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iS THIS ALSO OCD

I have this thought that i have to pray a certain way the perfect way or somethign bad will happen i must give up this or that or something bad will happen , then im scared to ignore it that if i ignore itr something bad will happen to me
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366811 tn?1217422672
I'd be happy to engage you in whatever spiritual and religious exchange you wish -just send me a Private Message and we'll get started.

You DO say your "sin has led you here," so it would be interesting and perhaps beneficial to know if you refer to a particular sin, or just our sinful nature as human beings. I'm not sure what Islam preaches, but in the Christian world there are many -a great many- who have the mistaken belief that God wants them to become "sinless" and so these poor souls are tormented in their attempts to "do no wrong." The mere fact that anyone would even keep a scorecard of this kind is evidence of the sin of vanity -imagining that we can be like God. Sadly, people end up trying to earn their salvation by building up a list of things they DIDN'T do. If Jesus and and Muhammed are taken as the examples, however, it becomes clear that these individuals were all about ACTION -to the extent, even, of arousing the hatred, fear and censure of the big shots of their day.

This lesson is expressed in an old joke which probably still circulates among the stduent bodies of theology schools everywhere. It goes like this. The old priest and his assistant -a new theology student- were practicing the Mass one day in preparation for the Sunday service next morning. As the old priest was showing his student all the right procedures at the altar, the student heard a noise in the empty church behind him and looked around. He was astounded to see Jesus HIMSELF standing in the aisle, watching the instruction, and slowly walking forward to the sanctuary.

"Father!" the student hissed - "Jesus himself is here in the church!"

"Of course he is, my son," said the old priest. He is present to us whenever we call his holy name, and no more so that at the Holy Eucharist..."

"No, Father, I mean he is actually, physically present! I just SAW him, coming down the aisle!"

"Aw, my son, I sense that you are indeed called to the priesthood and such a vision is surely a sign of your purity and good will..."

"Father!" said the young student, now more urgently. "You still don't understand. Our Lord Jesus is really, really, actually, physically here in our church! He's walking slowly down the aisle, watching us! I beg you Father, in the name of all that is HOLY, turn around and see for yourself!"

"My son, if it will put you at ease, I shall do as you say," said the old priest, who slowly turned to look at the empty pews behind him. With alarm, he suddenly turned back to the alter. He gasped, "My son, you are correct, He is truly here, just as you have said!"

"What do we DO, Father?" the young student asked in a nervous whisper.

The old priest was silent, staring at the altar in front of him and pondering the question. Finally, he leaned over and whispered in the student's ear.

"Look BUSY!"

The moral of the story?

Its all about what you do.
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Avatar universal
Its just that you two went silent after thta lol i assumed maybe you never know...
Yes JS you are right what is in the heart we refer to in arabic is ''niya'' which is intention if our intentions are not pure our lord does not want rituals our five time prayer could be just movements if our intentions are not pure. yes you are right alot of things are our own doings...i mean my sin has led me here today..and in some way js i believe i deserve it...anyways its really refreshing to speak to a religious christian . i like it alot when ppl talk in such a manner this new times these secular society dont understand JS would it be possible to speak in some other forum or chat i would like very much to have a friendship with a wise religious person and no its no lesson i enjoy this alot..i love interfaith dialogues and understanding. After all the lord belongs to us all he is my lord as he is yours,
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480448 tn?1426948538
What would EVER give you the idea that I have a problem with your religion?
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366811 tn?1217422672
Change your nic-name by asking MH to change it -use the "Contact Us" link at page bottom. Just click the link and tell them what you want.

I happen to be a Christian and as you know, Christianity and Islam together are the largest population of religious people in the Western Hemisphere and I have no "problem" with ANY religion. Near as I can tell, there are more similarities than differences among the major faiths and each has something to offer the other. I don't think of myself as being religious any more than a fish thinks about swimming -for me, it is simply my "element," the way I move around in the world.

You are right -you do your "best," and that's all you can do. I personally doubt that the Almighty gives us "tests," of any kind; rather, we exist in a world which is largely of our OWN creation and therefore carries with it many challenges, issues and problems we would NOT have if we had behaved ourselves better from the beginning. Rather, the challenges we face are more in the nature of ways for us to learn more about ourselves and how the world works, and ways for us to learn more about creation and our Creator. To the extent we understand any of it, we become better people. In any case, the fact that you are of Muslim faith doesn't change what I was saying about prayer. Just as orthodox Muslims have 5 Salaat times each day, so do devout orthodox religious Christians observe at least six prayer times (Lauds, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline). Each faith includes various manners of expression and movements. And BOTH religions tell you that what is important is WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART. Paul of Tarsus tried to explain this by pointing out the difference between "faith" and "works." His point was that faith will lead to good works, but that doing good works alone was no evidence of faith nor any assurance of a place in heaven. I'm not sure what the Islamic equivalent to this is, but you probably can point to some Holy Writ which basically says that your actions will be guided by what is in your heart, and that mere performance of ritual -by itself- means NOTHING.

