scrupulosity

I am so thrilled to announce our next guest, Jaimie Eckert. Jaimie and I met online a few years ago after I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, specifically Scrupulosity. Scrupulosity is religious and moral OCD, in other words, it is the obsessive thoughts and compulsive behavior surrounding one's religious beliefs.A scrupulous person is overly concerned with doing the right thing and irrationally doubting one's standing with God. When I met Jaimie, I did not know much about OCD or their themes, but she walked me through that season so gently and help me restore my faith and sound mine. OCD has multiple themes, including but not limited to: harm OCD, relational OCD, pedophilia OCD, health OCD, scrupulosity OCD, and many more. Most people state things like "Oh that's just my OCD" when it comes to cleaning the house or requiring the blinds to be straight, but OCD is much deeper and intrusive. It is important not to confuse perfectionism with OCD. On this episode, Jaimie takes us on a lovely journey discussing Scrupulosity and how to heal from these intrusive thoughts and debilitating mental illness. I am excited for you all to listen or watch this episode as I know it will be educational and encouraging! 

Jaimie Eckert is the founder and owner of Scrupulosity Solutions and dedicates her time to coach her clients to find peace on this side of Heaven and true healing with restoring their view of God as our loving Father. Whether you have religious OCD or not, I know you will be uplifted by this episode and learn something new. If you or a loved one is struggling with OCD, I advise you to seek the proper care. Counseling, medication, and group support are all effective ways to find healing from this mental hurdle. Jaimie always reminds us that "God loves you even when you're anxious." Sit back, relax, and get your pens ready! 

Terri Yohman, from Marriage and Family Ministry joins us.

(0:36)  Is it a Sin to receive Psychological Help?

(1:00)  What do we teach about human dignity? 

(1:24)  Pope Francis' "accompaniment."

(1:44)  How do we understand formation?  There are four domains.

(2:45)   Human formation is primary.

(3:10)  If you can't care for your mental health...

(3:36)  We can't solve human problems with spiritual solutions sometimes.

(4:08)  What's the difference between psychological therapy and spiritual direction?

(5:05)  Sometimes psychology and spiritual direction can collaborate.

(6:20):  There's still a stigma around mental illness.

(7:12)   Sanctuary course for mental illness awareness for churches.

(8:52)  What about over-medicating?

(9:11)   How do you know if you need a therapist?   Online assessment.

(11:27)  We need to know the people in the pews better.

(12:05)   FD's experience with grief.

(13:00)  Grief can be compounded.

(14:00)  How do you find a therapist?

(14:30)   We have a list of Catholic Counselors.  Email Terri for more info: tyohman@dioceseofcleveland.org

(15:00):  Counselors that are hostile towards religion should be avoided.

(16:26):  Mike's personal experience with counseling.

(16:45):  Terri's personal experience with her dad.

(17:32): McGrath Institute's Fiat Program on Mental Health

(17:49):   Our Lady Help of Christians is this week's church search and will be a 9 Nights of Night Prayer parish.  March 17-25.

(18:37):   Readings for first Sunday of Lent.

(19:57):  Sign off

In this episode, we invite Bonnie Young on the show. Bonnie is a marriage and family therapist, mother of two, and author of several academic articles on religion and mental health. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history with an emphasis in LDS women’s history and a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, both from BYU. Currently based in Seattle, Bonnie specializes in treating clients with anxiety, religious OCD / scrupulosity, and sexual disorders. Bonnie currently serves as a CTR-10 teacher. We talk specifically about Scrupulosity, what it is, how it affects individuals and what we can do to help those individuals on a path to wellness and a more positive relationship with the Savior.

Like many young couples, Nate and Vanessa Quigley had big dreams and a firm vision for their little family after getting married. They had read the Book of Mormon scripture that promises if you keep the commandments, you will prosper in the land (2 Nephi 4:4). Over a quarter of a century later, they believe the Lord has blessed them in their efforts to raise their children in the gospel of Jesus Christ—those blessings just look a little different than they imagined. On today’s episode, the Quigleys share the challenges they've encountered as parents and why they are convinced their family is perfect for them.

“As a parent, you just jump in the lake and you swim. You can’t possibly help yourself. ...It’s unsafe to be a parent because you love your children so desperately.”

Show Notes 

1:43- Family Narratives
6:48- The Perfect Family?
9:25- Watching a Child Struggle
13:22- The Pandemic of Pandemics
17:47- No More Sweeping Under the Rug
22:57- The Price Paid To Be Someone’s Angel
26:19- Trust God and Do Your Best
31:30- Talking About Mental Challenges
36:09- The Wheel of Wellness and Safe Love
42:30- The Perfect Family Learning Together
45:58- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Right now, you'd assume that American Christianity is shameless based upon how much they've bent and contorted their beliefs and morals to encapsulate their love of Donald Trump.

