Religious Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

What is religious OCD? How do I know if I have religious OCD? In this article, religious obsessive compulsive disorder, why it occurs and what are its examples; and whether there is a treatment for religious obsessions will be answered briefly.

What is Religious Obsession?

Religious obsessive-compulsive disorder is related to the coming to mind of thoughts that are considered sin or forbidden by a religious person, swearing, defying the procedures, and being overly concerned with the concepts of right/wrong or halal/haram.

These obsessions appear as the ablution or prayer is faulty, the ghusl cannot be performed completely, the verse or prayer is read incorrectly in the prayer, the things other than the prayer are revived in the mind and therefore the prayers are incomplete, and are often accompanied by compulsions such as repetition, washing, and re-ablution.

Why Do Religious Obsessions Occur?

Religious obsessions occur with the thought and concern that I will leave religion, commit sins, and make mistakes. In fact, “fear”, which causes many other obsessions, also has a share in the formation of religious obsessions.

Examples of Religious Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessions in the Form of Doubting

• The question of whether there is a God or not.
• Do I have ablution?
• Did I take water in my mouth three times for ablution?
• Did I read the surah correctly?
• Did I swallow water, did my fast break?

Thinking Whether it’s a Sin or Not

• Is it haram to take a loan from a bank?
• Is it haram to use the money found on the road?
• Is it permissible to give money to a beggar or not?
• If I build a mosque with the money from the lottery, is the rest of the money halal?

Religious Obsession Treatment

If you are experiencing symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) yourself, it is extremely important to seek help from a psychiatrist.

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and certain drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors-SSRIs) have been shown in clinical studies as two effective and safe ways to treat OCD. Although CBT is becoming common, not every mental health professional is well-trained to practice CBT. The best people to apply CBT are clinical psychologists and social workers. You should ask if the (potential) therapist you are considering working with has received CBT training for OCD.

You can also look: Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder

You may also be interested in this article: Number Obsession

You can share similar religious obsessions you have witnessed in the comments section…