Biological factors play a significant role in OCD. Understanding how medication and supplements can help manage Religious OCD symptoms is part of embracing the tools God has made available for healing. Introduction For Christians struggling with Religious OCD, the idea of taking medication can feel confusing or even uncomfortable. Some may wonder, “Shouldn’t I just pray harder or have more...

This blog is part of the Religious OCD Series. Religious OCD can turn faith into a source of anxiety rather than peace, leading to avoidance, isolation, and spiritual exhaustion. Understanding these effects can help believers reclaim a grace-filled relationship with God. For Christians, faith is meant to be a source of comfort and strength. However, for those struggling with Religious OCD,...

This blog is part of the Religious OCD Series. Compulsions feel like they offer relief from anxiety, but in reality, they strengthen the cycle of Religious OCD, making fears more intense and causing faith to feel more like a test of performance rather than a relationship of grace. Introduction For someone struggling with Religious OCD, certain rituals or mental exercises can feel...

This blog is part of the Religious OCD Series. Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, distressing ideas or images that seem to come out of nowhere. While everyone experiences them, those with Religious OCD often struggle to let them go, fearing they mean something about their faith or morality. Have you ever had a shocking or disturbing thought pop into your head seemingly...

Guest post from Dr. Nick Bach  How Medication in Marriage Counseling Can Strengthen Relationships As a marriage counselor in Louisville, KY, I’ve spent years helping couples navigate the rocky terrain of their relationships. Some come to me with communication breakdowns, others with deeper struggles that words alone can’t fix. One tool I’ve seen transform marriages when paired with therapy,...

This blog is part of the Religious OCD Series by Dr. Brian Briscoe.  OCD tends to latch onto what a person holds most dear, turning their deepest values—such as faith—into sources of anxiety and distress. Introduction Imagine feeling an overwhelming fear that you’ve unknowingly committed a sin, even though you have done nothing wrong. Or obsessing that a past sin you have committed has not...

This article is part of the Religious OCD Series. As a practicing psychiatrist who holds my Christian faith dear to my heart, I have had the privilege of walking alongside patients through some of their most challenging mental health struggles. In addition to my clinical work, I have served as Chair of the Psychiatry Section of the Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA), where I have...