Navigating Religious OCD

Sariah Harrison
  • 5.0 (1)
  • RELIGION & SPIRITUALITY

Religion has long been a means of supporting connection to God.  But what of times when a religious experience, previously hoped to bring connection and peace, becomes a source of serious anxiety and deep fear? This podcast creates space to discuss the journey of navigating religious OCD by sharing experiences, resources, and practical tools.  

Episodes

  1. "The distance between me and God just decreases"

    12/20/2025

    "The distance between me and God just decreases"

    In this podcast episode, Sariah Harrison and Lydia Pitt share pieces of their experience with Religious OCD or Scrupulosity. They discuss how an experience with scrupulosity can feel like having a contingency based relationship with God that's driven by anxiety and fear.  They discuss resources that have been helpful in their efforts to navigate this struggle. They also discuss pieces of their personal experience with exposures, the gold standard treatment for OCD.  Youtube "The distance between me and God just decreases" Video: https://youtu.be/DBIlMxIFpUQ Website: Navigating Religious OCD https://www.navigatingreligiousocd.com/ Email: navigatingreligiousocd@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/navigatingreligiousocd/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/navigatingreligiousocd Contents of this episode: 00:00- Intro 00:34- Lydia’s Story 06:16- OCPD 07:24- Living by the letter of the law instead of the spirit of the law 09:07- Getting access to help in the mission field 10:34- Pieces of Sariah’s journey to get help 12:02- Lydia’s experience seeking help in the mission field 14:08- Your best looks different everyday 18:01- Jesus wants to wash YOUR feet- perspective shifts on mental health 21:22- God is good at connecting  23:58- Pieces of Lydia’s experience with exposures 27:01- “The Gifts of Imperfection” 27:59- Experiencing Exposures 37:40- Lydia’s message to those struggling & her witness of Jesus 39:53- Conclusion  Resources: Music: Vlad Gluschenko — Waiting for this Moment License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported: Deed - Attribution 3.0 Unported - Creative Commons

    40 min
  2. My prayer was fueling the OCD

    12/04/2025

    My prayer was fueling the OCD

    In this podcast episode, Sariah Harrison shares a moment of anxiety and concern where she turned to God in prayer and then realized that her prayer was actually fueling an experience with OCD. She shares what God told her when she recognized this.  Sariah discusses how her perspective on prayer has changed. She discusses how she's had to consider what role prayer is playing in any given moment or her instead of just believing prayer is always good.  She had no clue prayer at different times could be fueling an experience with OCD.  OCD can also be so disguised- especially for religious OCD because it’s centered on legitimate religious beliefs and practices.  YouTube “My prayer was fueling the OCD” Video: https://youtu.be/Lj4SawUG_70 Website: Navigating Religious OCD https://www.navigatingreligiousocd.com/ Email: navigatingreligiousocd@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/navigatingreligiousocd/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/navigatingreligiousocd Contents of this episode: 00:00- Intro 00:34- Welcome & Episode Overview 00:41- Real OCD Moments Intro 01:28- The Beginning of the Story 01:49- I was obsessively concerned… 02:42- Why it’s difficult to recognize anxiety when you’re experiencing it 03:03- Becoming increasingly concerned 03:42- Turning to God was fueling the OCD? 04:05- What God told me 05:07- This was a massive breakthrough for me because… 05:46- I’m not saying don’t pray. I’m saying… 06:43- Experiencing deeper connection with God 08:20- Conclusion Resources: Music: Vlad Gluschenko — Waiting for this Moment License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

