Christianity QA » Christian Church » Question for OCD sufferers
Question:
On Fri, 17 Jul 1998 23:41:56 GMT, INSERT_USERNAME_H…@ix.netcom.com >If religion has helped you, great. But don’t tell everyone you’ve got the >cure. Religion has been tried for centuries and OCD, anxiety, and >depression are all still here. >Jennifer (a.k.a. Quark’s Latinum Lady) >Username: seanymph
Religious rumination is a part of OCD. I must say, at least they are trying a more positive aspect of it. However, for each thought, the opposite thought is also true.
Response:
I think people have misunderstood Wes. I do not get the impression he is trying to minimize the importance of medication or behavior therapy. He is just sharing that his relationship with God has helped him. I do not get the impression he is advocating going off medicine or not staying in BT by any means. I agree that many churches have failed to minister effectively to the needs of persons with neurobiological illness. I’ve seen it and been a victim of it. There are people who did not understand and who thought if I had symptoms it meant I wasn’t doing something. It was my fault. But its unfair to stereotype christians in general as being like that. I got mad at church too and dropped out for a while. But a friend got me connected with a church that has a wonderful and very effective recovery ministry for persons with all sorts of struggles. I found a lot of support and healing. erich Do they make mistakes? sure. I’m sure there is a situation that wasn’t handled well just as anywhere else.
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Sarah wrote: > >I have been having chest pains which may be linked to the constant fear and > >stress caused by my OCD. > >//es > This does not seem to agree with what you are saying about prayer Wes. > Perhaps you could clarify this?
As I said in my original post, the prayer is my most recent technique for combatting the OCD. I have just started this, but I am surprised at how effective my first tries have been. //es —–== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==—– http://www.dejanews.com/rg_mkgrp.xp Create Your Own Free Member Forum
Response:
Amen Erich481 <erich…@aol.com> wrote in message
1998071904045200.AAA26…@ladder01.news.aol.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I think people have misunderstood Wes. I do not get the impression he is trying >to minimize the importance of medication or behavior therapy. He is just >sharing that his relationship with God has helped him. I do not get the >impression he is advocating going off medicine or not staying in BT by any >means. >I agree that many churches have failed to minister effectively to the needs of >persons with neurobiological illness. I’ve seen it and been a victim of it. >There are people who did not understand and who thought if I had symptoms it >meant I wasn’t doing something. It was my fault. >But its unfair to stereotype christians in general as being like that. I got >mad at church too and dropped out for a while. But a friend got me connected >with a church that has a wonderful and very effective recovery ministry for >persons with all sorts of struggles. I found a lot of support and healing. >erich >Do they make mistakes? sure. I’m sure there is a situation that wasn’t handled >well just as anywhere else.
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My own thought is that religion isn’t ‘tried’ but is ‘lived every moment of every day…Maybe that is why for some it hasn’t worked handy <ha…@redshift.com> wrote in message
35b6bd0b.1522…@news.redshift.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->On Fri, 17 Jul 1998 23:41:56 GMT, INSERT_USERNAME_H…@ix.netcom.com >>If religion has helped you, great. But don’t tell everyone you’ve >got the >>cure. Religion has been tried for centuries and OCD, anxiety, and >>depression are all still here. >>Jennifer (a.k.a. Quark’s Latinum Lady) >>Username: seanymph >Religious rumination is a part of OCD. >I must say, at least they are trying a more positive aspect of it. >However, for each thought, the opposite thought is also true.
Response:
Yes, praying has shown scientifically to often be effective for reasons which will forever be debated (For example, the yeast growing experiments), however I should caution that the praying, unfortunatly, could become a compulsive ritual. If you preffer to pray to rid yourself of anxiety, you might want to set some limits for yourself.