I'm not trying to preach to anyone here, but let me point to something in non-religious human behavior that basically sends the same message. A man and his wife were close friends of mine. The wife left the man and filed for a divorce. When he asked her why, she told him that she was tired of his bad behavior. He had promised to stop smoking, stop getting drunk, stop embarrassing her in public and a number of other things that indicated to her that he wasn't showing her respect. The man then stopped smoking, cut down his drinking, was more respectful in public and he made other changes to please her. But she did not take him back. When he asked why not, she said that he was merely producing behavior to make her change her mind -his HEART had not changed. He went through all the motions, jumped through all the hoops -but that was NOT enough. He was really trying to manipulate her. It is the same with our religious devotion: if it is from the heart, pure and clean -then it is pleasing to God. And that is why we HAVE ritual -to help us pay attention to what is in our hearts.

It sounds to me like your heart IS in the right place; so feel God's love of you for this and, together with whatever burdens your soul may bear, accept the empowerment our Lord also gives us -and live your life fully and well in His servive, in which there is perfect freedom.

Here endeth the lesson.
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Avatar universal
I hope you dont find my religion a problem cuz that would be a shame....????
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Avatar universal
i didnt even think i will be able to register so i was frustrated and depressed thats the first thing that came so i wasnt thinking let me get a good nick lol...i dont know how to change:P...im stuck....JS you seem like a religious person... i take great comfort in others who in this secular society are religious be it muslims christians and jews. I rely wholey on my lord without him i am nothing and this is indeed a big test for me to see how i come through so i shall try and do my best cant do better than that..and JS no im not christian im  a muslim...jesus is my beloved prophet ...you know him by other ways but the point is we have alot in common which i believe we shall work on rather than the differences. But js all i can say if i never had my religion i would have gone psycho a long time ago ..just the thought of the almighty comforts me...he will burden my soul with only as much as my soul can take....but you know then i am human i get scared and overwhelmed with my problems some time...
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480448 tn?1426948538
There, I typed it AND misspelled it...it just gives me a bad joo-joo, mojo, whatever you want to call it.

;0)
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480448 tn?1426948538
I agree wholeheartedly.  That's why I always type "SC" when addressing you...as I won't type your nickname out....it is self-degrading....and far from accurate.

I like JS's suggestion...but you can pick anything...something that tells who you are...and a "stupic cow" (there, I typed it, ick)..is NOT it.

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366811 tn?1217422672
And another thing. You positively MUST get a different nicname. I don't know where this "stuipd cow" thing got started, but it speaks neither nicely nor accurately about you. I would much rather think of you by some other name which speaks to your concerns as opposed to characterizing your intelligence. Maybe we could have a contest to give you a new name. How about mom2be_thebest? But you get my point. If we're going to get a grip on what's going on, let's start with your nicname. I don't think you are stupid and I doubt that anyone else does, either.

If you ask 'em real pretty, Medhelp will change your nicname for you -or run it by cj29 or greenlydia.
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366811 tn?1217422672
Actually, that prayer thing has some history to it. There are certain ascetic orders of  monks who are completely devoted to praying as much as possible, and these guys are all about the numbers -and I'm talking BIG numbers. What they do is apply math to a prayer, by saying something like, "Lord, take this prayer times 1000." They now have 1000 prayers "out there." Then they say, "You know that last 1000 prayers, Lord?" Well, multiply THAT times 1 million, then take THAT times 1 million million and then take THAT time a billion and then ... you get the idea. And that's how they worship -no kidding.

Actually, in the case of most Christians, the Lord himself taught us how to pray: I refer to the "Lord's Prayer." Jesus was asked, literally, "OK, so how DO we pray?" and he came up with the "Our Father," the prayer universally shared throughout Christendom.

But the prayer, of course, was not offered as a way to ward off "something bad," but rather as the most compact and simple expression of faith beyond the 2 great commandments and the one whose tradition would be rooted in the fellowship of believers in Christ -as opposed to the 1000's of years of Jewish faith, law and tradition. I'm not setting up a tent and arranging folding chairs here, I'm simply saying that if what you really, really, wanted was the right way to pray -and assuming you are of Christian faith and heritage, then there's nothing like getting your info from the one whom Christians believe is God -Christ, Himself.

I say all this to let you know that I "get it," about the serious business of faith and a connection with the Almighty. Its a big deal -the biggest deal for many. In your case, though, you are edgy about saying the wrong thing to someone who could really make you pay, and that suggests to me that if you go back far enough, you'll find some early experiences that gave you such a concern. Is it OCD? I dunno, call it NFL if you like, but whatever you call it, it is something which you worry about a lot. And thus, anything uttered repeatedly and according to a specific formula is more in the nature of magic than prayer. And I would counsel you, therefore, to get in front of a psychiatrist or other counselor who can help you discover why you are focused on this -and what to do about it.

