How My Schizoaffective Disorder Displays The Glory Of God

 :"As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' Jesus answered, 'It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him" -John 9:1-3 

It may seem strange for someone to say that his mental illness displays the glory of God. After all, how could something so deformed and ugly possibly bring God glory? Well, if we believe what the Apostle Paul says in Colossians 1:16 that "...all things were created by Him and for Him" then that would include mental illness. As we see in John 9 that the man born blind was not born blind due to any sin of his own or because of any sin of his parents. He was born blind so that the glory of God could be displayed in him. I imagine that when Jesus first uttered these words, his disciples were probably stunned into silence because blindness is typically seen as something shameful. What a surprise they were in for when they realized what Jesus was saying! In this blog, I will be listing some ways that my Schizoaffective Disorder really does display God's glory. These ways are: 1) It reminds me of His divine providence, 2) It shows that God is a faithful Father, 3) It reminds me of His abundant grace and mercy, and 4) it keeps me dependent on His will. My prayer is that this blog will be edifying to anyone who reads it but also I want to show people a different perspective to view mental illness with. I hope that that purpose is accomplished here. 

Divine Providence
_____________________

My mental illness reminds me that I am literally nothing without Christ and that everything I need comes from Him. Something as simple as my need for psychiatric medication for my treatment shows me that the Lord really does provide. Sometimes I do worry about when I will be able to get my medication but then the Lord always pulls through by making sure I get my medication no matter what. This might seem simple and ordinary but God typically operates in the simple and ordinary. I know that as long as the Lord keep providing for me I will be sustained and I have nothing to worry about. My trust is in Him and Him alone. 

Faithful Father
______________________

My mental illness has shown me that God is my Father and He is faithful to me. This is an important lesson because I know that I typically push people away but I know that I could never push God away. Even when I am unfaithful to Him, He still remains faithful to me. He lovingly guides me through life's trials and tribulations and when He needs to He lovingly disciplines me too. He demonstrates that He cares for me especially in my darkest moments when all I want to do is rage at him by being patient with me. 

Grace & Mercy
_____________________

This is one of the most beautiful truths I have come to learn about the Lord. His grace and mercy covers all my iniquities. I typically stumble into sin every single moment of every single day. As a matter of fact, I can identify with Paul when he says that the good he wants to do he does not do but the evil he does not want to do he does do in Romans chapter 7. However, the simple truth is that no matter what I say or do, whether I am on psychosis or not, it is all covered by the blood of Christ. It is because of this amazing truth that I am saved and I can never lose my salvation no matter what. God sees me as though I've never sinned because of what Jesus did on my behalf. 

Dependence on His will
____________________________

My mental illness helps me to realize that His will is perfect and that I need to constantly submit to His will over my life. It does not matter how I am feeling or what I am thinking. As a matter of fact, my Schizoaffective Disorder shows me that even on my best days I cannot trust my own thoughts, or feelings because they can be distorted. So, I must trust in God's will because His thoughts and ways are much higher than my thoughts and ways. My favorite verse in the Old Testament is Proverbs 3:5-6 which says, 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths." 

Whenever I am tempted to doubt or just trust in my own reasoning, I remind myself of this simple Bible verse and the truth that this verse is telling us. 

Conclusion
___________________

I sincerely hope that after reading this that you will not see mental illness in a more positive light because mental illness does not necessarily have to be something negative. As I have shown, mental illness can and does show the glory of God. Thank you for reading this blog. 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

For 24 hour peer support, please call the Christ-Centered Mental Health ministry line at 567-343-3727 or email me at christmentalhealth@gmail.com Lydia Sarchet: mrssccmh@gmail.com Britton Garleb: britaingabriel@protonmail.com Joe Roman: Twiztedmembrain@gmail.com Scott AKA Johnny Kangaroo: scottsoconmhs@outlook.com Dwayne McLeod: psyconatics@gmail.com Veronica Talbot: vtalbot747@gmail.com Amber Williams: shayneedm18@gmail.com Chuck Ward: wcw50@aol.com Sarah Olivia: sarahjesseolivia@gmail.com Amber Marie: amarie0193@gmail.com Zachary Uram: Netrek@gmail.com Joseph McDermott: jpmlovesjesus@live.com 

Roselyn Morgan (Christ-Centered Mental Health Christian Counselor): RoselynMorgan53@yahoo.com

Support the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry For A One Time Donation To The Ministry

Mental Illness & Lust

 "but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" -Matthew 5:28 


Now, before I get started on this blog, I must say that I fully understand how this topic is pretty controversial in today's society. I also understand how my view about mental illness causing one to sin is controversial as well. However, I do believe that mental illness often can and does cause people to sin. This does not mean that sin is excusable by any means. All sin is heinous before the Holy God and there is no excuse for it. I have said many times that mental illness does not excuse sin but it does provide the context for sin. As for the topic of lust, I do not know any man who does not struggle with the sin of lust. I do not know just how badly women struggle with lust obviously because I am not a woman, but I am pretty sure that the struggle with lust is universal. Men may struggle with lust more so than women because men are more visual but this does not negate the fact that women struggle too. Why is it that we struggle with lust? Besides the obvious answer of The Fall, I think we struggle with lust because of loneliness. I believe the inside the core of every human being is an innate desire for relationship and companionship. This should be basic because it goes all the way back to Genesis 2:18 when it says, 

"Then the Lord God said, 'it is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him'." 

It was at this point that God created Eve to be Adam's helper. What this text indicates is that man was never meant to be alone. We desire and crave to be apart of a community of people who understands us. We also crave and desire to be with someone in a romantic relationship who truly understands us as well. If you do not believe me, just look at the slew of romantic-comedies that out there that are all about the main character being alone and misunderstood and just wanting to find someone who understands them intimately. I believe the reason these movies are so popular is because it reveals a deeper desire inside all of us. The desire to know and be known by someone is a good and godly desire. However, the devil in the business of distorting anything that is good and godly. Lust is a distortion of the good and godly desire to be fully known by someone. People who struggle with lust are people who all they really want is a relationship. While this is true, I believe that mental illness does exacerbates the lust we feel. For instance, I know that when my mental illness is unstable I do struggle with lust even more. My specific lust comes out in a couple of different ways: 1) Sexual Fantasies and  2) Bisexual Attractions. I do believe that at the root of all lust is idolatry and that whenever I succumb to these lustful behaviors I am becoming an idolater. In this blog, I will expound on these two points and I will discuss what helps me overcome lust. 