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Religion is not the answer for everyone, as several people have said here. I used to be very religious, and I’m better now than I was then. Another problem I have is there are many different religions, and I think it’s very snobbish to tell people yours is right and theirs is wrong. Or that not believing in a god or goddess is wrong. As for prayer improving people in any illness, positive thinking has been shown to have the same results. Telling someone with an anxiety disorder is ridiculous. Certainly the Bible has a lot of conflicting statements and demeaning views on women and mentally ill people. More and more, we are finding mental illnesses are also biological. Which makes sense, since physical ailments also take a toll on one’s mental and emotional states. If religion has helped you, great. But don’t tell everyone you’ve got the cure. Religion has been tried for centuries and OCD, anxiety, and depression are all still here. Jennifer (a.k.a. Quark’s Latinum Lady) Username: seanymph Domain: INSERT_USERNAME_H…@ix.netcom.com http://www.walrus.com/~quark/ Member: O.A.S.I.S. (Official Armin Shimerman Information Service); Goddesses of the Internet, Inc.; Bitches & Witches, Inc.; People for the Ethical Treatment of Werewolves
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You may need to do a little behavior therpy with him this could include setting very clear limits on phone calls or other conversations about selected topics that he gets stuck on. If your friend is not currently getting cognitive behavioral treatment I would suggest you till him unless he does you will not continue to see him. GLUTES wrote: > I do need advice. I am involved with a man who has OCD. I know this is a fairly > common. My problem is that his obsessiveness to talk about our relationship is > driving me mad. And his conplusive phone calls is driving me even madder. I > have almost lost my job because he calls twenty times a day and for someone who > has OCD this is not exgarating. When I am not with him 24 7 he gets all paniced > and calls every twenty minutes and when I tell him to stop it …it gets worse. > What do I do > Thanks > Cheri
– Jim Claiborn Ph.D. ABPP J-Claiborn-…@worldnet.att.net If I survive this life without dying I’ll be surprised. Mulla Nasrudin
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>very helpful. I also do the breathing techniques that you mentioned and find >them very helpful as well. >When you’re going through something as difficult to deal with as ocd, it can >help to have some kind of belief in a higher power. Prayer can get your mind >off of your own troubling thoughts. The issues that I’m struggling with now are
Well, the beach thing I’d be worried about the freaking sand getting up my shorts. <evil grin> Nothing worse than that, except maybe being stuck at an accountants convention for 14 weeks. Still, maybe you’d find a semi- decent babe who would do your taxes and put out. <grin> >faith and patience. I’m hoping one day I can master these principles because I >feel that they are major issues that are holding me back in my life. >I feel that the ocd is testing me on these issues. So if I learn faith and >patience through dealing with this chemical imbalance, then maybe I can get >some good from a bad thing and become a stronger person as a result. >I’m glad that you’re counselor has helped to resolve this fear for you. I have >never heard this particular take on ocd and find it enlightening. It sounds >like a very effective technique.
Well, religion will get you somewhere, but don’t get too overdone in it, or it will end up as a neurotic feedback loop and make your world suck really hard. Just be aware, that the powers that be will expose you to only what you can can handle. Milage may vary, but you can, with enough will poiwer, kick ass So like, stay cool, and think thngs out, if you get nothing back but errors, think on it some more, have a few brewskis and relax. Worst that can happen is that you will get wasted, but then, you got nothing to worry about. The real challenge is life, and the payback from living is what really matters. So stay cool. Keep pluggin at it. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->The Panicky Guy
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Subman J wrote: > I have suffered with OCD for 22 years and have been on numerous meds, the > latest of which has helped tremendously. I still have the overwhelming sense > of dread that if I do something wrong, horrible things will occur. Anyone > else? > "TRUST NO ONE"
You are not alone! All of us feel this way. Regards, Tom
Response:
I have had extreme OCD symptoms for well over a year now. I have continuously obsessed and felt fear almost every waking moment. It has taken the joy out of my life and caused me to lose interest in almost everything. The related depression has shown visibly on my face. However, my latest technique for dealing with the OCD has given me some relief. This technique was prescribed to anxiety sufferers two thousand years ago. It is in the New Testament of the Bible. Here it is, word for word: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version) When the obsessive thoughts creep into my mind and the fear and anxiety with them, I can put a temporary stop to it by praying. This requires prayer at various times of the day. Pray about everything you’re worried about. If you are not a Christian, I still believe the praying will help. Verbalizing your obsessive thoughts is a technique of coginitive behavioral therapy that has been used with success for treating OCD. Also, if you come to Jesus in prayer, you may be surprised when you become aware of his presence. That is precisely how millions of people have made the decision to join the Christian church. //es —–== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==—– http://www.dejanews.com/rg_mkgrp.xp Create Your Own Free Member Forum
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> "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, > with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which > transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ > Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version)
interesting. being raised in a religious home, and following this advice by giving myself to jesus, all it got me was obsessive thoughts about my being cast into hell, punished for my sins, unreasonable amounts of guilt for leading a decent life, etc. i spent 35 years of my life working on it and the only thing that finally helped me was admitting that christianity just didn’t work for me. excuse me if i seem confrontational, but christianity isn’t "the" answer for everyone. i’m not accusing the original poster of this, but i get tired of people writing off valid mental difficulties, or any other category of life’s struggles, as symptoms of a non-christian life. at any rate, i don’t fault anyone for posting their suggestions or experiences regarding something that has truly helped them. just my personal reaction in case anyone else felt the same way.
