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In a previous article, "OCD and Religion" at http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/3428... I described some particularly distressing obsessions I had that surrounded a fear that I had somehow contaminated the communion wafers at church. I also had a problem with holding hands at church, fearing I would contaminate other people. I washed my hands frequently, especially when I handled food, so I wouldn't help with food preparation at church or help set the tables at fellowships.
My biggest compulsions concerned checking things. At home, the problem was checking and rechecking the doors, coffee pot, stove, toilets and lights when I left the house or went to bed. In public, I had a fear that the toilet would overflow when I used it. I had to listen for the flushing to stop, turning out the lights to eliminate the noise of the fan. Often I would return to check the toilet again. When I washed my hands, I checked the floor well to make sure I had not dripped water on it - someone could fall.
At church, when I touched such things as the air conditioner controls, I worried that I had broken them. When I went to church alone, I would return to my car, sometimes more than once, to make certain the brakes were set and the door was locked. You may be thinking I was a new Christian, immature in my faith, but I was not. I had been a Christian for over 20 years, teaching Sunday school for most of that time. I developed this illness at the age of 39, although it is more common to develop it in young adulthood, adolescence, or even in childhood.
As you can see, even mild OCD can greatly affect a person's relationships at church. Staying home is often easier than enduring the pain and anxiety involved in going out, even to church. But we want everyone to feel loved and accepted in the presence of fellow believers.
Medication and cognitive-behavior therapy are the most commonly used treatments of OCD. Before I had sought treatment or researched OCD, I found Paul's advice in Philippians 4:4-9 to be very helpful. I carried these verses with me, reading them when I was stressed out or obsessing. When I learned about cognitive-behavior therapy, I realized Paul had taught us a form of cognitive-behavior therapy before we even had a name for it! This is my favorite Bible passage. Read more about it in my article, "Biblical Advice About Anxiety" at http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/3428...
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