This is a common form of OCD. It is called "scrupolosity."

For me, I have a constant need to confess and be honest. It just kills me if I do not tell the truth (although I know I do lie once in a while). The best advice I can give you is to do a mental checklist whenever you feel the need to confess. Ask yourself if this is something worth confessing and if the average person would feel the need to confess.

I hope this helps.

Yep, this is one of my biggest problems. I'm Catholic and though partaking in Penance is necessary for us, my priest finally had to counsel that I was being scrupulous. Also, with intrusive thoughts, I would confess these over and over to my husband for hours at a time, deathly afraid that I was doing something wrong. This happened during the 9 months I was off my Zoloft during my second pregnancy. It threw me into a huge depression. My Zoloft has taken care of that symptom.

Used to have it much worse than I do now. My confessor was my Mom, who, unknown to me, also had OCD. She'd get really upset with me, but I'd go back and confess again anyhow. I just couldn't help it and I thought I'd be punished by God or go to hell if I didn't tell the truth. Now, I can tell lies if they are to everyone's advantage. I'm not sure how that sounds. But it's true. I did kind of leave that one behind. So there's hope.

Oh, God! I do this!! I feel I have to explain why I have decided something, why I did something, etc. just to make sure no body gets the wrong idea and thinks I am sloppy, bad or not working hard. The sad thing is, just confessing that makes it seem like I am. I guess I have to realize nobody is thinking that way, I think?

OH MAN. My mom and I just talked about it this morning!

When I was younger, it took about two hours for me to get to bed for real, because I would spend those two hours repeatedly calling my mom into my room to confess any little thing wrong that I may have done that day. Could be anything from not having finished my milk when I said I did, not having brushed my teeth when she told me to, or not being friendly enough to a kid at school. Or I'd apologize for stuff I did years ago (that no one but me remembers), like not saying sorry for getting mad at my sister for taking a toy.

Soooo... yeah... we laugh about it now. My mom says that looking back, that should have been a real big red flag that I was a little "tortured," haha.

I don't have that as bad anymore. I always tell my parents everything, but I do wait longer, if it's something that could get me in trouble with them. But I am notoriously bad at keeping my own secrets. Can't do it. Eventually, the guilt will DEVOUR me and I spill it.

Do you think maybe I have a little bit of OCD?

thank you for all of your responses, you have all really helped. i also remember being a kid and confessing the tiniest little things to my mother at night before i went to bed.

I used to do this all the time when I was little...one time I failed a test and I didn't tell my mom about it and it ate away at me for like two years until I told my mom.

Geek, I have just one thing to say. Hehehehehehehehe!

This is definitely one of my symtpoms as well. I constantly feel the need to confess and feel as though I do things that are wrong, when simply they are things that anyone else could have done as well. It is so frustrating! People without OCD do not realize why I do it either. I've been told by people before "stop saying sorry" or "you say sorry too much". I think being raised Catholic has had an effect on this as well. I need to realize that God loves me for who I am. I am not as into the Catholic church as I used to be. I am spiritual, but I think that God loves us for who we are and forgives us and we are here to learn.

Whatever you do, please try to resist the urge to confess your intrusive thoughts. I did that & it spirald out of control to the point that I was hospitalized twice for a nervous breakdown, had to have E.C.T., & had to attend group therapy. The people whom I confessed to are my boyfriend & my family & my thoughts hurt them. You should contact a doctor/therapist if you haven't already. You can send me a message anytime. I understend exactly what you're going through.

yes you all have it too thank god im not alone. i feel guilty for everthing.when i was little my parents and gr parents used to blame me for stuff breaking all the time. and things going wrong. but i just say im sorry too darn much for nothing all the time. help.....

i CONSTANTLY say I'm sorry. my old therapist used to make me war a rubber band around my wrist and snap myself every time i apologized. yeah that didn't work, and i just looked like a moron with welts on my wrists all day!

i have a SERIOUS problem with this ... here is what happens:
i think thoughts that i believe are "bad" or inappropriate (regarding my fiance) and then i feel extremely anxious and guilty about it until i confess them to him. try as i might to forget about them, i often just can't do it and i feel completely awful and cry randomly until i can get it off my chest. i might try for days until i finally give into myself and confess out of desperation to feel okay again. these thoughts are usually things that most people think at one time or another and simply dismiss ... normal people don't dwell on these thoughts. these things aren't important to me, and i would certainly NEVER act on any of them. i have no desire to be with anyone other than my fiance. but when things pop into my head that is not something i can control or prevent, it's like they get tangled in a web instead of just passing through freely.

here are some examples of things that go through my head (thoughts i have in regard to my fiance):

*thinking someone else is more attractive than him*

*thinking that his friend is really cute and has a great personality, and would be someone i could potentially love if it were pursued ... and who knows? possibly be as happy as i am now? happier? how could i know?*

*thinking of someone else during kissing or sex or even hugging*

*having comparative thoughts or feelings ... wishing my fiance had a certain quality that i have seen in another guy*

now just to clarify, i am so happy with my fiance and i have no desire to act on these thoughts. i absolutely HATE the fact that i even think them in the first place. i feel like i am a terrible person. i wouldn't rather be with anyone in the world. you couldn't pay me any amount of money to leave him for someone else. also, i have had this same problem with my last 2 significant others.

i believe it was caused by the first guy, who reacted VERY badly and made me cry every day for a year because i cheated on him. it was a terrible mistake and he was the one who put me in that situation in the first place ... and i have never cheated on anyone since (it's been 5 years) ... but my last 2 serious relationships (including the one w/my current fiance) both people have been very patient and understanding and accepting ... telling me that i don't need to tell them things like this and that i'm normal ... but i can't let it go. i try SOOOO hard. :-(

I do the same thing as geek40. I am always having to explain my decisions and such. "I feel I have to explain why I have decided something, why I did something, etc. just to make sure no body gets the wrong idea and thinks I am sloppy, bad or not working hard." Direct quote from geek40's reply. Hope you don't mind I used it. It drives my husband crazy when I do it. He is always telling me that I don't have to do that..But he doesnt realize I will always do that.