Response:
I was raised in a ‘religious’ home too, but had many problems with religion for most of my live. I came to realize that religion still has an important place in my life, only I had to find my own religion, faith, church or beliefs instead of what was forsed upon me as a child and young adult. Once I got past the left over guilt and anxiety of what had been drilled into me that I ’should’ believe, and all the dos and don’ts. I realized that what matters is, only between God and myself not what some religion tells me to be. I believe religious beliefs are different for each person, of course there is the ‘basics’ but the rest is between you and God and no one else….Just my thoughts… greg <g…@nospam.com> wrote in message
greg-ya02408000R1607981941200…@news.connect.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->> "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, >> with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which >> transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ >> Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version) >interesting. being raised in a religious home, and following this advice by >giving myself to jesus, all it got me was obsessive thoughts about my being >cast into hell, punished for my sins, unreasonable amounts of guilt for >leading a decent life, etc. i spent 35 years of my life working on it and >the only thing that finally helped me was admitting that christianity just >didn’t work for me. >excuse me if i seem confrontational, but christianity isn’t "the" answer >for everyone. i’m not accusing the original poster of this, but i get tired >of people writing off valid mental difficulties, or any other category of >life’s struggles, as symptoms of a non-christian life. >at any rate, i don’t fault anyone for posting their suggestions or >experiences regarding something that has truly helped them. just my >personal reaction in case anyone else felt the same way.
Response:
Very interesting, and I for one would like to gve it a try..I am not deeply religious, but it does have its place in my life. Thanks for the idea, wish I would have thought of it myself.. <krosn…@my-dejanews.com> wrote in message
6olpfu$kh…@nnrp1.dejanews.com… > I have had extreme OCD symptoms for well over a year now. I have >continuously obsessed and felt fear almost every waking moment. It has taken >the joy out of my life and caused me to lose interest in almost everything. >The related depression has shown visibly on my face. >However, my latest technique for dealing with the OCD has given me some >relief. This technique was prescribed to anxiety sufferers two thousand >years ago. It is in the New Testament of the Bible……
(snipped) ……..I still believe the praying will help. Verbalizing – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->your obsessive thoughts is a technique of coginitive behavioral therapy that >has been used with success for treating OCD. Also, if you come to Jesus in >prayer, you may be surprised when you become aware of his presence. That is >precisely how millions of people have made the decision to join the Christian >church. >//es >—–== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==—– >http://www.dejanews.com/rg_mkgrp.xp Create Your Own Free Member Forum
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krosn…@my-dejanews.com wrote … >When the obsessive thoughts creep into my mind and the fear and anxiety with >them, I can put a temporary stop to it by praying. This requires prayer at >various times of the day. Pray about everything you’re worried about. If >you are not a Christian, I still believe the praying will help
I am a Christian, but that hasn’t ‘cured’ me of OCD. Do you also tell people with cancer and people with diabetes and people with AIDS that all they have to do is pray and everything will be ok? I’m not surprised you’d quote scripture, where anyone who had any sort of mental disorder was described as being ‘possessed by demons’. It’s good that you’ve found some comfort through religion, but to come onto a group such as this, suggest that we’re suffering because we haven’t found God, and use it as an excuse to push your particular religious views is about as un-Christian as you can get. Sarah.
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I am glad that you have come to a decision that is right for you. However, it is far from the right treatment for most of us. "Don’t open doors you’re not prepared to go through" X "Trust no one"
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -greg wrote: > > "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, > > with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which > > transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ > > Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version) > interesting. being raised in a religious home, and following this advice by > giving myself to jesus, all it got me was obsessive thoughts about my being > cast into hell, punished for my sins, unreasonable amounts of guilt for > leading a decent life, etc. i spent 35 years of my life working on it and > the only thing that finally helped me was admitting that christianity just > didn’t work for me. > excuse me if i seem confrontational, but christianity isn’t "the" answer > for everyone. i’m not accusing the original poster of this, but i get tired > of people writing off valid mental difficulties, or any other category of > life’s struggles, as symptoms of a non-christian life. > at any rate, i don’t fault anyone for posting their suggestions or > experiences regarding something that has truly helped them. just my > personal reaction in case anyone else felt the same way.