For a group that acts shameless, they sure peddle in guilt and shame on a Sunday to Sunday basis. 

For far too long, has shame been used control structure to keep congregants in the pews complacent and coming back each week. Preaching that there's a loving God that hates sin, juxtaposed with teachings that people are inherently sinful creatures, creates a paradox. 

It leads people to focus more on sin (or the avoidance of sin) instead of seeking after a loving and graceful God. Distill this down, and you've got a faith that ultimately says that even though humans are made in God's image, we're still garbage. 

This is where guilt and shame come into play. They both keep us at a distance from a God that doesn't see a distance between us. 

If we seek to fix our sinfulness first as a remedy to gain traction with God, we're doing everything on our own. Then, we're constantly at a disadvantage and never enough. This, then, warps our world view about ourselves and God. It leads to very messed-up theology. Many times, it leads to mental trauma, delusions, and disorders (look up scrupulosity). 

To view God from the lens of Jesus, and even more specifically, the parable of the Prodigal Son, we see a very different view of God. In this paradigm, God is graceful, full of compassion and love. He doesn't see us through the lens of sin. God sees us as the beloved. 

The way of shame leads to oppression. The way of Jesus leads us towards freedom and new life. 

Which would you rather pick? 

www.SnarkyFaith.com

You may have never heard of scrupulosity, but it is possible it has hijacked the religious experience of you or someone you love. In her September 2019 Ensign article, Dr. Debra Theobald McClendon wrote, “Scrupulosity masquerades as a desirable, higher standard of righteousness and personal worthiness—but it’s not!” So, what is scrupulosity? How does it manifest itself? How is it treated? Dr. McClendon helps us answer all of these questions and more on this week’s episode.

"If it is a spiritual prompting, and you go through the things you need to repent, including a confession to an ecclesiastical leader if necessary, you will feel better. If it is driven by toxic anxiety, you will not feel better, because it's an anxiety issue. It's not a moral issue or a spiritual sensitivity issue."

Show Notes 

3:11- What is Scrupulosity?
8:34- How Does It Manifests Itself?
12:39- Confession
16:18- Therapy and Treatment
23:41- Correcting Sin While Not Giving Into Obsessions
26:18- Triggers
31:44- Godly Sorrow?
34:02- How to Help Others Who May Be Struggling 
38:48- Too Late?
41:35- Repentance is Not a Checklist
43:31- The Atonement
45:16- What Does It Mean to be “All In” the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We live in a world that seems to be constantly asking the question we often sing, “Where Can I Turn For Peace?” Along with the age old concerns, our society faces additional new challenges as a result of living in a technology-centered, social media world. Slap a pandemic on top of that and, as we’ve learned in recent weeks, the world truly feels like it is in pandemonium. But John Hilton, an author and associate professor of Ancient Scripture, believes that help for even the most current challenges can be found through the gospel of Jesus Christ and in the pages of scripture.

“If we can shift our mentality from ‘Okay, I’m going to pray and God’s going to bless me with exactly what I want when I want it,’ to ‘I’m going to keep my covenants no matter what,’ it’s a powerful shift in our lives— when we remember it’s okay if our kids don’t do everything that we hope they will. It’s okay if I lose this great opportunity. In the long run, Jesus Christ is going to wipe away all of my tears and I can focus my hope on Him.”

Show Notes

2:10- Bullying, Kindness and Resilience
6:48-Balancing Professional Help and Spiritual Tools
8:44- Aiming for Perfection/Legalism
10:50- Fence Laws
13:43- Scrupulosity
15:56- Patterns of Peace
20:40- Peace Amidst Pandemic
23:52- “Know the Church is True” or “Know Christ”
26:18- Why Have a Relationship with Christ? 
28:18- Turning the Hearts of the Children to the Fathers
29:34- Why Understanding Grace Matters in Mental Health
33:05- What Does It Mean To You To Be “All In” the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thanks for listening to Project Zion Podcast!
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!


Intro and Outro music used with permission:

“For Everyone Born,” Community of Christ Sings #285. Music © 2006 Brian Mann, admin. General Board of Global Ministries t/a GBGMusik, 458 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30308. copyright@umcmission.org

“The Trees of the Field,” Community of Christ Sings # 645, Music © 1975 Stuart Dauerman, Lillenas Publishing Company (admin. Music Services).

All music for this episode was performed by Dr. Jan Kraybill, and produced by Chad Godfrey.

NOTE: The series that make up the Project Zion Podcast explore the unique spiritual and theological gifts Community of Christ offers for today's world. Although Project Zion Podcast is a Ministry of Community of Christ. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those speaking and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Community of Christ.