Religious OCD Treatment in Provo, UT
You’re worried that the thoughts you’re having about church aren’t normal
You’ve been having obsessive thoughts that you’re not worthy. The thought of going to the temple makes you feel like you might have a panic attack. You feel like you need to go to your bishop about everything. You don’t understand why. You want everything to be ok. You want to be able to have the same kinds of positive spiritual experiences you hear your family and friends talking about.
Maybe you did some googling or listened to a few podcasts. You’ve come across the word “scrupulosity” and now you’re wondering what exactly it is and if it applies to you.
Scrupulosity is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder that involves religious or moral themes. It includes obsessive thoughts that are usually disturbing and contrary to what you actually want and believe and compulsive behaviors that are performed to try to manage the distress associated with the obsessive thoughts. For Latter-day Saints, scrupulosity often involves thoughts that you’re not worthy, that you don’t have enough faith, and that you will never reach the Celestial Kingdom. Compulsive behaviors often involve once routine aspects of our spiritual lives like prayer, scripture study, and different parts of temple worship.
If you’re seeking help, consider looking into Religious OCD treatment in Provo, UT.
Why can’t I stop thinking these horrible thoughts?
One of the most difficult things about OCD is that it targets the things that are most important to us. We begin treatment by exploring the ways that OCD distorts your thinking, resulting in painful thoughts and patterns of behavior.
All of my clients believe that, just because they have a disturbing or blasphemous thought, it must mean something. It doesn’t! It’s just a thought. It doesn’t have to mean anything, and you don’t have to do anything in response to it.
My clients also struggle with uncertainty. They want to know for sure that they are worthy and that the church is true. Together we work on building more flexible ways of thinking and accepting that we can move forward in faith even if we aren’t 100% certain all the time.
It doesn’t always have to be this hard, Religious OCD Treatment Can Help You
You may feel overwhelmed and hopeless because of your scrupulousness. The great news is that, according to the International OCD Foundation, 70% of people with OCD will get better. This is through a combination of medication and ERP. I am able to combine my extensive training in ERP and related treatments with deep knowledge of gospel principles and church culture to give you the best possible chance at overcoming your anxiety and OCD. Ultimately, you can have the kind of relationship with Heavenly Father that you so desperately want.
Am I Having a Faith Crisis?
Many Latter-day Saints who struggle with scrupulosity are worried they either don’t have enough faith or that they are having a faith crisis. However, it is important to understand that scrupulosity is a problem of anxiety, not of faith.
A faith crisis can be triggered by a variety of factors. This can include encountering information that challenges previously held beliefs. It can also include personal experiences that raise questions about the teachings of the church or internal struggles with doubts and uncertainties.
During a faith crisis, individuals may grapple with feelings of confusion, disillusionment, sadness, or even anger. All as they reevaluate their beliefs and seek to make sense of their spiritual journey. It can be a deeply challenging and sometimes painful process. Individuals may even feel a sense of loss or grief over perceived changes in their faith identity.
Differentiating Scrupulosity from a Faith Crisis
On the other hand, scrupulosity is a form of religious or moral obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is characterized by excessive and obsessive concerns about sin, morality, or religious purity. Individuals with scrupulosity may experience intrusive thoughts, fears, or doubts about their religious or moral behavior. This leads to compulsive rituals or behaviors aimed at alleviating their anxiety or guilt. Scrupulosity may manifest as an overwhelming preoccupation with following every rule, commandment, or guideline perfectly. This is done to the point of distress or impairment in daily functioning.
Unlike a faith crisis, which involves broader questions about beliefs and spirituality, scrupulosity is more focused on moral or religious behavior. It may also involve rigid adherence to religious practices or rituals. Individuals with scrupulosity may struggle with feelings of guilt, shame, or inadequacy. They also have a fear of divine punishment or condemnation for perceived transgressions. This can lead to a cycle of anxiety, self-doubt, and compulsive behaviors. This can have a significant impact on mental health and well-being.
How Do I Know I Need Religious OCD Treatment?
Once you have figured out that you may be suffering from scrupulosity, it can be hard to decide when to seek professional help. Here are a few signs that it may be a good idea to discuss your symptoms with a mental health professional:
Persistent and Distressing Thoughts:
If you find yourself experiencing intrusive, distressing, or obsessive thoughts related to sin, morality, or religious purity on a regular basis, it may be a sign that you are dealing with scrupulosity. These thoughts may be difficult to control. They may also cause significant anxiety or distress.
Compulsive Behaviors or Rituals:
Individuals with scrupulosity often engage in compulsive behaviors or rituals as a way to alleviate their anxiety or guilt. This tends to be related to perceived religious or moral transgressions. These behaviors may include excessive prayer, confession, or other religious practices. They are performed in a repetitive or rigid manner.
