Mayim Bialik Speculates Jinger Duggar's 'Compulsive Praying' Might Be a Sign of Religious OCD

Jeopardy! co-host Mayim Bialik sat down with Jinger Vuolo (née Duggar) to discuss the 19 Kids and Counting alum's book in which she opens up on her cult-like upbringing and her battles with anxiety.

On a recent installment of her "Mayim Bialik's Breakdown" podcast, the Big Bang Theory star suggested that Jinger appeared to be describing many symptoms of Religious Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

"I'm not trying to be like 'I have a diagnosis for you,' but there is a thing called Religious Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that is now studied in the literature," Mayim explained in a clip shared by Duggar blogger WithoutACrystalBall. "It's a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder [which is] a full spectrum, meaning like, some people wash their hands all the time or have to check the oven 86 times."

"But for a lot of people who were raised in very specific religious communities, there's like, exactly what you're describing," she pointed out. "I'm just looking at, you know, a list from Center for Anxiety Disorders."

"You know, compulsive praying...which can include restarting the prayer, like if you get it wrong," she added. "And I do this even with prayer. Like if I don't have like a full, like, fluidity to my prayer, I'll be like, 'oh, I gotta start again. This didn't count.'"

"Reading or studying excessively. Right? Questioning your motives," she continued. "Constantly seeking forgiveness. Or believing there are things you have to do to guarantee safety."

Mayim noted that adhering to compulsive behaviors — even religious ones — because of a belief that following the compulsions will guarantee them safety was the definition of OCD.

"What you describe sounds a lot like your brain latched onto something, you know?" she said. "And it became this kind of focus for you."

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As OK! previously reported, Jinger revealed she suffered severe anxiety as a teenager because she was constantly "terrified" she wasn't following God's will.

There were moments that she even worried she would be "killed in a car accident" on the way to her friend's home because she wasn't sure if God wanted her to "stay home and read my Bible instead."

"I'm seeing more of the effects of that in the lives of my friends and people who grew up in that community with me," she shared at the time, referring to others who followed the same religious doctrines as her family. "There are a lot of cult-like tendencies."