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| "Jesus mary" by @Doug88888 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 |
Scruples are an affliction (often a manifestation of OCD) in which the sufferer fixates and obsesses on the minutia of religious life. Religious observance becomes all-encompassing, with an extreme preoccupation with and fear of committing sin.
If the practice of religion or a relationship with God isn't primarily a source of peace or truth, but a source of stress and struggle, you might fit the description.
This isn't what God wants. He wants a relationship with us based on love rather than on fear.
Here are some resources for those seeking healing and a way forward.
Housekeeping notes:
- Except where otherwise noted, referrals to content on other sites recommend only the particular video or article. I'm not necessarily recommending the site or channel in its entirety.
- Both Catholics and Protestants suffer from this affliction. I am Catholic, so most of the resources I've come across are directed at Catholic audiences.
That said, I haven't come across any advice on dealing with the disorder that excludes a Protestant understanding of God or Christianity. If you're Protestant, welcome!! Please take whatever you find here that's useful and helpful to your understanding of the faith, and leave the rest.
Helpful Resources
Videos (YouTube)
This guy gets it. Describes exactly what it's like inside a scruple brain and what steps need to be taken to treat it.
Cloudy with a Chance of Scrupulosity
One of a series by a Catholic therapist named Adam Cross about OCD and scrupulosity.
Be Real with God! How to Pray Authentically
Not specifically on scruples, but on something pretty much every scrupulous person struggles with.
Another Catholic therapist on YouTube. Here, she gives an explanation of the practice of mindfulness and why it's not against Christian or Church teaching.
Ask a Catholic Therapist ANYTHING (Pints with Aquinas)
They start talking about Scrupulosity and OCD in particular at the 34:00 timestamp, but the whole thing is really interesting and well worth a listen.
A video made by Ascension Press talking about scrupulosity and how to fight it.
Articles, Posts, and Audio Talks
Scruples and Moderation: Understanding the Advice of St. Ignatius of Loyola
A very good summation of St. Ignatius of Loyola's writings on the topic, and a good explanation of moderation and virtue as it applies to the person with scruples.
If you have access to the Hallow app, the guest talk by Dr. Gwen Adams on the life and prayer of St. Theresa of Avila (A Place to Meet God) gives very good food for thought. She describes being a "list" Catholic (something I think most Scruple-leaning Christians can identify with) and finding an answer (and measure of peace), by studying the writings of Theresa of Avila. I was able to access it from the free version of the app.
There's a lot here about Divine Mercy, the nature of sin, and what the sacrament of Confession is actually supposed to be that every scruple struggling person needs to hear. On the FORMED site, so it's behind a paywall unless you're in a parish with a membership or you yourself have one. Click here for a 7 day free trial-- the talk is worth it.
Posts on this Blog
(Barely) Living with Scrupulosity
A description of what my experience living with this disorder was like (I still have some symptoms of it, but they're currently far more manageable).
OCD and the Terrifying Mercy of God
Making a decision that's against your compulsions is terrifying. You're not going to necessarily feel better, at least not right away, and that's ok.
Lent and Scruples: a Survival Guide
A guide to perhaps the most difficult time of the year for those with this disorder.
St. Faustina's Diary as Read by the Scrupulous
Some thoughts on some commonly promoted spiritual reading and how, for the scrupulous person, it can be counter-productive rather than helpful. I use the Diary of St. Faustina as an example, but the same criticisms apply to other books as well.
Some thoughts on the nature of intrusive thoughts. For me, and I think for many OCD sufferers, this was probably the most distressing symptom of the disorder. A lot of language around certain social justice issues is phrased in a way that I think is really unhelpful and even destructive to those that suffer from OCD: I use a conversation with a friend to illustrate why, and to launch into a discussion of how to ultimately overcome those types of thoughts.
Intercession, Anxiety, and Cultivated Misery
Some thoughts on praying for others or for certain intentions, which can get to be a bit of a minefield for those with scruple-brain.
Last Update 6/05/2022. (I update this page as I find or write new stuff. Please recommend stuff in the comments!)
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