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

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

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

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

In this podcast episode, Sariah 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

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

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.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/FzQwb6zENx0

Contact Info
Whether you're reaching out with similar experiences, questions, or comments, I would love to hear from you!
Email: sariah@navigatingreligiousocd.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

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.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/uLOZ2cMVr_A

-----Contact Info-----

Whether you're reaching out with similar experiences, questions, or comments, I would love to hear from you!
Email: sariah@navigatingreligiousocd.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 & English

Music: Vlad Gluschenko — Positive Thinking
License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en