A correspondent writes:
Hi Jimmy, I enjoy listening to your spots on Catholic Answers Live and also
seeing you on The Journey Home on EWTN. I am currently seeking help for an Anxiety Disorder and trying to better my mental health. One symptom of
those with high anxiety is unwanted "scary" thoughts or sudden flashes of
unusual images in your mind. For instance, you may be washing dishes and
cleaning a sharp knife and all of a sudden you get a subconscience thought
out of nowhere that you might stab somebody, or in church you might
desicrate a cross or something. I have no intent on doing these things, but
I’ll get a mental flash. Is this considered sin? Are thoughts of no intent
sinful? Thanks for your time.
Thank you for writing and for your kind words. It sounds as if you may be suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which is a very common anxiety disorder, estimated to affect perhaps one in forty people. Because it is so common, and because the thoughts it generates can be so troubling to people, I am often contacted by people who have this condition, and I’ve read up on it. In persons of faith, OCD tends to cause scrupulosity, being constantly afraid that one is in a state of mortal sin because of the thoughts. However, be assured that the thoughts OCD generates are not sins. We do not have much control over the thoughts that occur to us, and people who have OCD have a quirk in their brain chemistry that makes them more susceptible to such thoughts than others. As you point out, these are not things that you would actually do. They are therefore what psychologists term ego dystonic thoughts, contrary to one’s beliefs and values. As a result, there is not the kind of cooperation of the will needed to make them sinful. In fact, you should not confess these thoughts in the confessional, as focusing on them will tend to reinforce them and exacerbate the condition. You should simply do your best to ignore them. The more you can relax and ignore them, the better you will get. I don’t know if you have yet engaged in a course of treatment for the condition, but I should mention that OCD is very treatable. It appears related to a deficiency of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, and there is a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that effectively increase the amount of serotonin in the brain and bring a great deal of relief to people with this condition. Also, certain nutritional supplements that can increase serotonin levels (e.g., 5-HTP) may help, though these should not be used if one is already on SSRIs without a doctor’s supervision. If you would like to read more about nutritional supplements that might help, I recommend the book Dr. Atkins Vita-Nutrient Solution, by Dr. Robert Atkins in addition to the 5-HTP book already linked. Hope this helps, and God bless you!