Sexual Fantasies 

 I would like to say that I am thankful to the Lord that I have never looked at any "hardcore porn". I believe that the Lord in His graciousness has prevented me from looking at that kind of pornographic material. However, I have succumbed to looking at "twerking" videos on YouTube. If you are not familiar with "twerking" then consider yourself blessed. In the past, I have also succumbed to looking at what is deemed "humiliation porn" too. Again, if you are not aware of that then consider yourself blessed. I no longer look at "humiliation" porn but sometimes I do struggle with avoiding "twerking" videos though. 

Bisexual Attractions 

I am also thankful to the Lord that I have never been in an actual homosexual relationship and I believe that the Lord has protected me from that too. However, at one time I did struggle with being attracted to both men and women. I even also at one time was led to question whether or not I was a transgender too. Thankfully, on most days I no longer struggle with these attractions. 

Like I said earlier, my mental illness caused these symptoms to be exacerbated. These symptoms were evil through and through and they tormented me for many many years too. However, these days they are not much of a problem anyways. In this next section I will discuss what helped me overcome lust. The four things that helped me was: 1) Marriage, 2) Being Grounded In God's Word, 3) Fellowship, and 4) Corporate Worship. All four of these things has really helped me overcome the lust that I battled for most of my life. I explain how in this next section: 

Marriage 

Now, I am not saying that one should marry solely to overcome lust. If anyone does this then they have missed the entire purpose of the marriage covenant. However, there is wisdom in the Apostle Paul's Iwords in 1 Corinthians 7:9 when he says, 

"But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion" 

Basically, what he is saying here is that if you absolutely cannot control your lust then it is better for you to marry that way you do not end up sinning against the Lord. Marriage provides the outlet for our sexual passions. In my life, I know that when I am feeling especially in the mood I can let my wife know and she will accommodate me and the same works vice versa. However, you must be respectful to your spouse's boundaries though. It is never right to force yourself onto your spouse if they are not feeling up to it. Basically, you must know and understand your spouse and their needs, wants, and desires. 

Being Grounded In God's Word

This really helps me because when I am feeling like my passion is overwhelming I find that after five or ten minutes in the Word the passion dissipates. I am not saying that you should be reading the Word of God only when you are battling temptation. We should be in the Word daily regardless of how we are feeling. However, I cannot deny that there is something about the Word of God that casts all temptation I am facing out. 

Fellowship

Like I have already established earlier in this blog, we were not created to be alone. If it is true that lust comes from a place of loneliness then that means fellowship with other brothers and sisters in the faith is vital. It really helps to have at least one or two serious accountability partners whom you talk to on a weekly basis who are not afraid to "hold your feet to the fire" per say. When we know that certain people whom we trust will be holding us accountable then we will think twice about falling into the trap of lust. As Proverbs 27:17 says, 

"As iron sharpens iron,
    so one person sharpens another" 

Corporate Worship 

I cannot stress just how important it is to gather weekly with the other saints of God in order to worship our Lord. The thing about lust is that it keeps us focused in on ourselves and our desires but when we are gathered together for worship every week, we are then focused on Him. This makes all the difference because as long as our minds are centered on Jesus Christ then we will not be thinking about ourselves. This is what the Gospel message does: it takes the focus off of ourselves and instead places that focus on Christ. As long as we are focused on Christ, we will not fall into the temptation to lust. As the Apostle Paul says in Galatians 5:16, 

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh" 

Does this mean that if we do all of this we will never fall into lust? Absolutely not! As long as we continue to live on this earth we will always struggle with sin. However, whenever we do fall into lust, it is vitally important for us to not then fall into despair. I find myself constantly reminding myself of Romans 8:1 which says, 

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" 

Another Scripture that helps me is 1 John 2:1 which says, 

"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" 

Jesus is constantly interceding to the Father on our behalf and as our great High Priest He is able to sympathize with us because He was tempted in every way we are, except He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). This means that Jesus can sympathize with our frailty. This is good news for those of us who struggle with lust or any kind of sin. So, be encouraged and whenever you fall just give it all to Jesus because He cares for us. 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate And Apologist


 For 24 hour peer support, please call the Christ-Centered Mental Health ministry line at 567-343-3727 or email me at christcenteredmentalhealth@gmail.com

Lydia Sarchet: mrssccmh@gmail.com
Britton Garleb: britaingabriel@protonmail.com
Joe Roman: Twiztedmembrain@gmail.com
Scott AKA Johnny Kangaroo: scottsoconmhs@outlook.com
Dwayne McLeod: psyconatics@gmail.com
Veronica Talbot: vtalbot747@gmail.com
Amber Williams: shayneedm18@gmail.com
Chuck Ward: wcw50@aol.com
Sarah Olivia: sarahjesseolivia@gmail.com
Amber Marie: amarie0193@gmail.com
Zachary Uram: Netrek@gmail.com
 Joseph McDermott: jpmlovesjesus@live.com

Support The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry

To Make A One Time Donation




  

A Biblical Case For Therapy

As some of you may know, I have been attending therapy services for many years. I have gotten a lot out seeing many different therapists from many different backgrounds and I have grown a lot because of my therapy sessions. I am an avid supporter of therapy because I see the many benefits to therapy. However, I do admit that on occasion I do have to reject some therapeutic lessons that I am taught because they run contrary to the Bible. For example, things such as mindfulness exercises and deep breathing exercises have more in common with transcendental meditation than they do the Bible. However, there are certain therapies that are in line with the Bible. It is always amazing when I learn about a therapy that is in line with the Bible. For example. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which teaches that your thoughts precede your emotions and that in order to get a better handle on your emotions you must get control over your thoughts, are taught straight from the Apostle Paul himself. In Philippians 4:8-9 he says, 

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true. whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received heard and seen in me---practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you" (emphasis mine)

In this text, we clearly see that the Apostle Paul knows that the secret to experiencing peace is by gaining control over one's thoughts. We are commanded to intentionally think about things of God. We need to have a proper understanding of who God is in His holiness and majesty, but also in His mercy and grace. Then, we must also have a proper understanding of who we are in relation to Him. We are to think about ourselves as sinners who deserve His condemnation, but also as a holy people who are redeemed by His blood shed on the cross and as a royal nation too. In Luke 10:27 Jesus commands us by saying,

"You shall love the  Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and and your neighbor as yourself" (emphasis mine) 

In this text, we see that the Lord commands us to love our God with our entire mind. When you love someone, your thoughts revolved around that person. For example, I love my wife and my love for causes me to always think about how my actions or words will effect her. Does this mean that I always act in ways that demonstrate I love her? She would tell you herself that is an absolute no. However, because I love her, she is always on my mind. I cannot think of a time when my mind is not thinking of her. Sure, there maybe moments where I do temporarily think of other things, but my mind will always circle back to her. I believe that when we love the Lord the way we are supposed to, our minds should always be on Him. Now, we do not ever love God the way that we are supposed to. I think the Heidelberg Catechism puts it perfectly on Lord's Day 2 when it answers whether we keep the law perfectly. It reads, 

"No, for I am prone by nature to hate God and my neighbor" 

So if we by  nature hate God and then hate our neighbor, how can we ever fulfill the command of Jesus to love God and also to fulfill the command from the Apostle Paul to think on the things of God? I believe Paul answers this in Philippians 2:13 when he says, 

"For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" 

See? We cannot fulfill any of the commandments on our own strength. We must be utterly dependent on Him to even be able to love Him the way we should. In the next section, I shall talk about how my mental illness makes this especially difficult for me. 