I had a similar experience and it was only after I "got rid of" the idea that the christian view was "right" that I stopped being so obsessed with religion. Religion, as the original post suggests by it’s tone, can become a replacement "obsession" for those who are ocd and it can satify all the obsessive and ritualistic needs of a great number of people who are not clincal ocd. There is a wide spread belief that ocd is genetic in nature. I think that being religious also has it’s genetic roots. Just what the predispostion is, is not at all clear. I heard a theory recently that as humans evolved, those who survived developed what the theorist called the "God" part of the brain. When all else fails, this part of the brain takes over. Sounds a bit similar to ocd. — Take care of your "self". whatatrip rbol…@premier1.net
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I appreciate your concern and desire to be helpful, but as a Christian clergyman I am continually dismayed by how people separate mental illness from physical illness. Prayer is certainly a help to people & is a part of nearly every religion, but prayer is not a magic bullet, if it were we would have no cancer. I suffer from anxiety and ocd and remain a Christian. Just as my asthma has not been cured by prayer, neither has anxiety. This does not affect my religious life, because prayer is not medicine, but communication that may or may not have beneficial effects. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -krosn…@my-dejanews.com wrote: > I have had extreme OCD symptoms for well over a year now. I have > continuously obsessed and felt fear almost every waking moment. It has taken > the joy out of my life and caused me to lose interest in almost everything. > The related depression has shown visibly on my face. > However, my latest technique for dealing with the OCD has given me some > relief. This technique was prescribed to anxiety sufferers two thousand > years ago. It is in the New Testament of the Bible. Here it is, word for > word: > "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, > with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which > transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ > Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version) > When the obsessive thoughts creep into my mind and the fear and anxiety with > them, I can put a temporary stop to it by praying. This requires prayer at > various times of the day. Pray about everything you’re worried about. If > you are not a Christian, I still believe the praying will help. Verbalizing > your obsessive thoughts is a technique of coginitive behavioral therapy that > has been used with success for treating OCD. Also, if you come to Jesus in > prayer, you may be surprised when you become aware of his presence. That is > precisely how millions of people have made the decision to join the Christian > church. > //es > —–== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==—– > http://www.dejanews.com/rg_mkgrp.xp Create Your Own Free Member Forum
– "Does the road wind uphill all the way? Yes, to the very end." – Christina Rossetti
Response:
On Thu, 16 Jul 1998 20:57:33 GMT, krosn…@my-dejanews.com wrote: > I have had extreme OCD symptoms for well over a year now. I have >continuously obsessed and felt fear almost every waking moment. It has taken >the joy out of my life and caused me to lose interest in almost everything. >The related depression has shown visibly on my face. >However, my latest technique for dealing with the OCD has given me some >relief. This technique was prescribed to anxiety sufferers two thousand >years ago. It is in the New Testament of the Bible. Here it is, word for >word:
Didn’t you also write in a message: >> Has anyone else sustained physical damage from their ocd? >I have been having chest pains which may be linked to the constant fear and >stress caused by my OCD. >//es
This does not seem to agree with what you are saying about prayer Wes. Perhaps you could clarify this?
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On Fri, 17 Jul 1998 09:46:23 -0400, "F.S. Petersen" <fs.peter…@worldnet.att.net> wrote: >I appreciate your concern and desire to be helpful, but as a Christian >clergyman I am continually dismayed by how people separate mental >illness from physical illness. Prayer is certainly a help to people & >is a part of nearly every religion, but prayer is not a magic bullet, if >it were we would have no cancer. I suffer from anxiety and ocd and >remain a Christian. Just as my asthma has not been cured by prayer, >neither has anxiety. This does not affect my religious life, because >prayer is not medicine, but communication that may or may not have >beneficial effects.