    9 min
  3. What real OCD can look like: Part 2

    11/27/2025

    What real OCD can look like: Part 2

    In this podcast episode, Sariah Harrison explains many different subtypes of OCD including purely obsessional OCD, real event OCD, relationship OCD, responsibility OCD, suicidal OCD, and religious OCD or scrupulosity. She shares pieces of her personal experience with many of these, breaking down what obsessions and compulsions- the O and C in OCD- can actually look like.  OCD can be so debilitating and it can also be so disguised- especially for religious OCD.  YouTube “What real OCD can look like Part 2” Video: https://youtu.be/OLNStlHbIRw Website: Navigating Religious OCD https://www.navigatingreligiousocd.com/ Email: navigatingreligiousocd@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/navigatingreligiousocd/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/navigatingreligiousocd Contents of this episode: 00:00- Intro 00:35- Welcome & episode overview 00:44- Purely Obsessional- OCD Disguised 01:06- I didn’t recognize my experience with OCD as OCD. Here’s why… 02:15- Common compulsions with purely obsessional OCD 02:49- Real Event OCD 03:03- Real Event OCD- Analyzing past experiences 03:49- Common obsessions with Real Event OCD 04:10- OCD Obsessions do not align with your real desires & values 04:48- With OCD, there’s often intense anxiety. Here’s why… 05:00- Reassurance seeking- a common compulsions with real event OCD 05:29- Life with OCD becomes very narrow 06:32- Relationship OCD 07:54- Responsibility OCD 09:00- Intrusive suicidal thoughts that go against your true desires 10:13- What is Suicidal OCD? 10:24- Pieces of my experience with Suicidal OCD 13:03- Summary of Subtypes of OCD 13:48- Diving into Scrupulosity- What this can look like 14:38- How scrupulosity hijacks your religious experience 15:07- Scrupulosity defined 15:23- With Religious OCD there can be a lot of concern about doing things “right” 16:05- Pieces of my experience with Religious OCD 17:35- With Scrupulosity there’s serious anxiety around… 17:44- With Scrupulosity, it feels like your spiritual wellbeing is being threatened 19:23- Religious OCD can be so disguised 20:19- Real OCD Moments Introduction 20:36- Conclusion Resources: Johnson, J. C. (2018). Silent souls weeping: Depression- sharing stories, finding hope. Deseret Book. Therapy in a Nutshell. https://therapyinanutshell.com/ McClendon, D. T. (2023). Freedom from scrupulosity: Reclaiming your religious experience from anxiety and OCD. Religious Studies Center & Deseret Book. McGrath, P. (2025, May 22). A quick guide to some common OCD subtypes. NOCD / Treat My OCD. https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/a-quick-guide-to-some-common-ocd-subtypes This article was used as a guide to describe the different subtypes of OCD. Music: Vlad Gluschenko — Waiting for this Moment License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

    21 min
  4. What real OCD can look like: Part 1

    11/21/2025

    What real OCD can look like: Part 1

    In this podcast episode, Sariah Harrison explains many different types of OCD including checking OCD, contamination OCD, hoarding OCD, and just right or perfectionism OCD. She shares examples for how some of these have shown up in her experience with OCD. She also shares an experience with Religious OCD that happened this past week after giving a talk in church.  OCD can be so debilitating! At the end of the episode, Sariah discusses a super common misconception that she believed & shares how this was a big barrier in recognizing her experience with OCD as OCD.  YouTube “What real OCD can look like” Video: https://youtu.be/vDPj6jMSWew Website: Navigating Religious OCD https://www.navigatingreligiousocd.com/ Email: navigatingreligiousocd@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/navigatingreligiousocd/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/navigatingreligiousocd Contents of this episode: 00:00- Intro 00:34- Episode Overview 00:44- Quick Review 01:15- The Brain: Protecting from ANY perceived threat 01:33- A need for safety in every aspect  02:47- OCD about my talk in church? My experience this past week 06:41- What my therapist helped me see 07:15- The difference between subtypes of OCD is… 07:50- Resource to find an OCD specialized therapist in your area 08:34- OCD affects MANY areas of someone’s life 09:02- OCD Subtypes article  09:10- What is Checking OCD? 10:16- What is Contamination OCD? 11:15- From the outside looking in vs. from inside looking out… 11:42- What is Hoarding OCD? 12:44- What is “Just Right” (Perfectionism) OCD?  13:09- How Just Right OCD has shown up for me since starting the podcast 14:02- How Just Right OCD showed up for me in college 15:09- How Just Right OCD has showed up for me at work 15:33- OCD can be so debilitating 15:40- I believed this super common misconception 16:50- Conclusion Resources: Johnson, J. C. (2018). Silent souls weeping: Depression- sharing stories, finding hope. Deseret Book.  Therapy in a Nutshell. https://therapyinanutshell.com/ McGrath, P. (2025, May 22). A quick guide to some common OCD subtypes. NOCD / Treat My OCD. https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/a-quick-guide-to-some-common-ocd-subtypes Music: Vlad Gluschenko — Waiting for this Moment License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

