ocdmitzi77
Bio: I'm a person who has battled with Anxiety Disorders in varying degrees for most of my life. As a child i struggled with differing mental obsessions and social anxiety. After marrying and the birth of our first child my anxiety disorders peaked to an excruciating level. I experienced so many Panic attacks in a day that I would lose count. I began to struggle with excruciating obsessional themes that robbed me of my ability to enjoy any aspect of life ranging from the simple pleasure of being able to eat without gagging on my food to just being able to get a few hours of sleep per night. Over the years I've struggled with mental obsessions that were related to my causing harm to loved ones, harm to myself, health obsessions, driving phobia and religious obsessions. It wasn't until I reached the age of 50 that I finally gained the knowledge that I had been struggling with OCD of the Pure O variety for most of my life. That discovery changed my life in that I finally understood what had been wrong with me and more importantly how to manage it. My experience of living with this excruciating disorder has created a level of compassion in me for others who share my disorder. Right alongside of this new level of empathy and compassion for those who are hurting has come a greater appreciation of and wonder at the grace and strength that my Lord Jesus has provided in and through all of it. It is truly IN trials and suffering that we become conqueror's as we lay hold of His grace and power to press on. If it weren't for my affliction I doubt I'd ever have understood the words of the apostle Paul as he penned his letter to the Corinthian believers: "I will therefore glory in my affliction in order that the power of Christ may rest more fully upon me." Over the past couple years I've been writing and sharing with others about my disorder and have found that it's such a blessing to offer up hope and encouragement to others who are struggling. I've also written and published a book about my life with Panic Disorder and OCD which is available for purchase as an E-book on Amazon.com. I'll be sharing excerpts from that publication from time to time in blog format. I am currently working on a fictional novel that relates the story of a teen girl who struggles with anxiety and how it impacts her daily life.
The OCD Christian 
How do i follow your blog? I am a Christian Counseling student and I am very interested in OCD and other mental illneses. Thank you, James Mc
LikeLike
I’m not real savvy about WordPress regarding how to subscribe or follow blogs. I think you have to be a WordPress user to follow other’s blogs, but I’m not completely sure. What you can do is to “like” and follow my FB page because I share all my blogs on there and also on my twitter account. Here’s the link to my FB page: https://www.facebook.com/StrivingsWithinChristiansWithAnxietyDisorders/
LikeLike
Thank you Mitzi for your blog! Your latest September post was particularly a help.
LikeLike
I’m excuted to read more of your blog! I also suffer from OCD, especially within my relationship with God. So good to find others who share my struggles!
LikeLike
I am so thankful to other OCD sufferers that share their struggles and their triumphs. I am also a Christian dealing with OCD within my Christian faith. It’s so difficult to differentiate the two. You can only ask for forgiveness so many times before you go crazy! The Lord forgives us the 1st time but OCD makes us think otherwise. It’s helped me to think to myself “intrusive thought” in place of the prayers and to redirect my thoughts and actions immediately to something else.
Thank you so much for your blog!!
LikeLike
That’s great! Redirecting our thoughts and attention to something else, even while the OCD is blathering on and on in the background is a very efficient way to manage it.
LikeLike
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES! I have only struggled with OCD for a few years, and it is moderate (which can be tricky bc sometimes I will feel pretty normal for a while and then out of the blue I will be in the trenches of anxiety and despair, which makes it so confusing). But I am still figuring everything out which is very scary and difficult (as I’m sure you know). It started attacking my religion about 2 years ago but I thought I overcame it. It has started again recently and it is TERRIBLE. There is a lot of information online about all the other types, and a lot about scrupulocity in general, but hardly ANYTHING about doubt. This has given me so much hope and peace. Thank you for being brave and taking the time to share your experiences! I actually help run a non-profit called The 444 Project which my friend started, who suffers from severe depression and bi-polar disorder. She inspires hope and encourages all to find joy and light in darkness. We get many emails like the one I am writing now… But for the first time I truly understand how they are feeling on the other side! I just want to hug you! Haha. Feel free to check out our project if you want more hope and light 🙂 Anyway, thank you again and keep fighting!
