Scrupulosity

[Lil Red]

[quote name='Annie12' timestamp='1334366306' post='2417442']
So, if someone is being really scrupulous about something and isn't sure if they should say it in confession/ is scarred to, should they trust in Christs mercy and just follow their instincts or should they say it anyway?

( I will share my story now) I have been in this situation and I was only scarred because I didn't know what to say and I didn't want to say something that never happened. Then a few weeks ago I could really feel Christ just tugging at my heart and communicating to me that he wanted me to trust in his mercy and what ever I could do to just trust in him he wanted whether that be confession or prayer or what have you. I also had a dream (whether it was just my imagination or not, I don't know, but) I saw Jesus as the divine mercy image saying "trust in my mercy". I tried to get to confession (even though I had already gone a bunch of times) but that didn't happen because of logistical reasons. So, I prayed about it and I think I'm cured! I totally trust in Christ now and I can accept that he has forgiven me! I have struggled with this for over 3 years now so this is huge!!! Any prayers that it will stay this way are welcome because I don't trust myself that I will stay sane
[/quote]

if you do suffer from this debilitating condition, please read the [url="http://mission.liguori.org/newsletters/scrupulosity.htm"]10 Commandments for the Scrupulous[/url].

[Lil Red]

Definition of scrupulosity from Wikipedia: [b]Scrupulosity[/b] is a psychological disorder characterized by pathological guilt about moral or religious issues. It is personally distressing, objectively dysfunctional, and often accompanied by significant impairment in social functioning.[sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrupulosity#cite_note-Miller-Hedges-0"][1][/url][/sup] It is typically conceptualized as a moral or religious form of [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive%E2%80%93compulsive_disorder"]obsessive–compulsive disorder[/url] (OCD),[sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrupulosity#cite_note-1"][2][/url][/sup] although this categorization is empirically disputable.[sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrupulosity#cite_note-Miller-Hedges-0"][1][/url][/sup]

people who are scrupulous tend to be overcome with fear and anxiety that every thought, word, and deed is a mortal sin -- all the time. scrupulosity is helped by living in God's joy & trusting in Him. (I like [url="http://forums.catholic.com/showpost.php?p=6369775&postcount=4"]this post[/url] from CAF very much)

[quote name='FuturePriest387' timestamp='1334426210' post='2417742']I do realize this, yes. But thankfully, through asking a Dominican Priest how to combat it, he gave me all that I needed to know and I got rid of it. It was amazing, really. I started praying a prayer to Saint Anne, the mother of Mary, and it quit shortly after that. It was miraculous.[/quote]
Do you know what this kind of attitude does to people who suffer from scrupulosity? It says, "Well you didn't pray hard enough/the right way to make it go away. You didn't do enough. You have to be pray harder, avoid everything that might lead you to sin, etc. It's all your fault that you still have this. You haven't done enough. You could be free from this if you just prayed harder. You don't deserve a miracle because you're such a sinner." etc. etc. etc. These kind of thoughts can quickly spiral out of control, which is why having regular meetings with a good spiritual director and/or priest is absolutely vital to those who have scrupulosity.

Here are two posts on Understanding Scrupulosity [url="http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2009/07/13/understanding-and-overcoming-scrupulosity-part-i"]Part I[/url] and [url="http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2009/07/21/understanding-and-overcoming-srupulosity-part-ii"]Part II[/url]
"Scrupulosity is oversensitivity to faults. It consists in seeing sin where there is no sin, which causes us to become emotionally tense and spiritually tied up in knots. It paralyzes the will, fills the mind with turbulence, and can cause intense interior suffering."

It honestly sounds like you had poor formation, combined with a sensitive conscience, and I pray that for your sake, you never did suffer from scrupulosity.

(I am trying not to sound harsh, I promise.)

[dominicansoul]

i had chronic scruples when i was young. I still struggle a bit with it, because I feel it never really goes away...completely.

For those of you struggling, I hope you have recourse to a confesser who understands your problem. Some priests I met along my battle were not at all instrumental in helping me fight it. I felt I was passed along from priest to priest until I was able to find one who was willing to help me with it. God bless Fr. Henry Luna, CMF. May he rest in peace. He was my "conscience" through those horrible years, and I know I could not get through it without his help and his counsel...

