Scrupulosity: A Special Kind of Hell 

Are you obsessed by thoughts like these? 

• My thoughts are so horrible no one would believe it, no one would ever talk to me again if they knew the truth…I am so ashamed.

• I worry that I am committing the unpardonable sin.

• Is it really OCD, or am I just rejecting God/Jesus/salvation? 

• I think/say terrible, disgusting, sickening things about [God, saints, prophets, clergy, angels, etc.]

• I can’t stop thinking about racist/sexist/violent/sick/criminal/blasphemous things.

• The guilt I feel over my sins/mistakes is unbearable!

• I am terrified of going to hell forever.

• I can’t stop going back to check on my offenses and mistakes.

• Every time I confess/perform my ablutions/pray, I make an error and have to start over.

• I feel like the Devil is controlling me.

• I’ve committed blasphemy.

• Is it really OCD, or am I just a moral reprobate?

• My mind is poisoned. I can’t feel anything anymore. 

• I will never feel peace or relief ever again.

• I am afraid God has abandoned me.

You are not alone, and you are not beyond help.

Many of my clients have suffered as you do, with obsessive thoughts like these. They were driven to perform rituals, behave compulsively, ruminate, and worry endlessly, only to find their mental state deteriorating and their lives becoming unmanageable. This is religious/moral OCD,  also known as scrupulosity. It can range from a mild or nagging problem to a condition that is so extreme, it makes sufferers believe they are psychotic and even feel suicidal. 

The most important thing for you to know is this: scrupulosity is not a theological or religious problem.

It’s a mental health disorder. It’s excessive, crippling doubt that no number of rituals, compulsions, or mental gymnastics can ever satisfy or resolve. If you are here, reading this, you have probably spent months or years trying to calm your doubts with various rituals and compulsions. Maybe you experience minor, temporary relief from these compulsive behaviours. But whatever relief these efforts provide is at best temporary, because the truth is that performing compulsions is like pouring gasoline on the fire of OCD.

Some religious communities or individuals will frame this disorder as a failure of faith, as a spiritual defect—even as demonic possession. They will prescribe any number of religious/theological remedies for the person suffering, none of which will truly help—and most of which will actually only make things worse. But there is effective treatment.

What genuinely helps people recover from scrupulosity are evidence-based treatments such as Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP) and Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (I-CBT). 

Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP) is considered the gold standard of treatment for all forms of OCD, meaning it’s the standard against which the success of any other method is measured. This is a primary approach I take to treating religious/moral OCD. I also offer Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (I-CBT), which is an evidence-based method that’s gaining in awareness and popularity. Many of my clients choose this approach, which does not require exposures.

Additionally, I incorporate approaches from mindfulness practices, ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and Metacognitive Therapy to support OCD treatment. Medication can also be helpful, but OCD specialists say that medication alone is not a sufficient treatment for OCD. (Note: I am not able to prescribe medication.)

At this time, there is no known cure for OCD, but with effective treatment, significant recovery is possible. You can lead a fulfilling life. You are not beyond help, and you don’t have to live in constant, debilitating fear and anxiety.

You may be concerned that you have to choose between effective treatment and your faith/values/goals, but that is not true.

Effective treatment for scrupulosity will not only relieve your distress, but can support you in practicing your faith—if that’s what you want—in a way that is healthy, functional, and supportive.

In addition, because of my deep familiarity with and understanding of religious, spiritual, and moral concerns, I can navigate your struggle with sensitivity and respect. You don’t have to give up your spiritual life or change your values if you don’t want to, and I can support you in recovering, or developing, a sustainable spirituality—even with scrupulosity. I offer spiritually sensitive, evidence-based treatment in a space that is free of shame and judgment about your struggle. 

Recovering from scrupulosity is possible. You don’t have to suffer; you can get your life back and I can help. Please contact me today for a free, confidential 20-minute consultation about how we can work together. Don’t wait any longer to start living a meaningful life.