Please keep us in the loop on your thoughts and progress. So far, the worst that has happened is that you've run into a group of people here who care about you and want to help. Sounds like the answer to a prayer, to me. What do YOU think?
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480448 tn?1426948538
You are in my thoughts...and yes, it would be wonderful if you could come back and be a testament to how treatment does and can work!
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Avatar universal
Yes you are right i need to manke this condition manageable if not cured, it is a test from my lord and he will get me through...please pray for me that i get a good therapist it makes a world of difference.....yes defo i will keep you guys updated i wanna be able to help other ppl in the same boat as myself if i could only help one person that would be great
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480448 tn?1426948538
Cure?  Maybe not...but treatment that will allow you to live virtually a normal life?  Definitely!  Just like a diabetic...there may not be a CURE for their disease..but they still check their blood sugar and take their insulin...to MANAGE the conditiion and minimize any effects.

PLEASE be patient when you are looking for a therapist...it can be hard.  But, once you find someone you truly "mesh" with....you will be well on the road to wellness.  YOU deserve that, and do not have to suffer like you are.

Give it a fair chance, okay?  And stick with it!  These behaviors and ways of thinking do not appear overnight....so they certainly do not get "fixed" overnight either.  You're in it for the long haul...and I think you will be amazed at how your life will change.

Keep us updated when you go to the therapist, ok?  Let us know how it goes.....best of luck to you.
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Avatar universal
yes i have been to see a therapist before , gotta be honest she wasnt very helpful i have made another appointment well im trying to locate the doc when i do :)...and im gonna tell him to refer me to a good therapist soon as possible you are right guys i am sick and tired i want out but not in the way of medication i refuse to do that, but honestly guys i thjink there is no real cure for ocd its something ytou have to live with opr so i thought until one of you  guys tell me other wise and yes i have ocd the therapist told me. I have been thrrough every single ocd type you can think of the list is endless when i was 13 it initially started with washing and bathing then i got over that then another then another...but this hiv one is too scary i refused to be consumed by my fears on this mattern i am gonna seek help thank yuo guys for your inputs
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Avatar universal
No problamo at all. Just going on my own behaviours I guess. I wash a lot and change clothes a lot. More times than the average person. For reasons I won't go into. But I do know a lot of others who do none of what I do that have OCD. In fact they wouldn't do anything noticable in my eyes anyway, yet they are diagnosed with the condition. But I just didn't think, after reading the original post, that I should state beyond doubt that the writer had OCD. From such a short post and all of that.
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480448 tn?1426948538
Hey there!  Just an FYI...OCD doesn't HAVE to mean repetitive behaviors like you described...there are a whole lot of other characteristics that go into a professional diagnosis of OCD.

Just wanted to mention that...because what you brought up is a common misconception about OCD.

Also, SC...I wanted to mention to you...that it doesn't matter in the end WHAT the diagnosis is...what matters is these phobias and thoughts are completely consuming you and affecting your life in a big way...and with all the treatments available, it simply doesn't have to be that way.
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480448 tn?1426948538
Another suggestion to you...is why don't you try to post a question in the mental health expert forum?  I'm pretty positive the doc will tell you the same thing *I* just did...but maybe that will be the encouragement and reassurance you need that getting help is truly the way to go for you?

I know there is a small fee involved ($15, I believe?)...so keep that in mind.

Just a thought.
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Avatar universal
OCD, to me, is a routine thing people do, that others wouldn't do. So praying in a ceratin way, if you fear the worst, should you not pray in that certain way, to me would / could be deemed to be OCD. But OCD sufferers do things over and over and over as well. Like washing hands 20 times in 10 minutes. Or changing clothes 100 times a day. To them they must do this routine. But you might only pray once a day. Nothing odd in that at all. Most people do. Only you can answer that one for us. Have you got a routine for what you do? Pray more than once a day? You could simple just be a normal person with their own special way of praying. So don't for one minute fear the worst and assume anything about your way of praying.
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480448 tn?1426948538
In all honesty, what you describe....with this, and with the other issues you have (the urine and HIV phobias)...it sure sounds like OCD, but only a professional can actually diagnose you.  Have you ever seen a psychiatrist to BE diagnosed and treated?

I really think you need to.  You have a new baby coming...and a family that needs you to be the best you can be, right?  You do NOT have to live like this...with this severe anxiety and intrusive thoughts.

I sincerely hope you will seek help, and SOON.  I don't know if you're frightened, and that's why you haven't done it yet...but there is only so much we can help you work through.  You need to be under the care of a professional.

What does your husband think and say about your thoughts/behaviors?  Are you confiding in him at how bad it has been for you....at least about the non-HIV issues?  I hope so...because you do not have to suffer in silence.

Best wishes to you...keep us informed, okay?  Hang in there.
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