    17 min
  5. OCD Explained: It's not what most think

    11/13/2025

    OCD Explained: It's not what most think

    In this podcast episode, Sariah Harrison explains how OCD makes a lot of sense when you understand the anxiety cycle. OCD is not what most people think and it can be disguised in an individual's experience.  YouTube “OCD Explained: It’s not what most think” Video: https://youtu.be/v0c5rA8k0l8 Website: Navigating Religious OCD https://www.navigatingreligiousocd.com/ Email: navigatingreligiousocd@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/navigatingreligiousocd/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/navigatingreligiousocd Contents of this episode: 00:00- Intro 00:35- Episode Overview 00:51- Not a Fan of the Typical OCD Cycle Chart 01:37- OCD makes a lot of sense when you understand the anxiety cycle 02:13- OCD is very misunderstood 03:07- 3 Key Features of Mental Illness 05:20- Rattlesnake story: The OCD cycle 06:11- Perceived vs. Real Threat 07:25- Breaking down OCD- Obsessions defined 08:02- Key differences between those who experience OCD & those who don’t 08:44- Individuals who don’t experience OCD are likely to… 10:33- Individuals who experience OCD… 11:39- Summary of Obsessions 12:56- Breaking down OCD- Compulsions defined & explained 15:28- Distinction between what is compulsive & what is not  15:47- Why individuals continue to do compulsive behaviour 16:20- The OCD cycle is an experience with serious anxiety 16:35- Where does OCD fit in the anxiety cycle?  18:04- OCD’s disguise: Why individuals who experience OCD might not know it 18:40- Summary of upcoming episode & conclusion Resources: Johnson, J. C. (2018). Silent souls weeping: Depression- sharing stories, finding hope. Deseret Book.  McClendon, D. T. (2023). Freedom from scrupulosity: Reclaiming your religious experience from anxiety and OCD. Religious Studies Center & Deseret Book.  Music: Vlad Gluschenko — Waiting for this Moment License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

    19 min
  6. The Anxiety Cycle: We All Experience It

    10/30/2025

    The Anxiety Cycle: We All Experience It

    In this episode, Sariah expresses that we all experience the anxiety cycle and it can be a powerful tool to keep us safe. However, when we're consistently in the anxiety cycle, this can be unhealthy. Sariah uses stories to explain some differences between healthy and unhealthy experiences with anxiety.  She shares a resource she has found to be so valuable in learning more about the anxiety cycle and how to navigate it in healthy ways. Website: Navigating Religious OCD https://www.navigatingreligiousocd.com/ YouTube: "The Anxiety Cycle: We All Experience It" Video: https://youtu.be/nKMG87Ni7C8 Email: navigatingreligiousocd@gmail.com Instagram: @navigatingreligiousocd Facebook: Navigating Religious OCD Contents of this episode: 00:00- Intro 00:09- Episode Overview 00:22- Where you can find me 00:57- Diving In 01:00- Anxiety Cycle Chart 01:30- The Power of Learning about the Anxiety Cycle 02:04- Rattlesnake Story: A Healthy Experience in Anxiety Cycle 03:00- Your brain’s goal is to… 03:19- Hey Warrior- How anxiety might show up physically 04:58-Back to the Story 06:06- Cicada Story: A Healthy Experience with Anxiety 07:56- Cicada Story #2: An Unhealthy Experience in the Anxiety Cycle  08:55- Effects of an Unhealthy Relationship with Anxiety 09:41- Why the Anxiety Cycle makes a lot of sense 09:58- What’s your relationship with anxiety?  10:37- There are tools you can learn to change this 10:49- One of my favorite resources 11:39- Conclusion Resources: Therapy in a Nutshell. https://therapyinanutshell.com/ Young, K. (2017). Hey Warrior: A book for kids about anxiety. Hey Sigmund Publishing. Music: Vlad Gluschenko — Positive Thinking License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