Impact on Daily Functioning:
If your preoccupation with religious or moral concerns is interfering with your ability to engage in daily activities, maintain relationships, or fulfill responsibilities at work, school, or home, it may be a sign that your scrupulosity is significantly affecting your quality of life and that you may need professional help.
Feelings of Guilt, Shame, or Inadequacy:
Individuals with scrupulosity often experience intense feelings of guilt, shame, or inadequacy related to their perceived religious or moral failings. These feelings may be overwhelming. They may also lead to negative self-perception, low self-esteem, or difficulty in experiencing joy or fulfillment.
Fear of Punishment or Condemnation:
If you find yourself constantly fearing punishment or condemnation from a church leader or even Heavenly Father or experiencing feelings of dread or apprehension related to religious consequences, it may be a sign that your scrupulosity requires treatment.
Persistent Distress or Anxiety:
If your preoccupation with religious or moral concerns is leading to persistent feelings of distress, anxiety, or emotional turmoil that is difficult to manage on your own, it may be a sign that professional help is needed to address your scrupulosity.
If you recognize these signs in yourself or someone you care about, it is important to seek help from a qualified mental health professional. Scrupulosity can be effectively managed with evidence-based treatment, including exposure and response prevention. You can reach out here to schedule a consultation and learn more.
How is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) used to treat Scrupulosity and Religious OCD?
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). It is the gold standard behavior therapy for all forms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. This includes scrupulosity and religious OCD. In the context of scrupulosity, ERP aims to help individuals confront their fears and obsessions related to religious or moral concerns. All while learning to resist engaging in compulsive behaviors or rituals that they use to provide temporary relief from anxiety or distress. Here's how ERP can be used to treat scrupulosity:
Identification of Obsessions and Compulsions:
The first step in ERP for scrupulosity involves identifying specific obsessions (intrusive thoughts, fears, or concerns) and compulsions (rituals, behaviors, or mental acts performed in response to obsessions). These specifically contribute to the individual's distress and anxiety.
Creating a Hierarchy of Exposure:
The therapist works with the individual to create a hierarchy of exposure tasks. These tasks gradually expose them to situations, thoughts, or triggers related to their scrupulosity. Usually starting from least anxiety-provoking to most anxiety-provoking. This hierarchy helps individuals confront their fears in a structured and manageable way.
Exposure Exercises:
The individual is then guided through exposure exercises. These are where they intentionally confront their obsessions or triggers without engaging in compulsive behaviors. For example, a person who has anxiety about listening to conference talks may be asked to do exposures that involve listening to talks.
Response Prevention:
During exposure exercises, individuals are encouraged to resist the urge to engage in compulsions or rituals that provide temporary relief from anxiety. This helps individuals learn that they can tolerate uncertainty and discomfort. All without relying on compulsive behaviors to ease their distress.
Repeating Exposure Exercises:
Individuals practice exposure exercises repeatedly to habituate to their fears and reduce the intensity of their obsessions over time. With repeated exposure and response prevention, individuals learn that their fears are unfounded. This helps them learn that they can manage their anxiety without resorting to compulsive behaviors.
Cognitive Restructuring:
In addition to exposure and response prevention, cognitive restructuring techniques may be used to help individuals challenge and change irrational beliefs or thought patterns related to their scrupulosity. This involves identifying and reframing negative or distorted thoughts about religion, morality, or sin.
Relapse Prevention:
Throughout the course of therapy, individuals learn relapse prevention strategies. This is to maintain their progress and cope with any setbacks or challenges that may arise. This may also involve developing coping skills and practicing self-care. It may also involve seeking support from therapists, religious leaders, or support groups.
Because repetition is a key contributor to the success of ERP, it is important for individuals undergoing ERP to be committed to the therapy process. They must also actively participate in exposure exercises and practice the skills learned in therapy in their daily lives. With time and effort, ERP can help individuals with scrupulosity reduce their symptoms and improve their quality of life. They also can develop healthier ways of managing their religious and moral concerns. I am an experienced ERP provider and have received extensive training in conducting ERP in children, adolescents, and adults, including at the International OCD Foundation’s Behavior Therapy Training Institute.
How Will Religious OCD Treatment Affect My Spiritual Life?
Religious OCD treatment can have a profound impact on an individual's relationship with God. It can help foster a healthier, more balanced, and more authentic spiritual connection. Here are some ways in which scrupulosity treatment may affect your spiritual life:
Reduced Anxiety and Guilt:
Scrupulosity treatment, such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy, can help individuals manage and reduce the overwhelming anxiety, guilt, and shame often associated with scrupulosity. By learning to confront their fears and obsessions in a structured and controlled manner, individuals can gradually decrease the intensity of their religious or moral concerns. This allows them to once again find peace in spiritual practices.
