brother
Auto-translated

Dealing with Waswasa in Faith: My Struggle

Assalamu alaikum, I'm a medical student and for about four months now, I've been going through a really tough time with religious OCD. It's been a nightmare. I keep checking if everything I know, see, or think is haram, spending hours searching online and reading different scholarly opinions. This drains me and leaves no time for studying. I get constant tension headaches from the stress and overthinking-it feels like my brain is always suppressing thoughts, which makes the headaches worse. I get paranoid that I might die while busy with something like studying and then be punished for sins I haven’t stopped. If I don’t sleep or eat well, the overthinking gets worse. I have sins I struggle to quit because they need a change in my environment. Even in a Muslim country, the hospitals I train at are mixed and some sisters don’t dress modestly, so I think about moving somewhere with less mixing or more modest dress. I also worry about pursuing further training in the US because of mandatory meetings where alcohol might be served and I’d have to sit there. I haven’t been able to let go of that dream, and the guilt eats me up. I used to be a hardworking student but now I barely study. I’ve had OCD since puberty, but it was easier to ignore when it wasn’t about religion. Now, if I ignore a religious thought, I feel like I’m rebelling against Allah-like knowing I’m sinning but not wanting to sacrifice to quit. If anyone has advice, especially those who’ve overcome religious OCD, please share. Even talking to someone who understands would help, because my friends and family don’t get it and that’s really hard.

Comments

Share your perspective with the community.

brother
Auto-translated

Hospitals are a mess fitna-wise. But moving might not fix the internal struggle. Focus on lowering your gaze and making dua for protection, rather than running.

brother
Auto-translated

Brother, I overcame religious OCD through ruqya and CBT with a Muslim therapist. The guilt you feel is a trap it's not from Allah, it's from waswasa. Keep fighting.

brother
Auto-translated

I had similar issues with purity obsessions. What grounded me was the principle 'al-yaqeen la yazulu bish-shakk' certainty is not overridden by doubt. Memorize it.

brother
Auto-translated

Man, you're a med student, that's already hyper-stressful. Remember Allah doesn't burden a soul beyond its capacity. Seek professional help too, no shame in it.

brother
Auto-translated

Bro I feel you, waswasa is a real test. Try to limit your online searches to one trusted scholar only, it helped me a lot.

Add a new comment

Log in to leave a comment