    12 min
  7. Anxiety is at the Core of Religious OCD or Scrupulosity & Anxiety vs. the Spirit

    10/23/2025

    Anxiety is at the Core of Religious OCD or Scrupulosity & Anxiety vs. the Spirit

    In this episode, Sariah expresses that anxiety is at the core of Religious OCD or Scrupulosity.  She discusses an article by Psychologist Debra Theobald McClendon that brings the differences between anxiety and the spirit to the light. Website: Navigating Religious OCD https://www.navigatingreligiousocd.com/ YouTube: "Anxiety is at the Core of Religious OCD or Scrupulosity & Anxiety vs. the Spirit" Video: https://youtu.be/FzQwb6zENx0 Instagram: @navigatingreligiousocd Facebook: Navigating Religious OCD Contact Info Whether you're reaching out with similar experiences, questions, or comments, I would love to hear from you! Email: navigatingreligiousocd@gmail.com Contents of this episode: 00:00- Intro 00:09- Episode Overview 00:35- Anxiety is at the Core of Religious OCD 01:07- Giving Credit 01:40- Diving In 02:00- Anxiety can interfere with Spiritual communication 02:51- Helpful Anxiety 03:52- Everyone Experiences Anxiety 04:07- Harmful Anxiety 04:33- Anxiety can escalate to unhealthy levels for anyone 05:08- Anxiously Engaged vs. Over-Anxious 05:54- What Anxiety can look like 07:11- Drawing Connections to Describe Anxiety 08:55- The physical effects of stress hormones can make it difficult to discern 10:12- Anxiety vs. the Spirit Chart Preface 10:49- Anxiety vs. the Spirit Chart 11:21- Characteristics of Anxiety 11:38- Characteristics of the Spirit 11:52- Feelings of Anxiety 12:18- Feelings of the Spirit 12:55- Differences I’ve noticed between Anxiety & the Spirit in my life  18:57- Conclusion Resources: McClendon, D. T. (2019, April). Discerning your feelings: Anxiety or the Spirit? Ensign, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2019/04/young-adults/discerning-your-feelings-anxiety-or-the-spirit?lang=eng Music: Vlad Gluschenko — Positive Thinking License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

