In Stick with the Ick, we often describe OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) as gross ice cream that shows up in different artificial flavors based on what is most important to each person. When you think about it, it makes so much sense that OCD would latch onto faith and morality when these things matter so deeply to people.

Scrupulosity is an especially icky flavor of OCD that shows up through religious or moral obsessions. People have experienced it across faith and spiritual traditions for centuries, even though it has only more recently been recognized as a form of OCD.

 

Scrupulosity is an OCD issue, not a faith issue. It is simply another way OCD can show up.

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With scrupulosity, someone might constantly worry that something they thought, said, or did could be a sin or a moral mistake. Instead of drawing people closer to the Divine, scrupulosity often pulls them into fear, guilt, shame, disgust, or a constant sense of urgency. Practices that are meant to be meaningful and life giving can start to feel exhausting and overwhelming. It can feel almost like OCD has taken over the space where faith once lived.

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If this resonates with you, you are not alone. Many people of faith and spirituality struggle with scrupulosity, even if it feels isolating or hard to name.

Join SWTI to access our full free resource library with videos and materials designed to help you understand scrupulosity within specific faith traditions.

 

We offer resources related to Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and beyond, so you can begin separating faith from OCD with support, compassion, and community.