Increased Trust and Faith:
Through therapy, individuals with scrupulosity can learn to challenge and reframe negative or distorted beliefs about God, sin, morality, and spiritual practices. By gaining a more balanced and realistic perspective on their faith, individuals may develop a deeper sense of trust in God's love and the healing power of the Atonement. This leads to a stronger and more resilient faith.
Renewed Joy in Spiritual Practices:
Treatment for scrupulosity can help individuals differentiate between healthy religious practices and harmful compulsions or rituals driven by anxiety or fear. By focusing on meaningful and enriching spiritual practices that align with their values and beliefs, individuals can cultivate a more fulfilling and spiritually rewarding relationship with Heavenly Father. One that is free from the constraints of scrupulosity-related behaviors. This can include returning to temple and finding comfort in scripture study and prayer, and joy in Church service.
Greater Self-Compassion and Acceptance:
As individuals progress in treatment and learn to cope with their scrupulosity symptoms, they may develop greater self-compassion, self-acceptance, and self-forgiveness. By recognizing their inherent worth and value as a child of God, individuals can approach their relationship with Heavenly Father from a place of love, grace, and humility. Instead of one of fear or perfectionism.
Overall, treatment for scrupulosity can have a transformative effect on an individual's relationship with God. It can promote healing, growth, and renewal in their spiritual life. It allows them to reconnect with the intentions of their heart rather than their anxiety. By addressing the underlying fears, anxieties, and distortions that contribute to scrupulosity, individuals can cultivate a more authentic, compassionate, and meaningful connection with their faith, themselves, and their relationships with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Scrupulosity and Religious OCD is NOT a faith crisis
Scrupulosity is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The first thing we do when we start treatment is a formal OCD assessment. This allows me to verify that your symptoms are related to scrupulosity and not some other mental health condition. Most of my clients also have other symptoms of OCD that are not related to their spiritual lives. Many of my clients are affected by relationship OCD. This involves obsessive preoccupation and doubts about their most important relationships. I also see other common OCD themes involving, for example, fear that you might harm someone else and or fear that you might be contaminated by objects or substances you routinely come in contact with.
How do I get rid of the thoughts?
My clients are the bravest people I know because they learn to face their fears. They also conquer their anxiety through exposure therapy. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the gold standard treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder. It involves repeated exposure to whatever is triggering your anxiety. This is until you get used to it and are no longer triggered. In scrupulosity or religious OCD treatment, we often use imaginal exposures in which you use scripts tailored to your specific situation to explore the fears underlying your obsessive thoughts. We also use common anxiety triggers. These include temple recommend questions, scriptures, conference talks, and various aspects of the temple. ERP is scary at first but completely life-changing for most.
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Religious OCD, also known as scrupulosity, is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It involves obsessive thoughts, fears, or doubts related to religious or moral beliefs. Some common symptoms of religious OCD include:
Excessive Concern with Sin: Persistent thoughts about committing sins or fear of sinning, even unintentionally.
Fear of Blasphemy: Intense fear of saying or thinking something irreverent or disrespectful towards religious figures, texts, or symbols.
Need for Reassurance: Constantly seeking reassurance from religious leaders or others about one's actions or thoughts.
Rituals and Compulsions: Engaging in religious rituals excessively or in a specific, rigid manner. This is to avoid perceived sin or to gain forgiveness.
Intrusive Thoughts: Distressing, intrusive thoughts or mental images that go against one's religious beliefs. This can include thoughts of violence during prayer or worship.
Moral Doubt: Persistent doubt about whether one has committed a sin, even when there is no rational basis for this doubt.
Avoidance Behaviors: Avoiding religious activities, places, or people out of fear of committing a sin or being unworthy.
Impact on Daily Life: Significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning. This is due to these obsessions and compulsions.
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Yes, scrupulosity is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Like other forms of OCD, scrupulosity can be effectively treated with therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). A specific treatment is particularly effective. This is known as exposure and response prevention (ERP). This helps individuals confront their fears and reduce compulsive behaviors. Medication, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), may also be prescribed in some cases to manage symptoms.
It's important to recognize that scrupulosity, while it involves religious or moral themes, is a mental health issue not a problem of faith.
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Religious OCD is often referred to as “scrupulosity.” The two terms describe the same form of obsessive-compulsive disorder. This means they can be used interchangeably.
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The root cause of scrupulosity, like other forms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), is complex and multifaceted. It generally involves a combination of genetic, neurobiological, environmental, and psychological factors:
Genetic Factors: There is evidence to suggest that OCD, including its various subtypes like scrupulosity, can run in families. Genetic studies have identified certain genes that may predispose individuals to developing OCD.
Neurobiological Factors: Differences in brain structure and function, particularly involving areas such as the frontal cortex, basal ganglia, and serotonin systems, have been implicated in OCD. Neurotransmitter imbalances, especially involving serotonin, are thought to play a role in the development and maintenance of OCD symptoms.