Far as I know, there is no cure for OCD. There are things to treat the symptoms, however, with success. I see OCD as a thinking disease, therefore, anything that can get a person to think of something else or to distract the mind from the obsession, produces welcome relief, but a cure? Nope. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->krosn…@my-dejanews.com wrote: >> I have had extreme OCD symptoms for well over a year now. I have >> continuously obsessed and felt fear almost every waking moment. It has taken >> the joy out of my life and caused me to lose interest in almost everything. >> The related depression has shown visibly on my face. >> However, my latest technique for dealing with the OCD has given me some >> relief. This technique was prescribed to anxiety sufferers two thousand >> years ago. It is in the New Testament of the Bible. Here it is, word for >> word: >> "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, >> with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which >> transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ >> Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version) >> When the obsessive thoughts creep into my mind and the fear and anxiety with >> them, I can put a temporary stop to it by praying. This requires prayer at >> various times of the day. Pray about everything you’re worried about. If >> you are not a Christian, I still believe the praying will help. Verbalizing >> your obsessive thoughts is a technique of coginitive behavioral therapy that >> has been used with success for treating OCD. Also, if you come to Jesus in >> prayer, you may be surprised when you become aware of his presence. That is >> precisely how millions of people have made the decision to join the Christian >> church. >> //es >> —–== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==—– >> http://www.dejanews.com/rg_mkgrp.xp Create Your Own Free Member Forum >– >"Does the road wind uphill all the way? > Yes, to the very end." > - Christina Rossetti
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I have a sense that bad things will occur if I do something wrong, ie. people will harm me. I am a bible-believing christian. I go to a bible-believing counselor. She keeps on telling me since I believe in Jesus, I belong to Him, and He will not let others harm me. Other people are nothing compared to Him. It’s finally starting to sink in. Another way is to think of yourself in a safe place. For me it is the beach. I see the ocean, hear the waves, feel the sand on my feet, feel the warm sun on my skin. Then I breath in peace and breath out the fear or anxiety. It’s starting to sink in because other issues are dealt with and is freeing my mind to focus on this issue. Luvox is helping me to think clearer so I can focus on issues and deal with them. Anne
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I feel like I am an odd case. I don’t know. My feelings about this idea are that much does not matter to me anymore. I have had OCD symptoms anywhere from 1 year to 3.5 years along with depression. It has really affected my attitude and emotions. My parents can’t stand the change. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I have suffered with OCD for 22 years and have been on numerous meds, the >latest of which has helped tremendously. I still have the overwhelming sense >of dread that if I do something wrong, horrible things will occur. Anyone >else?
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Anne wrote: > I have a sense that bad things will occur if I do something wrong, ie. people > will harm me. > I am a bible-believing christian. I go to a bible-believing counselor. She > keeps on telling me since I believe in Jesus, I belong to Him, and He will not > let others harm me. Other people are nothing compared to Him. It’s finally > starting to sink in. > Another way is to think of yourself in a safe place. For me it is the beach. > I see the ocean, hear the waves, feel the sand on my feet, feel the warm sun > on > my skin. Then I breath in peace and breath out the fear or anxiety. > It’s starting to sink in because other issues are dealt with and is freeing my > mind to focus on this issue. > Luvox is helping me to think clearer so I can focus on issues and deal with > them. > Anne
I’m glad to hear the luvox is helping because that gives me hope. I listen to a relaxation tape that has a selection titled "A Trip to the Beach." I find this very helpful. I also do the breathing techniques that you mentioned and find them very helpful as well. When you’re going through something as difficult to deal with as ocd, it can help to have some kind of belief in a higher power. Prayer can get your mind off of your own troubling thoughts. The issues that I’m struggling with now are faith and patience. I’m hoping one day I can master these principles because I feel that they are major issues that are holding me back in my life. I feel that the ocd is testing me on these issues. So if I learn faith and patience through dealing with this chemical imbalance, then maybe I can get some good from a bad thing and become a stronger person as a result. I’m glad that you’re counselor has helped to resolve this fear for you. I have never heard this particular take on ocd and find it enlightening. It sounds like a very effective technique. The Panicky Guy
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I do need advice. I am involved with a man who has OCD. I know this is a fairly common. My problem is that his obsessiveness to talk about our relationship is driving me mad. And his conplusive phone calls is driving me even madder. I have almost lost my job because he calls twenty times a day and for someone who has OCD this is not exgarating. When I am not with him 24 7 he gets all paniced and calls every twenty minutes and when I tell him to stop it …it gets worse. What do I do Thanks Cheri
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I have suffered with OCD for 22 years and have been on numerous meds, the latest of which has helped tremendously. I still have the overwhelming sense of dread that if I do something wrong, horrible things will occur. Anyone else? "TRUST NO ONE"
no comment untill now