How Mental Illness Causes Difficulties

My Schizoaffective Disorder causes me to have a lot of difficulty loving God and my neighbor and to even think on the things of God. For example, I have a really dark imagination and my thoughts consistently think of things that can be considered almost blasphemous. No matter how hard I try to keep my thought process under control, I always fail. Also, not only do I consistently think thoughts that are blasphemous towards God, but I also think hateful thoughts about my neighbors as well. It is a real struggle for me to get my thoughts under control. This is why the command from Paul and the command from Jesus are especially hard for me to read because I know myself really well. When I take my medication and they are working well, my thought process is more easily able to be managed, but even then at times it is difficult. It is during these times where I am feeling especially guilty for my thoughts and sometimes my actions, that two promises from the  book of Romans comes to my mind. The first promise is Romans 8:1 where Paul says, 

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (emphasis mine)

And also Romans 8:28 where he says, 

"and we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose" (emphasis mine)

In these two texts I take great solace because I know that according to these two texts God is working out all things for my ultimate good (this would include my thoughts) and that no matter what I think or do I am never condemned. Jesus took my punishment that I deserve so that I can live in perfect communion with the Holy Trinity for all eternity and NOTHING will ever separate me from the love of God/ This should be comforting news for anyone who struggles with a clinical mental illness because even if you do not struggle with dark and blasphemous thoughts like I do there are still things in your life that make living for the Lord especially difficult for you. When you are feeling guilt and shame for your struggles remember these two promises found in the book of Romans and know that you are not ever condemned. Jesus died and rose again so we will not have to face death and punishment from God. 

As for therapy, like I said there are many benefits that a believer can experience from therapy but you must use discernment always/ The Apostle John tells us in 1 John 4:1, 

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world" 

Therapy offers a lot of benefits but you must exercise great discernment because if you do not then you will fall for all kinds of New Age practices. I like my therapy sessions because they give me a safe place to express all my frustrations and doubts and even my dark, blasphemous thoughts without being judged. Also, it makes me comfortable knows that all my sessions are confidential too. Also, we know that every good gift comes from God according to James, so if therapy helps someone manage their symptoms better then that would mean that therapy is doing something good and that means it is a gift from God. So, if you are a Christian who is considering seeing a therapist, I would recommend that you do so but go into each session being prepared to use great discernment. Thank you for reading this blog and I hope that it helps you in your decision on whether or not to see a therapist. I also hope you were blessed by reading this too. Soli Deo Gloria! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate And Apologist


 For 24 hour peer support, please call the Christ-Centered Mental Health ministry line at 567-343-3727 or email me at christcenteredmentalhealth@gmail.com

Lydia Sarchet: mrssccmh@gmail.com
Britton Garleb: britaingabriel@protonmail.com
Joe Roman: Twiztedmembrain@gmail.com
Scott AKA Johnny Kangaroo: scottsoconmhs@outlook.com
Dwayne McLeod: psyconatics@gmail.com
Veronica Talbot: vtalbot747@gmail.com
Amber Williams: shayneedm18@gmail.com
Chuck Ward: wcw50@aol.com
Sarah Olivia: sarahjesseolivia@gmail.com
Amber Marie: amarie0193@gmail.com
Zachary Uram: Netrek@gmail.com
 Joseph McDermott: jpmlovesjesus@live.com

Support The Christ-Centered Mental Health

To Make A One Time Donation

How Does God Heal Mental Illness?

 Before I get started on this blog let me first say that I understand that this issue is very controversial and complex. There are some Christians (who are called Continuationists) who believe that the spiritual gifts and miracles are for today. On the other side of the debate are Christians (who are called Cessationists) who believe that the spiritual gifts and miracles have ceased after the Apostolic Age ended with the death of the last Apostle. The side of the debate that I favor is the Cessationist side but I do not think less of my Continuationist brothers and sisters. We all have the same Lord and we all are of the same faith. So, this is a secondary issue not a salvific issue and it should remain that way. We can and should still have fellowship with another because we are all Christians who belong to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has saved us all by His grace alone. However, in this blog I will make absolutely no attempt to hide my bias because in reality there is no such thing as someone who is truly neutral and neither should we pretend to be neutral. The sooner we can all acknowledge that we have biases in all our thinking and reasoning endeavors and that we bring our own biases to the Bible when we interpret Scripture the sooner we will be able to have a rational and civil dialogue. The Scripture I use to support my thesis for Cessationism is Hebrews 1:1-2 which says, 

"God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things through whom He also made the worlds" 

In this text we see that in former times God has spoken to the patriarchs of the faith through many different signs and wonders and miracles. As a matter of fact, I will say that the purpose of a biblical miracle was to authenticate a new message from God. Also, I would like to note that according to this passage God only spoke to and through the prophets. This is an important point to make because many people today claim that they hear God speak to them but they do not meet the biblical qualifications of a Prophet so their testimony is suspect. Now, according to this passage today God speaks to us in His Son. This means that everything in the Old Testament (all the signs, wonders, miracles, laws, etc...) was pointing to Christ and now that Christ has come there is therefore no need for a miracle since there is now no new message being preached. The Biblical Canon is closed. In order to further stress my point, I will cite another biblical text from Hebrews 2:2 which says, 

"...It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will"

This scripture text is even clearer that in times past God revealed His will by "signs and wonders and various miracles" but the operative word here is "bore". Bore is a word that is in the past tense. This means that at the time the writer to the Hebrews was writing this text he was already assuming that the "signs and wonders and various miracles" were in the past! People can try to say that he never said that the miracles and signs he is referring to has ended now but that is mere unwarranted speculation. The text reads as if the things he is referring to has already ceased. There is absolutely no justification to assume that there were miracles and signs during the time that the writer to the Hebrews was writing the letter and to suggest otherwise would be guilty of adding to the text. Now, you may be wondering "well, how does God heal mental illness then?" Well, in order to answer that question I must first make it perfectly clear that I am not saying that God does not interact with His creation. Anyone who suggests that I am saying that He does not interact is merely doing what Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer calls "over-standing". Over-standing is when you do not attempt to understand what someone is saying and instead you impose your own interpretation onto what they are saying. I do believe that God does interact with His creation through ordinary means. The scripture is clear that God upholds and sustains the entire creation. In Colossians 1:17 the scripture says in reference to Christ, 

