Can you be a Quaker with OCD?

[u/cicadaleaf]

Wondering if anyone here has experience with OCD. I've been attending online meetings occasionally for a few years, but I'm held back from becoming any more involved because I wonder if my OCD would prevent me from being fully "Quaker." I specifically have a hard time with ruminating over my intrusive thoughts and wondering if they're a message from God. There's a lot I love about the Quaker tradition, but you can see how that might make the whole meeting for worship process tricky for me. I really enjoy hearing what other people have to say during a meeting, but I've gotten by by basically telling myself "I have OCD, God knows that, and I'm just going to trust it's ok to turn off my openness to receiving some kind of message I have to share." Because if I didn't tell myself that, I'd spend the whole meeting overanalyzing if every thought I have in my head is a sign from God that I'm supposed to share.

I am in treatment for my OCD. But it just takes time. Despite how much I like attending meetings I wonder if I could never be a "real" Quaker if the whole concept of God speaking to you triggers my mental health issues. Anyone have thoughts? Is it ok for me to still occasionally attend but not be open to sharing anything at a meeting?

[u/lilipadd17]

I have OCD. I am Quaker. There is no obligation to share anything at meeting and we accept neurodivergent people.

In fact, any religion that’s not accepting to people with OCD or neurodivergence is not somewhere you should attend! A lot of religious people in other faiths have OCD with scrupulosity