[PhuturePriest]

I don't mean to say other scrupulous people didn't try hard enough. I could've just had a sensitive conscience, but it most certainly felt like scrupulosity. I was worried everything was a Mortal sin, and my Confessions would last twenty to thirty minutes, and that was with going every week. I thought the way I sat was a Mortal sin, and I sit normally. I do not think a sensitive conscience would have those features.

But more onto the point, I do not mean to say others aren't trying hard enough. People are simply different. I broke a sexual addiction in just three and a half years, while I know others that have been battling it for twelve. It differs from person to person, and nobody should feel bad if they have scrupulosity for longer than I did.

[Jaime]

[quote name='FuturePriest387' timestamp='1334432629' post='2417801']
I don't mean to say other scrupulous people didn't try hard enough. I could've just had a sensitive conscience, but it most certainly felt like scrupulosity. I was worried everything was a Mortal sin, and my Confessions would last twenty to thirty minutes, and that was with going every week. I thought the way I sat was a Mortal sin, and I sit normally. I do not think a sensitive conscience would have those features.

But more onto the point, I do not mean to say others aren't trying hard enough. People are simply different. I broke a sexual addiction in just three and a half years, while I know others that have been battling it for twelve. It differs from person to person, and nobody should feel bad if they have scrupulosity for longer than I did.
[/quote]


I really think you should reread your post a few dozen times.

[PhuturePriest]

[quote name='jaime' timestamp='1334432884' post='2417802']
I really think you should reread your post a few dozen times.
[/quote]

If I seemed to contradict myself a few times, I was typing fast because a huge storm was on its way and I was a little nervous, so I didn't re-read the post.

Edited April 14, 2012 by FuturePriest387

[EcceNovaFacioOmni]

Some more encouragement from a spiritual master:
[quote]"The enemy considers carefully whether one has a lax or a delicate conscience. If one has a delicate conscience, the evil one seeks to make it excessively sensitive in order to disturb and upset it more easily. Thus, if he sees that one will not consent to mortal sin or venial sin, or even to the appearance of deliberate sin, since he cannot cause him to fall in a matter that appears sinful, he strives to make the soul judge that there is a sin, for example in a word or passing thought, where there is no sin."
St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, 349[/quote]

[Papist]

I always confess what I believe to be sins. If my heart believes I offended God, I must confess and seek absolution. I want to leave nothing to chance when it comes to cleaning my soul. However, when the priest says these are not sins, I need to trust him, and ultimately trust in Christ's work through this priest.

[fides' Jack]

Honestly, most people could do with a few more scruples.

[MIKolbe]

I hope you're looking in the mirror when you say that.

[fides' Jack]

I don't know what you mean.

[Lil Red]

[quote name='fides' Jack' timestamp='1334685182' post='2419539']
Honestly, most people could do with a few more scruples.
[/quote]

something about this just strikes me wrong. i mean, the answer to the sin of lust isn't frigidity, but chastity. the answer to the sin of wrath isn't servility but patience. dykwim?

[MIKolbe]

[quote name='fides' Jack' timestamp='1334698028' post='2419767']
I don't know what you mean.
[/quote]
Somehow, I expected this answer.

pity.

[MissScripture]

[quote name='Lil Red' timestamp='1334698438' post='2419776']
something about this just strikes me wrong. i mean, the answer to the sin of lust isn't frigidity, but chastity. the answer to the sin of wrath isn't servility but patience. dykwim?
[/quote]
Well, having scruples is different than scrupulosity. Being over-scrupulous is the problem, not being scrupulous. So, while there are a lot of people in the world lacking scruples and who could stand to be more scrupulous, it's also bad to go overboard and turn it into scrupulosity. Am I making sense?

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='fides' Jack' timestamp='1334685182' post='2419539']
Honestly, most people could do with a few more scruples.
[/quote]

Agreed. Most people rarely stop to consider the consequences of their actions, or question whether they meet some moral standard, most things are simply feelings-based.