"And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together" 

We also know that God operates through ordinary means in creation because in the Genesis account it reads like this 

"And God said, 'Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind on earth'. And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good" (1:11-12) 

As we can see in this text, that God spoke and yet the result was the creation operated naturally, or as some might say ordinary. Now that this has been established, I will offer what I believe is God's method of healing mental illness. The ordinary method that God typically heals mental illness is through psychiatric medication. We know that psychiatric medication is the most effective and beneficial means of treatment for mental illness. This would mean that it is a good gift that has been given to men. As James 1:17 says, 

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" 

As you can see that every good gift is from God and psychiatric medication is a good gift. Therefore, psychiatric medication is from God. Psychiatric medication is God's means of helping people with mental illness manage their mental illness symptoms. Does this mean that someone with mental illness will ever be able to not take medication? Absolutely not! Mental illnesses are degenerative brain diseases which means that the longer they go untreated the worse they progress. This is why it is dangerous for anyone with a clinical mental illness to ever go off of psychiatric medications. 

Now is the time for me to talk about the causes of mental illness in order to establish the necessity for psychiatric medication. The main causes of mental illness is: 

1) Chemical Imbalance in the brain 

2) Childhood Trauma 

3) Environmental Factors 

4) Drug Abuse 

I will say that the ultimate cause of mental illness is the Fall of Adam and Eve. When our first parents rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, they brought death and all manner of suffering and sin to this creation. This would include mental illnesses. 

Chemical Imbalance

I know that this has been controversial in recent years but every credible resource I have seen has all concurred that the various mental illnesses are the result of Serotonin levels, Dopamine levels, and Cortisol levels all being either too high or too low. Psychiatric medications work towards restoring balance to the chemicals inside the brain. We also know that certain mental illnesses such as Bipolar, Schizophrenia, and PTSD look significantly different on brain scans when compared to normal or regular brains. 

Childhood Trauma

This one should not be too controversial because I am pretty sure that almost everyone can understand how childhood trauma can lead to mental illness. For instance, a child who is consistently beaten can develop PTSD in later years. Also a child who is neglected can develop Separation Anxiety Disorder in later years too. 

Environmental Factors 

This one is a little more complicated because from what I have seen this has the least amount of research behind it. However, I do believe that it is true that someone growing in certain environments can also develop mental illness as well. For instance, someone growing up in a ghetto environment who witnesses constant murder and bloodshed can also develop 
PTSD as well. 

Drug Abuse 

This actually has quite a bit of evidence supporting this. We know that constant and consistent use of marijuana can lead to illnesses such as Bipolar and Schizophrenia. Drug abuse can also lead to many other mental illnesses too. 

I hope that this blog article helps you better understand mental illness and I hope that even if you disagree with me on anything I have said that you will remain cordial with me because we are still part of the family of God. We need to be united around the Gospel and everything else is a secondary issue. Thank you very much for being willing to read my blog and I hope that God was glorified and you were edified. Soli Deo Gloria! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate And Apologist


 For 24 hour peer support, please call the Christ-Centered Mental Health ministry line at 567-343-3727 or email me at christcenteredmentalhealth@gmail.com

Lydia Sarchet: mrssccmh@gmail.com
Britton Garleb: britaingabriel@protonmail.com
Joe Roman: Twiztedmembrain@gmail.com
Scott AKA Johnny Kangaroo: scottsoconmhs@outlook.com
Dwayne McLeod: psyconatics@gmail.com
Veronica Talbot: vtalbot747@gmail.com
Amber Williams: shayneedm18@gmail.com
Chuck Ward: wcw50@aol.com
Sarah Olivia: sarahjesseolivia@gmail.com
Amber Marie: amarie0193@gmail.com
Zachary Uram: Netrek@gmail.com
 Joseph McDermott: jpmlovesjesus@live.com

Support The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry

To Make A One Time Donation
 

Distinguishing Reality From Fantasy

 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean not your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths" -Proverbs 3:5-6 

As someone who struggles with Schizoaffective Disorder, I find it really difficult to distinguish reality from fantasy. My delusions sometimes cloud my mind and I cannot find the truth. This is common amongst people who struggle with schizophrenia. When I talk to my friends who struggle with this disorder they have told me the same thing. I tend to have delusions and voices that tell me things such as I am God and that people are worshiping me. Sometimes I even hear voices telling me to drive cars off bridges too. All of this has taught me that I cannot trust my ow n thoughts, sensations, and perceptions. If I cannot trust my perceptions and thoughts then how do I distinguish fact from fantasy? I have found that what helps me is being grounded in the word of God. I have found that the Bible defines reality so anything that contradicts the word of God is not real. In this blog, I will talk about how the Bible helps me distinguish fact from fantasy. My mental illness has taught me the value of not "leaning on your own understanding" and instead "trust the Lord with all your heart" because God is all-wise so His judgement of my given situation will always be better than mine. There are four things that help keep me grounded in God's word which in turn helps me remain in reality. These four  things are: 

1) Daily Devotions 

2) Bible Commentaries 

3) Apologetics/Theology 

4) Weekly Worship 

I will explain how these four things bring me back to reality when I start to fall into delusional thinking or when I am hearing voices telling me lies. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list that should be applied to everyone with Schizophrenia. These are just things that have helped me, but everyone's situation is different and therefore there are different solutions for each different individual. 

Daily Devotions

I will admit that I do struggle with doing devotional readings of the Bible every day. However, whenever I do get into the Bible it does always help me to understand what is real. For instance, when I hear the voices telling me that I am God, I always remind myself of Isaiah 45:5 which says, 

"I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me"

This helps to remember that even though the voices are telling something different that I should trust the Bible because God cannot lie. This means that the reality is that I am not God. There is only one God and that is the Triune God of Scripture. Daily Devotions really helps me to remember this fact. 

Bible Commentaries

This is something that I have found to be in handy in just recent years. I used to be against Bible commentaries but these days I find them helpful because there are certain things in the Bible that I find difficult to understand, which then causes me to doubt. However, when I read a Bible commentary, it usually explains hard-to-understand passages in a way that I do understand. Once certain passages are understandable to me, I usually no longer doubt. This is why I really like Study Bibles. I have found Dr. R.C Sproul's The Reformation Study Bible to be particularly helpful to me. I also like Dr. Michael Horton's Systematic Theology textbook too. I will admit that sometimes these do not alleviate all of my doubts however I realize that when it comes to certain truth claims about God that not everything needs to make perfect sense. Sometimes it is ok to admit that certain things are hard to comprehend because of our finite minds but that we still trust the Lord in all matters. I am perfectly content with this position too because I do not need to know everything about everything. 

