My faith is hanging by a thread. I honestly think I’m possessed.

I'm no expert but am sometimes afflicted by intrusive thoughts, sudden impulses, and ocd-like symptoms. Firstly, you've got to get past the anger and bitterness toward God. I know it's hard, but it's making things much worse. Perhaps a change of focus can help.

Aside from going to a therapist and priest, here are things that have helped me:

  • Less intellectually strenuous work, or something meditative and physical, like exercise.
  • Constant, meditative prayer, especially in response to intrusive thoughts. It's important to just let the thought be, and let it be replaced by your prayer. Giving thoughts more attention than this, gives them power to do more harm, so you can think of it as if you're taking its power away in a sense.
  • Focusing on the promises of God, such as "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"
  • Lots of introspection.
  • Lots of confession in prayer. Confess everything, and anything. And then go and confess to a priest when you can.
  • Lots of journaling. Over time this can help you to figure things out on a deeper level.
  • Do you invest a significant amount of mental or emotional energy judging other people? Next time you catch yourself, forgive that person and pray for their forgiveness.
  • Try imagining other people caught in the faults you're afflicted with and ask yourself, and try to see how forgivable they are. Hopefully get used to forgiving them, and forgive yourself in the process.
  • Rinse and repeat as often as needed.
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