Environmental Factors: Stressful life events, trauma, or significant life changes may trigger or exacerbate OCD symptoms. This includes scrupulosity. For some individuals, religious upbringing or cultural factors may contribute to the development of obsessive concerns. These tend to be about morality or religious practices.
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Scrupulosity is relatively common within the spectrum of presentations of obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, specific prevalence rates can vary. This depends on the population studied and the diagnostic criteria used.
General Population: OCD is a common mental health condition. It affects 2-3% of the population worldwide. Of those with OCD, scrupulosity affects a significant portion. Estimates suggest that religious or moral obsessions occur in approximately 10-33% of people with OCD. These numbers can vary widely across different studies and in different populations though.
Religious Populations: Scrupulosity may be more prevalent among individuals who are highly religious or come from religious communities. This is usually where there is an emphasis on moral purity and adherence to religious teachings. In these groups, the prevalence of scrupulosity may be higher due to the cultural and social context. These reinforce religious beliefs and practices.
Clinical Settings: In clinical settings specializing in OCD treatment, scrupulosity is commonly encountered. Mental health professionals who treat OCD often report seeing a significant number of cases involving scrupulosity. This highlights its clinical relevance and impact.
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Religious OCD or scrupulosity is not a lack of faith. In fact, it is not a problem of faith at all. Rather, it is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). People with obsessive-compulsive disorder can experience obsessions and compulsive behaviors related to a wide variety of themes. This can include relationships, harm, contamination, and, for people with scrupulosity, religion, and faith. Religious OCD, like all other forms of OCD, is most effectively treated with exposure and response prevention (ERP). It can also be treated with related forms of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
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Scrupulosity, like all forms of OCD, involves the presence of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. These are used to try to reduce the anxiety or distress caused by obsessive thoughts. Common symptoms of scrupulosity include:
Frequent intrusive thoughts about worthiness, sin, or other religious themes.
Overwhelming fear that you have committed unpardonable sins, have angered God, will never be worthy to enter the Celestial Kingdom, or will never be worth of living with your family forever.
Frequent need to confess perceived sins to a bishop or other religious leader.
A constant need to seek reassurance from others that you are worthy or good.
Excessive rituals related to aspects of spiritual life. These include scripture study, temple attendance, or prayer.
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For most people, it is often difficult to identify a specific event that triggered religious OCD. Instead, we more commonly see people who have a genetic predisposition for OCD or other anxiety disorders begin to experience symptoms during one of the common ages of onset. Some individuals may begin experiencing symptoms of scrupulosity in childhood. This is typically around the ages of 8-12 years old. These symptoms can include excessive worry about religious or moral rules, fear of committing sins, or concerns about worthiness. Most people will begin to experience symptoms of OCD in their late teens or early 20s. This is the common age of onset of symptoms for many psychiatric illnesses. It also often coincides with significant life transitions. This includes going to college and/or serving a mission, and increased stressors, which can exacerbate OCD symptoms.
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Religious OCD in people who are not religious is normally referred to as moral OCD. People with moral OCD are concerned with ideas of right and wrong and ethics. They also have related concerns about whether they are good or trustworthy.
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The most effective treatments for scrupulosity are a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication. Specifically, a form of CBT called exposure and response prevention (ERP) and a class of medications called serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs). ERP and medication are considered the “first line” treatments for scrupulosity. They are effective for about 70% of people.
Work through Your Religious OCD through Religious OCD Treatment in Provo, Orem, Salt Lake City, and throughout Utah
If you or a loved one are struggling with religious OCD, you don't have to face it alone. At the Mountain Home Center for Religious and Moral OCD, I offer specialized treatment tailored to help you find peace and regain control over your life. As a religious ocd therapist, I understand the unique challenges religious OCD brings. I am dedicated to providing the support and tools you need to manage your symptoms effectively through Religious OCD Treatment in Provo, UT. Don't let OCD define your spiritual journey. Discover a path to wellness and spiritual harmony by following the steps below:
Reach out to schedule a free, 15-minute consultation.
Speak with a compassionate religious OCD therapist.
Break free from religious OCD for a happier life.
Other Therapy Services Offered at Mountain Home Center for Religious and Moral OCD in Utah, CA, AZ, ID, TX, LA, and FL
At the Mountain Home Center for Religious and Moral OCD, I offer a range of evidence-based treatments beyond religious OCD to help you achieve mental well-being. My services include specialized care for various OCD themes, anxiety disorders, and relationship challenges. I understand the unique struggles faced by Latter-day Saints. This is why I am dedicated to providing compassionate, tailored support. Whether you're dealing with scrupulosity, relationship OCD, or general anxiety, I am here to help you find peace and improve your quality of life. Explore all our services and start your journey to recovery from religious OCD by reaching out today.