Mindset | Blog

After Sally’s clinician conducted a comprehensive assessment of her clinical condition, she said, “Your symptoms suggest that your challenges are linked to religious scrupulosity OCD.” Sally’s immediate response was, “I’d rather have a faith crisis than OCD!” Sally’s reaction was completely understandable amidst the enduring stigma and misconceptions surrounding OCD. It was natural for her to feel upset and overwhelmed, and the next step was for her to decide whether to pursue therapy or take a different path. Can you relate to Sally’s predicament? When doubts arise, has your mind ever hinted that they might be linked to a faith crisis? When individuals are deeply devoted to thei

While Sally had developed psychological flexibility to respond to unpleasant thoughts and emotions, as discussed in June’s blog post, a few years later, she faced a resurgence of doubts about her religious beliefs. Some of her friends had experienced similar doubts and decided to leave their shared faith. Despite her lifelong attachment to her faith, she found herself questioning: “Are my friends’ concerns valid? Am I being too gullible as they suggest? Do I truly believe or am I simply staying because it’s familiar?” These questions seemed endless. Despite her efforts to find answers found online, she only became more confused. Uncertainty Nobody enjoys uncertainty, and life would be much simpler witho

From a young age, Sally cultivated her faith and valued her connection with the Divine. Nonetheless, in her early twenties, after reading an article that sparked doubts about her faith, she felt troubled. Unaware of OCD or scrupulosity, she blamed herself for the doubts. As she attempted to brush off the doubts and push down her distress, they only seemed to intensify. Faith “The trouble with you is you want to see the end from the beginning. You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you.”1 How would you take this advice? Are you willing to step into the darkness, unsure if the light will eventually appear? If you are like Sall

By Kathleen Ririe “What if I should discover that…I myself stand in need of the alms of my own kindness– that I am the enemy who must be loved?” –C. G. Jung As Christmas approaches, in Christian religious traditions we look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, who is celebrated as the Savior of the World. According to the Bible, He was perfect and gave His life for humankind, that if they would come into relationship with Him and abide by His doctrine, they too would receive everlasting life through His gracious Atoning sacrifice. This is good news right?  Well, for those with Scrupulosity (a subtype of OCD involving religious or moral obsessions)  this message can at times feel like a two-edged sword. On

Annabella Hagen, Clinical Director and founder of Mindset Family Therapy contributed to “What’s the Scoop on Scrup?!” podcast recently. She addressed her background and passion for her work, scrupulosity, OCD in the LDS community, values and self-compassion. Feel free to listen to all or some parts of this podcast. Share it with your loved ones as well as your faith leaders so they can also understand OCD and its effect on someone’s faith and spirituality. In episode #10, she shares the following: Describes her background & passion for this work (3:20) Defines OCD/Scrupulosity (5:02) Talks about OCD in the LDS Community (6:51) Discusses the OCD treatment journey (14:02) Offe

The OCD awareness week came and went. Hopefully today there are more people who are aware of this debilitating mental health challenge. There are many truths about OCD, and there are also many myths and misconceptions. For example, when someone tells you that they have OCD, know that if they are making fun of themselves, or making light of the situation, they most likely do not have this serious condition. OCD can get in the way of someone’s life, and what they care about the most (values). For example, when someone cares about their faith and connection with God, the OCD mind will target that very value and struggle with scrupulosity OCD. When someone who cares deeply about being a loving and caring person, they might have OC

Drew had been raised in a religious environment. He had been taught to love God, but when he was a teenager, he began to have doubts about his faith. When he did, he felt guilty. He truly loved God and wanted to have a close relationship with Him. However, the more he wished to be good and serve others perfectly, the more doubts he seemed to have about God’s existence. He was terrified to experience intrusive thoughts and doubts while participating in religious activities. He believed the thoughts were his fault for not completing his “spiritual to-do list.” There just didn’t seem to be enough time to do what he believed had to be done so “God would be happy with him.”  The more he tried, the mo

“Why can’t I get rid of these horrific thoughts? I’m supposed to have pure thoughts according to my faith. Will God ever forgive me?” Jon’s incessant thoughts were evoking extreme anxiety, doubt, and guilt in his daily life. He would excessively pray to ask for forgiveness. When the unwanted and unpleasant thoughts would show up, he would try to replace them by singing or repeating verses from his holy books. When he chose to confess his perceived sins, his religious leader told Jon that he had not sinned and to not worry about those thoughts. The faith leader reassured him by telling him that he was a good person. Despite his faith leader’s reassurance, Jon’s thoughts kept coming back. Jon blamed himself. He fe

When you struggle with scrupulosity OCD, you probably experience thoughts that are not congruent with your beliefs, who you are, and who you want to become. The natural response to having unpleasant and unwanted thoughts is to want to get rid of them. When they show up, you may wonder, “What do these thoughts say about me? Do I want them? Is that why they won’t go away? If I don’t fight against them, they may become reality. If I let them be in my head, it means I am as bad as if I were acting on them.” These responses can be daunting AND the good news is that you can change the way you respond to your thoughts! First, let’s briefly clarify what thoughts are not, and what they are so you can start learning how to change your rela

In your darkest times… Stay hopeful. Stay faithful. Even when you think God is not there. God is there and your scrupulous mind might just be getting in the way. Remember that your scrupulous mind is not in charge of your life or what you choose to do and believe. You are imperfectly good and God loves you unconditionally. You are enough. Keep the hope!