Is Worry a Sin? How People With Scrupulosity OCD Should View It

Worry is not a topic that religion has been silent about. In fact, there are many scriptures talking about how worry is evidence of a lack of faith, and some religions may even take it so far as to teach that excessive worry can be sinful.

Although the goal of these scriptures, and of the people preaching about them, is probably simply to foster inspiration to turn to Jesus in times of struggle, for those with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), wondering if they are committing a sin by worrying only adds fuel to an already deadly fire.

Religion should be nuanced, especially for those with Religious OCD

There are a lot of incredible qualities about religion. However, many religious communities tend to favor black-and-white thinking more often than not – and this can be particularly harmful to people with OCD.

It’s important to teach that nothing is all good or all bad, especially when you factor in people and all of their individual needs. For example, teaching that worry is something that can be removed by God can be helpful for some, but extremely detrimental to people in other circumstances. 

Ultimately, it would be helpful to move away from spaces that lead to people feeling like if certain aspects of religion aren’t working for them, they are the problem. The way to do this is to introduce more nuance into religious teachings. This looks like removing the fear someone may feel when they take something they heard at church and respond to it with, “That sounds like a good idea – for other people.”

As an individual with Scrupulosity/Religious OCD, I cannot healthily live my life believing that my mental health condition is something that I need to repent for or something so simple that it can be fully healed, in this life, by God. There may be other people in my religion who disagree with this, but that shouldn’t mean that one of us is a sinner and one of us is not.

Worry is part of the human experience

So how should people with Scrupulosity OCD (or dare I say people in general) view worry in a religious context? 

For starters, it’s important to acknowledge that even people who don’t have OCD regularly experience doubt and questions and worry and uncertainty – even the most faithful of people. And maybe, despite popular belief, we should change the narrative to believe that you don’t have to purge these things from your system in order to be a good Christian or a good believer.

We aren’t meant to be robots. We need to remember that we are humans, and that worry is part of the human experience. And some of us, like those who struggle with OCD, may experience worry more often – but that doesn’t make them more or less than others.

You aren't a sinner because you have OCD

The beauty of life, and of OCD recovery, is that we get to choose what we believe. And we don’t know for sure whether the thoughts and beliefs that we move towards are right or wrong or sinful or not – but rather than seeing that as scary, we can work towards seeing that as an opportunity to experience liberation.

Just because Scrupulosity OCD cannot be miraculously taken away doesn’t mean you don’t have enough faith. You are doing your best, and you are loved exactly as you are.