Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Religion

Obsessive compulsive disorder is identified as a psychological dysfunction where a person experiences elaborated thoughts that intrude with their normative functioning ( ). These thoughts are typically rational however their constant recurrence

In her memoir, Devil in the Details: Scenes from an Obsessive Girlhood, Jennifer Traig delves into the origins, story, and journey through dealing with her multifaceted disorder known as Scrupulosity. Scrupulosity is a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD that takes its main fixation on religion, in Traig’s case, Judaism. Much like most any form of OCD, Scrupulosity fixates on very minute details of life, though in this case, Jennifer Traig takes the words of the Torah with a dogmatic like dedication. The disorder that began with common compulsions and a fascination of her father’s family’s religious practices quickly began to take over ever part of her life, leaving her out of control and subject to rules that no god ever intended

Catholicism and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder mix like oil and water that was set on fire and then thrown into the Hudson. To put it simply, sin scared me. The second that rancid word entered my mind, the Hudson that was my mind would only get more contaminated and become virtually unswimmable. Once the word “hell” was poured in as well, radioactive three-eyed fish would be seen dead on the surface of the river.

Published By: Journal of Religion and Health (international publication about the relationship between religion and physical health)

A therapist can help construct a reality that incorporates the values and morals of religions and the idea of a less than perfect life. By embracing the narrative, the individual can reconcile the guilt felt by not completing the tenets perfectly and create a world view that highlights the goodness and strength of the person. The idea of perfectionism in religion and the constructs of guilt and shame hinder the individual and can create depression, anxiety and conflict in relationships. Ziola and Jose were clients that experienced internal conflict due to religious ideals they were unable to obtain. Enclosed is the story of their brief experience of therapy to address their

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that is the fourth most common mental illness in the U.S. (8). OCD affects five million Americans, or one in five people (3). This is a serious mental disorder that causes people to think and act certain things repetitively in order to calm the anxiety produced by a certain fear. Unlike compulsive drinking or gambling, OCD compulsions do not give the person pleasure; rather, the rituals are performed to obtain relief from the discomfort caused by obsessions (2). OCD is more common than schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or panic disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (6). This disorder can be therapeutically treated, but not cured.

Cashwell, C. S., Young, J. S., Fulton, C. L., Wills, B. T., Giordano, A., Daniel, L. W., et al. (2013). Clinical behaviors for addressing religious/spiritual issues: Do we practice what we preach? Retrieved from http://search.proques.com/docview/1346947296?accountid=34899

Pardin, Plante, Sherman, and Stump (2000) that until recently the spiritual piece of treatment was rarely considered in the treatment process. However, within the aforementioned research study, findings indicated that individuals

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by an individual experiencing intrusive thoughts, images, or worries in addition to repetitive, non-functional behaviours that emerge in an effort to suppress anxiety (i.e. compulsions) (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Symptoms are often time-consuming, and can cause considerable functional impairments, contribute to increased social isolation, persistent distress and stigma. Although average age of onset of OCD has typically been thought to occur in early adulthood (Minichiello et al., 1990), there is increasing evidence that children as early as 10 years old experience it (Geller, 2001). Recently, more attention has been directed toward the identification and treatment of OCD symptoms in children and adolescents (Penn et al., 1992; Rapoport and Inoff-Germain, 2000). Childhood OCD has been found to be associated with severe disruption in social and academic functioning, family dysfunction and co-morbid emotional and behavioural problems (Albano, March, & Piacentini, 1999).

Rosmarin, Mary C. Malloy and Brent P. Forester was written for educational purposes. The format of the article is scientific. The title states what the subject was studied and why this subject was studied. The authors use literal language by lacking imagination. For example, “These findings appear to contrast with previous research, which has suggested that general religious belief and practice can buffer against depressive symptoms among older adults in both community and clinical settings.” The use of medical jargon makes this paper hard to read for people who are not in the medical field. For example, “Our MANOVA test also identified a significant association between symptom factors and spiritual struggle but not positive religious

Religion can be described as a way to convey the beliefs and inner spirituality system (Gill, Minton, & Myers, 2010). Spirituality on the other hand was defined as “an awareness of a being or a force that transcends material aspects of life and gives a deep sense of wholeness or connectedness to the universe” (Myers & Sweeney, 2005). Even with there being a difference between the two, there may be an issue with making religion/spirituality a mandatory part of treatment and that is, not everyone may want to incorporate any sort of religion/spirituality into their treatment. To address this issue, a research study by Diallo (2013) was conducted on whether or not a client would be willing to include religion or spirituality in counseling. If the clients were willing, their preferences of the counselors’ knowledge of their religion/spirituality and their background were

Imagine, one day you wake up feeling scared of touching anything that has dust, washing your hands every 5-10 minutes. Many people around the world live with this disorder of compulsive thoughts. OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), is a mental health disorder that causes unwanted thoughts or obsessions. OCD is a very common disorder, And is very difficult to treat. Families also play a big part in OCD and the future of OCD is something to look forward too.

Although studies have been conducted to measure the prevalence patterns of disorder in the Jewish community, clinical diagnosis and treatment issues most common to this population are focused on distinguishing religious behavior from pathological behavior and if religious intervention will be beneficial to a client’s treatment (Farkas, 2013).

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, often referred to as simply OCD, is a mental illness in which an individual experiences endless cycles of repeated thoughts and rituals, known as obsessions and compulsions, which she feels she cannot control (1). Although many people possess habits and routines that help them organize their every day schedules, people with OCD form patterns of behavior that are extremely time-consuming and interfere with their daily lives. Once believed to be a rare and incurable disease which people kept hidden for fear of embarrassment (2), OCD is now recognized as being far more common than previously

Knowing what OCD is the first step in understanding the psychology of the disorder. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a common, chronic and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over” (NIMH). The obsessive part of OCD is intrusive, repetitive thoughts the cause anxiety, and the compulsion part is the need to perform an act or ritual repeatedly. The obsession causes anxiety and the compulsion relieves the anxiety.