Apologetics/Theology 

Now, this is something I really love because I am a major apologetics and theology nerd. I have a deep passion for both of these subjects. I love studying the reliability of the New Testament and how the Bible was put together. I love studying presuppositional apologetics and classical apologetics. It is definitely interesting to see how scientific and archeological discoveries are actually confirming the Bible. All this helps me stay in touch with reality because it reveals to me that there are good reasons and evidence to believe in the Bible and Christianity. I am the type of person who does not like to believe something without good reason. So, when I see that there is a mountain of evidence proving Christianity to be true, it just further helps me to realize that The Bible defines what is real because it is the absolute, true, and objective word of the Living God. 

Weekly Worship

Finally, the most important thing that really helps me stay in touch with reality is the weekly worship with other believers. I fully recognize that I should be doing daily worship and that is something I am working on instituting for my family but until then we do weekly worship. Worship really helps me out because it just reminds me in a very tangible way that I am not God. Sometimes my voices intrude my mind so much that I must remove myself from the congregation but in those moments I remind myself of Isaiah 45:5. However, weekly worship really serves the purpose of showing my my own frailty as a human being who is utterly dependent on the Father for everything in my life, even my very own breath that I breathe. It causes me to in awe of the Creator of the universe and it draws me closer to Jesus. I know that without Him I can literally do nothing so I depend on Him for my very sustenance. This knowledge keeps me humble especially when I think of the amazing grace that He lavishes onto me. I know full well my own sin that I commit every day, every moment but His grace that He daily shows me makes me adore Him even more! 

I hope that this blog gives you a better understanding of what helps me stay in touch with reality when I am dealing with delusions and hallucinations that cause me to doubt my own senses, perceptions, and thoughts. I thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope that this blesses someone to the praise and glory of God the Father. Soli Deo Gloria! 

Voice of Truth By Casting Crowns

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate And Apologist


 For 24 hour peer support, please call the Christ-Centered Mental Health ministry line at 567-343-3727 or email me at christcenteredmentalhealth@gmail.com

Lydia Sarchet: mrssccmh@gmail.com
Britton Garleb: britaingabriel@protonmail.com
Joe Roman: Twiztedmembrain@gmail.com
Scott AKA Johnny Kangaroo: scottsoconmhs@outlook.com
Dwayne McLeod: psyconatics@gmail.com
Veronica Talbot: vtalbot747@gmail.com
Amber Williams: shayneedm18@gmail.com
Chuck Ward: wcw50@aol.com
Sarah Olivia: sarahjesseolivia@gmail.com
Amber Marie: amarie0193@gmail.com
Zachary Uram: Netrek@gmail.com
 Joseph McDermott: jpmlovesjesus@live.com

Support The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry

To Make A One Time Donation

Biblical Manhood & Mental Illness

 " Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong" -1 Corinthians 16:13 

This Scripture has increasingly become more unpopular today. These days our culture likes to attempt to blur the lines between what is a man and what is a woman. If you try to tell people that there are clear distinctions between the two genders, and that there indeed is only two genders, you will be met with much open hostility. However, the Bible does make it clear that there are clear defining markers that separate men from women and we must acknowledge these biblical distinctions. When discussing Biblical manhood it is vitally important that we keep in mind that our model for manhood is Jesus Christ. This is important because so many people assume that certain characters we see on TV (like John Wayne or Rambo) are the image of manhood we must emulate. However, often what we see on television and in the culture is a distorted image of what manhood is. Jesus Christ was the perfect model of what a man is. Also, when discussing Biblical manhood in the light of mental illness, the picture of manhood may look a little different than the traditional model. Jesus is still the model for men with mental illness, but because of our illness, being a biblical man may be difficult in some areas. In this blog, I will outline what biblical manhood for a man with mental illness may look like. From the perspective of Scripture, there really is five main characteristics of what is called Biblical Manhood: 1) Leader, 2) Provider, 3) Protector, 4) Servant, and 5) Intercessor. I intend to explain how each of these look in the life of men who struggle with mental illness. I hope that by the type you finish this you will have a deeper understanding of the reality of mental illness in the lives of men all over the world. 

Leader

As Christian men, we are called to be leaders regardless of whether or not we are married. God created Adam first and then He created Eve as Adam's helper. Furthermore, Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:12, "I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet" and in context He grounds this command in creation because he goes on to say that that Adam was formed first and the Eve. Also in 1 Peter 3:7, we read  "Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered". From this we can gather that women are the weaker gender and that means they are more susceptible to falling for false teaching . This is why it is so very important for us men to be grounded in Scripture so that we can guide women towards the truth of the Gospel. I know in today's culture to say that women are weaker than men is very unpopular but it is true and because it is true this means that in a sense women depend on us men to lead them the way Christ would. This is a huge task before us especially for us who struggle with mental illness. I  know that my Schizoaffective Disorder makes it to where I cannot always trust my perceptions and thought processes. This make it difficult for me to focus on God's word and thus it is a real struggle for me to behave in a leadership role. Sometimes I must submit to my wife's better judgement especially when she notices that my symptoms are off before I do, which is often the case. It takes great courage and humility to admit that I am not always the best that I can be and that sometimes a woman has more sense than I do. 

Provider 

I admit that this role has been the most toughest for me to realize. As Christian men who  are called to have authority over women and who are consider the stronger sex, it is our duty to provide for the families that God has put  in our lives. As a matter of fact, Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 5:8 that "if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever". I know this is true, however, often my mental illness makes this almost impossible. For most people with a mental illness, it is very debilitating. This means that it can be pretty much impossible for us to work a traditional job. As a result, we either end up homeless, in the care of the state or a loved one, or living independently on Social Security Disability. In my case, I currently collect an SSDI check every month. However, the amount that I collect is barely enough to pay our bills. So, this causes me to attempt to  be extra vigilant in how  I deal with the money that has been entrusted to me. But, even in this area of finances my illness makes it difficult  because when I am hypomanic I do tend to overspend. It is because of this that I must recognize the signs of hypomania and then give my debit cards and access to my Amazon to my wife temporarily. There is no shame in doing this because just like an alcoholic may abstain from all alcohol, I sometimes have to abstain from all shopping. This is a huge blow to my natural pride to admit this because every fiber in my being wants to cover this up and make it seem like I have everything under control. But, the truth is, often I do not have everything under control and this makes it increasingly difficult to be the sole provider of my household. Regardless, I know that this scripture still holds true and authoritative in my life, but sometimes my wife may have to take the wheel and be the temporary provider or our bills will not get paid. 

