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The term “relationship obsession” is used to describe fears that center on the possible loss of a valued relationship. In my experience, the obsessions most often involve the physical appearance of one’s self or one’s partner. For instance, Linnie, a 33-year-old woman in a good marriage, was struck almost every hour of by the obsessional […]

Joe had a certain charisma. He talked on and on about various subjects in an entertaining and humorous way, projecting a devil-may-care attitude. He reminded me of the actor John Belushi. I was definitely drawn into his aura. Since he was visiting me in a psychiatrist’s office, however, it all seemed strangely incongruous. The truth […]

SUFFER US NOT TO MOCK OURSELVES WITH FALSEHOOD TEACH US TO CARE AND NOT TO CARE TEACH US TO SIT STILL EVEN AMONG THESE ROCKS OUR PEACE IN HIS WILL “Ash Wednesday” by T.S. Eliot is a deep and beautiful poem which I am not equipped to interpret except to say that some of its […]

OCD can cause extraordinary stress when it is focused on a decision that must be made. An example is a woman who is presently living with her three children and her husband in the house of her in-laws. Everybody is sick of them living there: her family, her in-laws, and herself. Money isn’t the problem. […]

Last month’s blog dealt with a specific obsession that strikes evangelical Christians: “Am I certain I am saved?” But the general question, “Am I saved?” or “Am I going to Heaven?” is a common obsession among all Christian OCDers. It may involve fearing that one has committed a sinful act; doubting that a sin was […]

Of all the blogs of the last few years, the one that has received the most comments is “Salvation Doubts,” from September, 2015. It seems to have hit a nerve. It dealt with a young woman with OCD who, upon attending a new church, had heard the pastor preach, “Anyone who is not certain of […]

We have seen that the old man, the part of us who is tormented by fears and doubts, must be destroyed. That’s in order to make room for the new man who trusts in God. We don’t have to worry about this happening, because God makes it happen. The old man will inevitably be destroyed […]

As discussed in last month’s blog, Saint Paul’s distinction between the new man and the old man can be quite helpful for OCD sufferers, especially in the way it is developed by Martin Luther. He emphasizes that life is a continual process of leaving behind fear, which is the mark of the old man, and […]

Saint Paul talks about the new man and the old man in his New Testament letters. The concepts are very helpful for OCD sufferers—especially the way Martin Luther develops them. According to Luther, fear represents the “the cross of the old man,” who is tormented by uncertainty about his fate. The New Man, on the […]

Imaginal exposure, as discussed in the last blog, is an important exercise in the treatment of OCD. A major problem can arise, however, in the manner it is applied—especially in the case of Christians. In fact, one of the main reasons people consult me is because of a bad experience with a therapist attempting to […]