Common Fears & OCD Subtypes
OCD subtypes can help people to find community with others who share similar experiences, and they can assist therapists in designing targeted treatment plans, but they don't tell the whole story. If you can't find your subtype, that doesn't mean you don't have OCD—everyone's experience is unique, and many people's OCD symptoms don't fit neatly into any specific theme.
Religious OCD
Religious or scrupulosity obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an OCD subtype characterized by ongoing intrusive thoughts, images or urges, as well as compulsive behaviors or mental actions around violating a religious, moral or ethical belief. People with religious or scrupulosity OCD experience frequent worry and guilt about violating a religious or ethical code and what it means about them as a person (e.g., “Did I allow myself to have an “impure” thought in church? Does it mean that I’m a sinner and must repent?”). The guilt and anxiety drive these people to engage in various compulsions aimed to alleviate their distress (e.g., confessing to a religious figure).
Islamic OCD involves fears about not being a perfect Muslim, or offending or speaking blasphemy against Muslim one's faith.
Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD
A person who struggles with “Just Right” (Perfectionism) OCD or Scrupulosity OCD may experience a persistent fear of spending money.
By Melanie Dideriksen, LPC, CAADC
Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD
As an OCD therapist, a Christian, and as a person who struggles with OCD myself, I know how difficult it can be to seek treatment.
I’ve helped many people who think that their fears are unspeakable. But when they open up about a fear of demons, they're not alone.
If you worry about being punished for intrusive thoughts, you’re not alone. Here's how you can get better while nurturing your faith.
As a therapist, I’ve helped patients cope with intense religious anxiety many times—but I’ve also grappled with it myself.
It took years for me to find freedom from my obsessive prayer, but it was possible. Even better—overcoming it strengthened my faith.
By Melanie Dideriksen, LPC, CAADC
Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD
Obsessing over punishment and religious expectations is common for those experiencing a fear of going to hell in OCD.
Discover how Scrupulosity OCD or False Memory OCD can cause worry about committing sins you can't remember, and ways to overcome these fears.
OCD focused on fear of being a bad person involves recurrent, persistent, unwanted and intrusive thoughts or images about being a bad person.