Protector 

Here is another role of Biblical manhood that has really been a thorn in my side for quite some time now. As Christian men, we are called to defend our wives, children, the needy, and the downtrodden. We are not to be timid in our dealings with the unbelieving world. However my Schizoaffective Disorder does frequently make it increasingly difficult to be courageous. Often I feel paranoia which causes me to become timid. I know that according to 1 Timothy 1:7, God has not given me a spirit of fear but of a sound mind and power. I know this intellectually, but so often I do not realize this reality. Actually, on most days, this truth is far from my mind, I need to understand that for every command that God gives He also gives us the ability to follow them by the power of the Holy Spirit. This means that I must completely depend on the Holy Spirit in order to be a proper protector that I am called to be. I believe that this role is not just about protection from physical attacks but I believe that this is also about spiritual attacks too. As I have stated earlier, women are considered the weaker sex because they fall into deception so easily. It is because of this that it is imperative for us men to be grounded in the Word so that we can properly teach the women and the other dependents in our lives. The world is constantly bombarding us and the people in our care with lies from the devil and it is up to us use the authority we have in Jesus' name to correct those lies with the Truth. 

Servant

This role may seem like a contradiction to the first role that I mentioned earlier. However, being a Servant and being a Leader are not necessarily exclusive terms. I believe that we are called to be Servant-Leaders. The perfect example we have this type of leadership is found in John 13 and Philippians 2. In John 13, Jesus voluntarily washes the feet of His disciples, which was something that teachers in His day never did. The teachers disciples would washer the teacher's feet but Jesus turns this paradigm on its head. According to Philippians 2, Jesus came as a servant not as a king. This should have a profound impact on the way we treat the women and children in our lives. We are called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, which means since He came to serve people, we must serve people. too. This is really tough for those of us who struggle with mental illness because our illnesses often cause us to feel very selfish. We tend to think of ourselves a lot and this in turn makes the desire to serve disappear. If we try to muster up our own strength to be able to serve people then we will fail because we were never able to do anything on our own. Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John that apart from Him we can do nothing and Paul also tells us elsewhere that it is Him who works in us to do His will. I take this to mean that if we want to properly serve people we must rely solely on His strength in order to do so. 

Intercessor

This is very important in the lives of literally every believer because we all should live to intercede in prayer for all people. In 1 Timothy 2:1-3 it reads, "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way" and if we are called to pray for "all people" and for "kings and all who are in high places", how much more should we be in prayer for the women and children in our lives? Ephesians 5 also tells husbands that we should be presenting our brides before the Lord. I know this truth intellectually too but unfortunately in my personal life I have failed to remain constantly in prayer like the Apostle Paul commands. All to frequently my illness causes me to be selfish and thus I am not really thinking of others and at other times my hallucinations and delusions distract me from remaining in prayer. In order to overcome my bent towards selfishness I must continuously remind myself that Jesus commands me to die to myself and live for Him which means serving others. This goes against our natural urges. In order for me to overcome my hallucinations and delusions, I realize my need to stay focused on scripture because God's word has been proven to be reliable and true in my life. I cannot rely on my own thoughts and perceptions but I can always rely on God's objective word. 

-Man Up Anthem by 116 Clique

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate


 For 24 hour peer support, please call the Christ-Centered Mental Health ministry line at 567-343-3727 or email me at christcenteredmentalhealth@gmail.com

Lydia Sarchet: mrssccmh@gmail.com
Britton Garleb: britaingabriel@protonmail.com
Joe Roman: Twiztedmembrain@gmail.com
Scott AKA Johnny Kangaroo: scottsoconmhs@outlook.com
Dwayne McLeod: psyconatics@gmail.com
Veronica Talbot: vtalbot747@gmail.com
Amber Williams: shayneedm18@gmail.com
Chuck Ward: wcw50@aol.com
Sarah Olivia: sarahjesseolivia@gmail.com
Amber Marie: amarie0193@gmail.com
Zachary Uram: Netrek@gmail.com
 Joseph McDermott: jpmlovesjesus@live.com

Support The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry

To Make A One Time Donation

Should You Trust Your Pastor For 1-on-1 Counseling If He Does Not Accept Psychology?

 While Nouthetic Counseling is growing in popularity within Reformed Christian circles, there are a number of pastors who do not accept psychology as a legitimate practice. These same pastors may accept psychiatry but they absolutely reject psychology. I do understand the hesitance to accept psychology especially since psychology has a history of being anti-biblical. However, I reject the notion that all modern psychology is anti-biblical and I also reject the notion that Nouthetic Counseling is Reformed. As a matter of fact, I have made the case in a previous blog article that Nouthetic Counseling is inconsistent with a Reformed Two Kingdom theology. Michael Horton has made the case that the idea that Christians needing to see other Christians for certain services is actually an Anabaptist concept which the Reformers rejected. However, this blog is not about trying to convince you that Nouthetic Counseling is not Reformed. The purpose of this blog is to help you understand why you cannot trust any pastor who does not accept psychology. The two reasons why you cannot trust these pastors is 1) They do not have a proper understanding of mental illness and 2) They will give you wrong and/or harmful advice. 

Not Properly Understanding Mental Illness
_______________________________________

This is a vital problem with these pastors because their beliefs about mental illness will directly affect how they counsel. If a pastor will not accept psychology then they will not have a proper and full understanding of mental illness and this will lead into all kinds of problems both for them and the people whom they counsel. For example, if they believe that mental illness is the result of individual sin, they will then work towards confronting your sin regardless of whether or not you are aware of any such sin. If they believe that mental illness is the result of demon-possession, then they will attempt to "cast the demons out" of you. Both of these ideas are unbiblical, outdated, and unscientific. We know that mental illness is not the result of one's individual sin or demons. Mental illness is the result of the Fall of Adam and Eve and because of the Fall now some people are born with chemical imbalances in their brains that cause them to have a mental illness. There are other factors that cause mental illness too such as environmental, drug abuse, and childhood trauma. It is because of these causes that mental illnesses should be treated like any other medical problem. 

They will give you wrong and/or harmful advice
__________________________________________

Like I said earlier, a pastor's beliefs of mental illness will directly effect how they counsel. Even if they do not believe that mental illness is caused by demons or individual sin, they may still have harmful advice. For example, if someone with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder comes to meet one of these pastors, the pastor may tell them that they need to pray more or read their Bible more. They may even quote Bible Scriptures at these people. The reason that this is insufficient is because one must help the person identify what is causing their OCD and then address that first. The pastor telling them to read the Bible and pray more or even quoting Scriptures at the person without first addressing what is causing the problem first, can and will cause severe damage to the person's mental well-being. This is why I believe that unless the pastor is trained in mental health counseling he should stay in his lane and just focus on the preaching of the Gospel and administering the sacraments. 

