In other words, religious people are nuts, but then we already knew that! TGO
Refer to brief story below. Source: Associated Press
LOGAN, Utah (AP) — A Utah State University psychology professor is studying a treatment for a disorder that causes an obsession with morality and religion.
Michael Twohig, an assistant psychology professor, is focusing the study on people who are obsessed with strictly adhering to a religious or moral code in a way that is debilitating.
The underlying faith does not play a role, Twohig said. Some of the people who suffer from the disorder, called scrupulosity, don’t even attend church regularly.
People who suffer from the problem pray for hours or confess sins they only imagine they committed out of a desire to exactly follow their religion.
The treatment being studied at USU involves medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy. The goal is to teach patients how to live within their religious and moral code without worrying about every thought.
The study began in April and is ongoing. Treatment last 10 weeks. So far, two people have been successfully treated.
Researchers do not try to change the morals or religious values of a patient, Twohig said.
“What we try to do with people is help them see that trying to regulate these thoughts is part of what makes them so out of control and so disturbing,” Twohig said.
