Morality is one of those things we’re all taught to consider as we grow up. Be good. Do the right thing. Treat people well. But for folks who live with Morality OCD (also called “moral scrupulosity”), that normal human desire to be a decent person can turn into a relentless internal surveillance system. Instead of guiding someone toward their values, it traps them in fear, self-criticism, and doubt about whether they’re “good enough” at all.

Individuals with a history of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), unhealthy attachments, or obsessive/ perfectionistic thinking, may find themselves in a specific and often misunderstood subtype of OCD: Relationship OCD, or R-OCD.