What should we do? 
_________________

If you are a Christian with mental illness and you find yourself in this situation, first I would like to tell you not to panic. I know that it is tempting to panic when you find out that your pastor does not accept psychology because you intuitively understand that he will have harmful views about mental illness. However, this is not a reason to leave a church though. As long as he is preaching the Gospel every Sunday then you can listen to his sermons and even grow in your faith by hearing him preach. However, you must never approach him for personal one on one counseling. It would be better for you to see an atheist counselor who has a better understanding of mental illness than that pastor and its ok to see that counselor because according to common grace they have the knowledge to know how to give good guidance that will help you manage your mental health. Anyone who tells you otherwise has a weak view of common grace. Now, according to 1 Timothy 2:1-2, we must pray for our leaders. So, I would highly recommend that you pray for your pastor that he will be open to learning more about psychology and mental illness and even pray that he will be open to hearing about your struggle with mental illness. The only way to eliminate the stigma against mental health within the Body of Christ is through education that raises mental health awareness. Also, make sure that when you talk to your pastor you show him the utmost respect because we are not to be disrespectful towards those who are called to shepherd God's flock. -Dr. Michael Horton On Psychology

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate


 For 24 hour peer support, please call the Christ-Centered Mental Health ministry line at 567-343-3727 or email me at christcenteredmentalhealth@gmail.com

Lydia Sarchet: mrssccmh@gmail.com
Britton Garleb: britaingabriel@protonmail.com
Joe Roman: Twiztedmembrain@gmail.com
Scott AKA Johnny Kangaroo: scottsoconmhs@outlook.com
Dwayne McLeod: psyconatics@gmail.com
Veronica Talbot: vtalbot747@gmail.com
Amber Williams: shayneedm18@gmail.com
Chuck Ward: wcw50@aol.com
Sarah Olivia: sarahjesseolivia@gmail.com
Amber Marie: amarie0193@gmail.com
Zachary Uram: Netrek@gmail.com
 Joseph McDermott: jpmlovesjesus@live.com

Support The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry

To Make A One Time Donation
 

Christ's Grace Is Sufficient For The Mentally Ill

 For many people who struggle with mental illness, we do have a tendency to feel empty and unfulfilled in life. Some of us attempt to fix this issue through various forms of therapy while others will resort to our favorite coping skills. On a more dangerous side, some will even resort to what has been termed "high-risk behaviors"/ High risk behaviors are things such as excessive drinking alcohol, doing drugs, multiple sexual encounters, and so forth. In this blog, I will be discussing how the only thing that will ever truly satisfy us is the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. No amount of therapy, coping skills, or high risk behaviors will ever truly fulfill the void that is in each of our souls. The scripture that I will be referring to in this blog is Romans 8:31-39. This text says, 

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

The first thing I would like to make note of is in verses 31-32. The Apostle Paul here is saying to us that in Christ we have every spiritual blessing that we need. Not only that, but I also believe that this is referring to the physical too. I say this because in 1 Timothy 6:8 Paul tell Timothy, "But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content." And also in Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus makes the point that we should not worry because our Heavenly Father knows what we need and will provide what we need for us. So, according to this text, we have everything we will ever need both physically and spiritually and this means we can truly be content. There is absolutely nothing that we need that God is depriving us of in this life or the next. God gave up His most prized possession (His Son) for us, so that means there is nothing we need that He will not grant us. 

"Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of the Father, who also makes intercession for us" 

This point is very vital for people who deal with mental illness because a lot of the times we tend to worry excessively about what other people think of us. However, according to this scripture the only opinion of us that ultimately matters is Jesus Christ's opinion. We may care about what our spouses think, or about what our friends think, or even about what our boss thinks. However, what Jesus says about us matters so much more than what our spouse, friends, or boss says about us. Our identity as Christians is found in Jesus alone and because of this God says that we are justified in His sight. He sees us as though we have never sinned because the perfect righteousness of Christ covers us. Not only that but God calls us a royal priesthood and a holy nation in 1 Peter, If we truly understood the ramifications of this, I suspect that this should radically change the way we conduct our lives, 

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?.... For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" 

This a marvelous truth! The Apostle Paul concludes this chapter by reminding us that there is absolutely nothing that will ever cause God to stop loving His people. This is important because so many people with mental illness feel like they are unlovable and not worthy of respect. However, the Gospel tells us that in Christ we do matter and we worthy of the most important love from The Father. Our mental illnesses or even our sins cannot separate us from God's love. God loves us with an unconditional and eternal love. 

Looking For Love-- Trip Lee


-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate


 For 24 hour peer support, please call the Christ-Centered Mental Health ministry line at 567-343-3727 or email me at christcenteredmentalhealth@gmail.com

Lydia Sarchet: mrssccmh@gmail.com
Britton Garleb: britaingabriel@protonmail.com
Joe Roman: Twiztedmembrain@gmail.com
Scott AKA Johnny Kangaroo: scottsoconmhs@outlook.com
Dwayne McLeod: psyconatics@gmail.com
Veronica Talbot: vtalbot747@gmail.com
Amber Williams: shayneedm18@gmail.com
Chuck Ward: wcw50@aol.com
Sarah Olivia: sarahjesseolivia@gmail.com
Amber Marie: amarie0193@gmail.com
Zachary Uram: Netrek@gmail.com
 Joseph McDermott: jpmlovesjesus@live.com

Roselyn Morgan  (Christian Counselor): RoselynMorgan53@yahoo.com 

Support The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry

To Make A One Time Donation

"

No Condemnation For Those In Christ

" There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" -Romans 8:1

This verse has been the most liberating truth in my life. For those of us who struggle with any kind of mental illness, there is also a real struggle with feelings of guilt and condemnation. I know in my personal life I wrestle with this in my personal life. I believe that those of us who struggle with mental illness are more easily susceptible to falling into temptation. For instance, my illness makes it easier for me to fall prey to lust or even overspending. It is in these moments that I feel incredible guilt when I fall into these traps. Once this happens, it is easy for me to wallow in my own pity and despair. However, the Lord does not leave me here because He knew that I would fail. Psalm 103:14 tells us that "For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust".  This means that God knows that we will fail and this is why He came in the form of a man so that He could take our punishment upon Himself. This is why the Apostle Paul can tell us in the above scripture that for those who are in Christ there is no condemnation! This is a glorious truth that should cause us to praise God. We will never be condemned no matter what we say or do because of what Christ has done on our behalf. Next time, your mental illness leads you into sin do not fret about it or despair just remind yourself about Romans 8:1 and then pick yourself up continue walking with your God! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate


