same confession multiple times to ensure she hadn’t missed anything.
Additionally, she would excessively cleanse herself physically, feeling the constant need to rid herself of ‘spiritual’ contamination and restore a sense of “being clean.”
Despite investing countless hours in these rituals, Sarah continued to feel dirty and worthless because she was unable to fully repress her thoughts of romance or her sexual interests.
{If this sounds like something you’ve experienced, you may want to check out this article}:
Religious OCD in Childhood: Fear of Eternal Torment
Lastly, let’s look at the example of Jacob, an 8-year-old boy who was born into a strict, high-demand religious environment.
Jacob’s upbringing was marked by vivid narratives of heaven and hell, angels and demons, sin and salvation.
These themes, while intended to instill piety, inadvertently induced deep-seated fear and anxiety in Jacob.
From a tender age, Jacob began to obsess over the thought of hell and eternal punishment.
Any seemingly minor transgression, such as telling a white lie or unintentionally disrespecting his elders, would trigger wave upon wave of guilt and fear.
Fear of divine retribution became a constant, haunting presence in Jacob’s young mind.
This was the onset of what we now recognize as religious OCD or scrupulosity.
Jacob’s daily routines soon became ritualistic in nature, all in an attempt to avoid divine punishment.
He started insisting on praying not only before every meal — but even snacks.
And sleep was elusive as Jacob would lie awake recounting the day’s events, analyzing whether he had done anything wrong that could result in divine retribution.
Jacob’s parents viewed these behaviors as signs of devoutness, so they praised the constant praying and “talking to god.”
Little did they realize that their son was not experiencing the freedom and joy their religion taught them about, but instead was caught in the relentless grip of religious OCD.
How Is Religious Trauma Connected to OCD?
Religious trauma is a common outcome for people who were indoctrinated into a high control religion.
If you’ve been wondering whether your church is would have fallen into this category, check out this article: What is A High Control Religion?
In my work with people recovering from religious trauma and in my online communities, the topic of scrupulosity and religious OCD comes up quite often.
Unfortunately, there’s not a ton of published research on this topic, which is why I think people so often ask about it.
They’re looking for the language to describe their experiences.
They’re looking for answers.
And, most of all, they’re looking for relief.
While I don’t have all the answers as more formal research needs to be done in this area, I can tell you that anecdotally speaking, there absolutely does seems to be a link between the manipulation and mind control that accompanies indoctrination into high control religion and an increased prevalence of religious OCD.
Let’s unpack this a bit further…
{If you haven’t already read the section on What is Religious OCD you’ll definitely want to Jump Back to that section, so you’ll have a solid foundation in place for what we’re talking about next.}
Understanding Religious Trauma
Religious trauma is your body’s response to an overwhelming event or compilation of events stemming from a religious environment or religious teachings.
High control religious groups are classic examples of environments that create chronic stress and overwhelm, often resulting in religious trauma.
This is because these environments often impose strict rules, create high expectations, and employ fear-based tactics as a way of manipulating and controlling members, all of which can be deeply damaging to your mental and emotional health.
Such experiences trigger your body’s fight or flight response, causing chronic stress on your nervous system.
Your brain and body are continually on alert, waiting for the next possible threat.
The outcome is religious trauma.
How Religious Trauma Increases Vulnerability to OCD
Over time, this heightened state of anxiety due to religious trauma can lead to a range of physical and mental health issues, including religious OCD.
This is due to the brain’s neuroplasticity – its ability to form new neural connections throughout life.
When fear and anxiety are continually triggered, your brain may “learn” to be constantly in a state of hyperarousal or hypervigilance because that’s what feel “safe.”
This is especially true if you were indoctrinated to believe that threats or temptations from the world could “lead you astray” at any moment unless you constantly “kept watch.”
This trauma response can morph into obsessions over time.
And then the way most people cope with the obsessions is through hyper-fixating on the rituals that religion claims will keep you safe (a.k.a. religious compulsions).
As you can see, what began as your body’s way of responding to the stressors of involvement in a high control religion eventually spiraled into a mental health disorder — religious OCD.
Recovering From Religious OCD
In my opinion, if religious trauma is at the root of your religious OCD, then you should start by treating your religious trauma.
Here are some steps to get you started.
Separate & Detox
If you haven’t left already, it’s essential for your mental well-being that you separate from any high control environment that’s contributing to your distress and overwhelm.
Give yourself time to detox from the problematic teachings and stressors that kickstarted your obsessions.
Focus on Your Nervous System
Trauma becomes embedded in your nervous system overtime.
For most people, separating and detoxing from the religion isn’t enough.
You’ll also probably need to practice somatic exercises (likely with the help of a professional) to help release the trauma from your nervous system.
Cultivate a Healing Environment
As you’re in recovery from religious trauma and religious OCD, you’ll need to cultivate an environment the supports a sense of safety and well-being.
If you’re still involved in relationships with people who trigger old fears and obsessions, you may need to set firm boundaries with them or remove them from your life altogether.
Try to cultivate an environment, especially in your home, that supports a sense a safety.
Final Thoughts
If you’re dealing with religious OCD, you don’t have to try to tackle this on all on your own.
I think a lot of people feel shame or embarrassment around acknowledging the extent of their obsessions or compulsions, but you have nothing to feel embarrassed about.
Lots of people are struggling with this same exact issue!
When you bring it out into the light of day by talking to loved ones or even a professional about it, some of the fear begins to lose it’s power.
This is because fears tend to grow and multiply in the dark.
What To Do Next:
We covered quite a bit of information in this article.
If you’re wondering what to do next, consider the following…
Join the Group
One thing I would definitely encourage you to do is to check out my private Facebook group for folks recovering from religious harm:
Check Out These Article
If you thought the information in this article was helpful, then you’ll also want to check out these other articles:
- Why Are Religious People More Susceptible to Conspiracy Theories?
- High Control Religions Can Trigger These Mental Health Disorders
- Two of the Most Likely Reasons for Your Religious Triggers
Stay Connected
Most importantly you’ll want to make sure you’re on my email list.
Every Thursday I send out a topical email related to religious indoctrination and religious harm recovery.
And every Monday I send an email that offers more of my personal thoughts and also includes links for the latest resources I’ve been perusing.
Use the form below to sign up!