    20 min
  8. My LDS Mission Experience: Returned Early due to Religious OCD

    10/16/2025

    My LDS Mission Experience: Returned Early due to Religious OCD

    Sariah Harrison could not have been more excited to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Dominican Republic back in 2022.  Her mission experience was far from what she ever expected. Shortly after arriving in the Dominican Republic, everything about life became incredibly heavy and dark. She felt like she was living in an absolute mental hell & wanted nothing more than for it all to end.   Having never experienced debilitating mental health challenges, Sariah discusses the difficulty of coming to accept that she was experiencing serious anxiety and needed to return home to receive help. Sariah expresses her journey towards healing and the Saviour's role in it all.  Website: Navigating Religious OCD: https://www.navigatingreligiousocd.com/  Youtube: "My LDS Mission Experience: Returned Early due to Religious OCD" Video: https://youtu.be/uLOZ2cMVr_A Instagram: @navigatingreligiousocd Facebook: Navigating Religious OCD  -----Contact Info----- Whether you're reaching out with similar experiences, questions, or comments, I would love to hear from you! Email: navigatingreligiousocd@gmail.com  -----Contents of this episode-----  00:00-Intro 00:09-Background 01:28-God speaks to me in the night 03:53-Final preparations 04:14-There’s something special about darkness 04:52-Zion is in reach! 05:55-My goal in sharing this message 06:22-My mission call 06:47-Diving in to my story 07:22-By being my happy self, I thought I’d never experience debilitating mental health challenges  07:49-Having a mental illness is like having a broken bone 08:26-Perfectionism fueled by anxiety 09:22-This is what anxiety does 10:04-Expectations vs. reality 10:14-I felt like I was sinning constantly 10:20-I knew I was going to Hell 10:34-I felt like my connection to the Saviour was cut 11:04-My life felt incredibly hopeless 11:21-Turning to anything religious made things worse 11:47- I felt like I HAD to leave 12:03- I felt like I was being cut off from everything I desired 12:07- Reading my patriarchal blessing was the worst 12:24-I felt like I’d ruined my eternity 12:40-What happened when I told my companions my thoughts 14:27-It felt like a hopeless, unfixable problem  14:46-I was praying to die 15:08-How “Popcorn Popping” describes anxiety 16:56-Supporting my physical body with vitamins & minerals 17:25-When I got home I was still in a really dark place 18:59-It was a living mental hell 19:45-How taking vitamins helped 20:02-I did not want to meet with counselors 20:55-Getting connected with a therapist who specializes in scrupulosity 21:10-The anxiety cycle 22:53-I realized how I was fueling the anxiety cycle 23:50-Exposure therapy to break the anxiety cycle 24:54-Exposure therapy with the Book of Mormon 27:33-The Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus 28:16-I accepted the problem was anxiety & Not me 29:20-When I began to notice miracles in my healing 29:50-Trying to find words for what my healing felt like 30:53-Trying to get back out on my mission 33:04-Seeking God’s Will 33:32-“This didn’t come as a surprise to God” 34:57-Perfectionism played a part 36:33-Experiencing hope by hearing other’s similar struggles 38:00-God told me “Sariah-It is finished” 39:25-He called me to the DR but that was not my mission 40:17-Jesus is a God of miracles 40:26-Concluding Testimony in Spanish

    43 min
  9. Introduction to Navigating Religious OCD

    10/06/2025

    Introduction to Navigating Religious OCD

    Religious OCD, also known as Scrupulosity, is commonly misunderstood.  Podcast host, Sariah Harrison, begins to shed light on what Religious OCD can look like by sharing pieces of her personal experience while she was serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The purpose of the podcast is outlined as a space to discuss the journey of navigating religious OCD by sharing experiences, resources, and practical tools.  Website: Navigating Religious OCD https://www.navigatingreligiousocd.com/ YouTube: "Introduction to Navigating Religious OCD" Video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn9W0VB0p40 Email: navigatingreligiousocd@gmail.com Instagram: @navigatingreligiousocd Facebook: Navigating Religious OCD -----Contents of this episode----- 0:00- Intro 0:09- Welcome from Sariah 0:58- Purpose of Episode 1:06- Scrupulosity is Religious OCD 1:53- The Role of Anxiety in Scrupulosity 2:28- What Debilitating Scrupulosity Can Look Like 5:21- Mental Illness: A Disease of the Mind  5:36- Scrupulosity Defined & Explained 6:51- Intentions for Podcast Outlined 8:16- My Goal in Creating this Podcast 9:48- Summary & Conclusion -----Resources----- Johnson, J. C. (2018). Silent souls weeping: Depression- sharing stories, finding hope. Deseret Book.                In this book, Jane Clayson Johnson shares her experience with depression as well as the experiences of other members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Throughout the book, she describes mental illness as a "disease of the mind" (pg. 2, 18-21).  Music: Vlad Gluschenko — Positive Thinking License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

    10 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

Religion has long been a means of supporting connection to God.  But what of times when a religious experience, previously hoped to bring connection and peace, becomes a source of serious anxiety and deep fear? This podcast creates space to discuss the journey of navigating religious OCD by sharing experiences, resources, and practical tools.  

Information

  • Creator
    Sariah Harrison
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Navigating Religious OCD
  • Show Website
    Navigating Religious OCD

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