Living with OCD: A Daily Struggle
There are many different ways our mental health can be negatively impacted throughout our lives, whether they’re due to illnesses or specific circumstances. As someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD for short, I’ve had many difficulties in my day-to-day life, difficulties that have held me back and caused lots of worry for me. In this post, I’ll be sharing some of my experiences with OCD and how we can view mental illnesses through a Christian worldview.
What is OCD?
OCD involves two distinct aspects: obsessions and compulsions, hence the name. Obsessions are intrusive thoughts or urges that come to someone’s mind repetitively, causing mental discomfort, such as fear and anxiety, to varying degrees of severity. Compulsions are actions that people with OCD give in to so that a given obsession is no longer a worry, such as counting to a certain number, going up and down the stairs more than needed, saying certain words out loud, and more. Regardless of whether associated compulsions are acted on or not, the presence of constant obsession in someone’s day-to-day life can be incredibly debilitating.
For a medical perspective on OCD and Christian faith, see this article from the Anxiety & Depression Association of America.
Faith and OCD: When Values Collide
The thing is, OCD tends to affect people most in the areas relating to their core values and identities. As a Christian, the obsessions I face tend to relate to my Christian faith and the values I hold due to it. These obsessions are often illogical, but it feels as though my brain is trying to trick me into thinking they all make sense and are all important to address. Acting on them by giving in to compulsions feels “necessary” to my walk with God.
My OCD has been a problem for me since before coming to faith in Christ, and while it hasn’t gone away, I recognize that I now have God by my side to help me as I struggle with it. If God were never to heal me of my mental illness during this life, He would still use it for His glory. His love for me doesn’t depend on whether healing happens.
Ultimately, the solution for believers facing mental illness is not to expect instant healing but to trust God daily. We ask Him for strength, wisdom, and perseverance because He is stronger than all of our struggles.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
God’s Strength in Weakness
One truth I hold onto is that God uses evil for good. Evil people cried out for Jesus Christ to be crucified, yet the cross became the greatest hope for humanity.
The same is true with mental illness. While OCD is difficult to live with, God can and does use Christians with mental illnesses to reach and comfort others who share similar struggles. He works through our weakness to bring others to Himself.
For more encouragement from Scripture, see my reflections in 10 Bible Chapters That Changed My Life, where I highlight passages that bring strength in times of struggle.
Final Encouragement for Believers
Having OCD isn’t easy, and neither are other mental illnesses. It’s not true that “God will never give you more than you can handle.” The reality is, life will overwhelm us if we try to handle it alone. But through Christ, we can endure.
As Jesus says:
- “The winds of life will not overwhelm us if our house is built on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-27
- “In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
No matter the struggle, He remains greater than it.