LikeLike
Hi Mitzi, Thanks for your blog; I discovered it yesterday. I have struggle with anxiety over whether I am actually saved for the past six years. I finally started going to therapy last fall, but I still experience extreme waves of anxiety and feeling unsaved. In particular, if I read an article or Bible verse that associates faith with getting hurt in some way, or having to be brave, I totally shut down and convince myself I am unsaved because I don’t think I am brave enough, or tough enough. Does that make any sense, and do you have any resources you could recommend to help me combat these feelings? Thanks so much Mitzi. -Heather
LikeLike
Glad my blog is encouraging you. It’s always a comfort to learn that you are not alone in this experience. I’ve shared a lot about what has helped me in my book. I’ll give you the link, but you will also find a lot of information by googling things like OCD, Scrupulosity and Religious OCD. Hope this helps: Link: http://a.co/fsZl8jT
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello Mitzi,
First I wanted to say I am so thankful that I am not the only one struggling with OCD and anxiety disorder. I also struggle with the Pure 0 and constantly have intrusive thoughts, false images and to relieve that anxiety I do compulsions ( which really don’t help). After reading your Religious OCD article I also struggle with that. It is anguishing to feel like God is after you. Or if my relationship doesn’t feel right with God I become so depressed and hopeless. It’s a thought I think of daily. I just received your book from one of my friends. And I am starting to read it. I am praying that God uses this to help me to walk faithfully with him in the midst of this season. I feel so alone right now no one understands what i am experiencing mentally. Honestly I don’t either sometimes. I have always struggled with this disorder but after this year i finally am able to recognize what it is. Which I am thankful for that. I am desperate to want to be obedient to God but because I feel like he is angry with him it is almost paralyzing to go to him. Especially his word. Is there any advice that you could give me? I am having panic attacks daily. And it is so hard to function in any aspect of life. I just need help.
Thank you.
LikeLike
Hi Nikki. So sorry to hear you are going through this. I hope that as you continue on in the book you will find some practical avenues to help you manage your OCD. It’s common for the anxiety to be triggered by anything related to your obsessional theme. You can choose to follow Christ in this experience and that is most definitely the outworking of the faith that already lies within you. You will need to learn about E.R.P. in order to effectively manage the OCD. Meds. are also appropriate if the anxiety is crippling or interfering with your daily functioning. OCD tends to wax and wane over a life time. Periods of increased stress, health issues, hormonal changes, etc. all play a role in causing flares.
My best counsel to you is to become educated about your disorder and to learn to apply all those practical strategies which help you to manage it. Finding a good OCD therapist who uses ERP strategies is a huge help for lots of people. You can go search in the IFOCD website to find a therapist in your area.
LikeLike
Hi Mitzi! A friend told me about your blog and I’m so glad I found it! I have suffered with severe OCD for a while as a christian. I’m so glad you are speaking out about this. My friend also told me there was a support group? How may I find it? Thanks so much!
LikeLike
I apologize for my late response. I’ve been on a kind of sabbatical from my online activity for awhile:
Here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/424477494383675
LikeLike
Hey Mitzi… Wanted to say congratulations on getting your book published. If you are the same Mitzi who I used to chat to online I think you may have sent me a copy to read through prior to publishing. I live in the UK. Well done for going for it!
LikeLike
Wow! That was a long time ago. I’m self-published as I found that most agents didn’t feel I had the “credentials” to write my book.
LikeLike
Mitzi, I have been wanting to ask you a question. You have helped me in my ocd journey, like no other. God has greatly used you in my life, and have encouraged me that I’m not alone. With that being said, I have a question for you. I am not sure if you still check this blog though, are you there?
LikeLike
Yes. I’m in here from time to time. Sorry for the late reply. What is your question?
LikeLike
Hi Mitzi, I have recently been diagnosed with religious ocd and have been tormented for years but these last 6 months seem unbearable. Do you have a group that meets to support eachother. I appreciate your sight on things and would love to learn from you. I am at my wits end with finding a therapist, working on saying it’s ocd and being confused it’s spiritual. I was hoping for some support!
LikeLike
Hi Kara. I think you already found us on FB. 🙂
LikeLike