 For 24 hour peer support, please call the Christ-Centered Mental Health ministry line at 567-343-3727 or email me at christcenteredmentalhealth@gmail.com

Lydia Sarchet: mrssccmh@gmail.com
Britton Garleb: britaingabriel@protonmail.com
Joe Roman: Twiztedmembrain@gmail.com
Scott AKA Johnny Kangaroo: scottsoconmhs@outlook.com
Dwayne McLeod: psyconatics@gmail.com
Veronica Talbot: vtalbot747@gmail.com
Amber Williams: shayneedm18@gmail.com
Chuck Ward: wcw50@aol.com
Sarah Olivia: sarahjesseolivia@gmail.com
Amber Marie: amarie0193@gmail.com
Zachary Uram: Netrek@gmail.com
 Joseph McDermott: jpmlovesjesus@live.com

Roselyn Morgan  (Christian Counselor): RoselynMorgan53@yahoo.com 

Support The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry

To Make A One Time Donation

Why I Thank God For My Psychiatric Medication

The topic of psychiatric medications is controversial in Christian circles today. I honestly do not understand why it is so controversial especially when if someone were to take medication for diabetes no one will bat an eyelash. In this blog, I will be discussing how psychiatric medications has benefitted me and why it is not a good idea for people with mental illness to go off of their medication. I do admit that psychiatric medications can have harmful side effects but so can any other medication for any other ailment. I believe that the positive effects of psychiatric medications far outweigh the harmful effects but also if someone's medication is causing harmful side effects then the answer is to talk to their psychiatrist about a med adjustment but they should not just give up on medications altogether because that is even more dangerous. I will be talking about my own personal experiences that I have gone through when I have been off of my medication and I hope that anyone reading this will see the importance of remaining on their medication. I seriously wish that Christians would be more supportive of psychiatric medication because they have helped so many people and continue to help many more people. 

My History Without Medications 

When I was younger I spent many years without any medication because I did not believe I needed them. I understood that I had a mental illness but I thought that I could self-medicate with cigarettes instead. However, I quickly realized that was not beneficial for me. In my teenage years, I would experience intense depression to the point where I would start cutting myself and I would attempt suicide many times. When I was not depressed, I would experience extreme manic episodes where I would stay up all night for three or four nights in a row because I would be extremely energetic. At the age of 19, I had a delusional manic episode where I honestly believed I was the Antichrist and I would tell people to worship me. Later, I have had a manic episode where I believed it was biblically prophesied that I would assassinate Donald Trump and that is when the Secret Service paid me a visit. I have also had other periods of manic episodes too. When I am not on my medication, I tend to have frequent hallucinations and delusions. 

My Life On Medications 

I am currently taking a medication called Seroquel XR to help treat my Schizoaffective Disorder once a day. The dosage is 400 mg. I am not experiencing any side effects whatsoever and I am more focused my symptoms have lessened too. I still occasionally hear voices but I do not see any hallucinations. A common misconception people have about medication is that it should cure people of mental illness but that is not the purpose of medication. There is no cure for mental illness but with psychiatric medication our symptoms will be easier to manage and we will be able to live a functional life. There should not be any side effects if the medication is working properly and the medication works the best when they are taken every day at the same time. 

Dangers Of Not Taking Medication 

People who encourage those with mental illness to not seek treatment are putting us in danger because mental illness is degenerative. This means that the longer one goes without treatment the worse the illness gets because the brain is deteriorating. When we go off of our medication, our illnesses can and often do cause to behave in ways that can get us in serious trouble. I know that in my experience I can end up either dead or in prison if I do not take my medication. It is the same for other people too. Even with something like depression is harmful for someone to go off their antidepressants because they could end up committing suicide. This is serious business and should not be taken lightly. Like I already said, no one will judge someone for taking medication for diabetes but for some reason they will judge you for taking medication for mental illness, which is pretty hypocritical in my opinion. 

Overly Medicated? 

This is a common line from people who are against psychiatric medication but it has no basis in reality. Sure, maybe 50-100 years ago people were being misdiagnosed and then overly medicated but these days that is not the case. The mental health field has made a lot of progress and we have a much better understanding of mental illness than we did 50 years ago. So, chances are if a psychiatrist diagnoses you with something you most likely need medication. There is absolutely no shame in taking psychiatric medication and we should never allow anyone to shame us for our disabilities. 

What Can The Church Do To Help? 

Well, for one, we need to discard our harmful beliefs about mental illness. We live in the 21st Century now so we need to be more educated. There is a high likelihood that over half of the people in your church have some kind of mental illness so be mindful of how you are viewing them. We are called to love the weak and those who are suffering with disabilities. Mental illness IS a disability because it does impair one's daily living. I believe those who profess to be Christians should take the time to hear our stories and to spend time with us too. You do not need to be afraid of us because we are not dangerous, contrary to popular opinion. It is sad how the Body of Christ is really good at helping homeless people, drug addicts, prostitutes, and sex addicts, but they ignore the mentally ill. This needs to be changed because we need people to care for us too. All we want is for people to share the love of Christ with us. 

I hope that this has helped you better understand mental illness and I pray that God is glorified in this article. Please let me know what you all think in the comments below. May the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

 For 24 hour peer support, please call the Christ-Centered Mental Health ministry line at 567-343-3727 or email me at christcenteredmentalhealth@gmail.com

Lydia Sarchet: mrssccmh@gmail.com
Britton Garleb: britaingabriel@protonmail.com
Joe Roman: Twiztedmembrain@gmail.com
Scott AKA Johnny Kangaroo: scottsoconmhs@outlook.com
Dwayne McLeod: psyconatics@gmail.com
Veronica Talbot: vtalbot747@gmail.com
Amber Williams: shayneedm18@gmail.com
Chuck Ward: wcw50@aol.com
Sarah Olivia: sarahjesseolivia@gmail.com
Amber Marie: amarie0193@gmail.com
Zachary Uram: Netrek@gmail.com
 Joseph McDermott: jpmlovesjesus@live.com

Roselyn Morgan  (Christian Counselor): RoselynMorgan53@yahoo.com 

Support The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry

To Make A One Time Donation

Dealing With A Narcissistic Person In A Romantic Relationship? GET OUT NOW!!!

 Narcissism is a very toxic for anyone especially for people in romantic relationships. In this blog, I will be sharing my experience with someone whom I dated who turned out to be a narcissist. I did not realize this at the time I was dating her but the red flags were there, If I would have listened to those who were closest to me, I would have been spared a whole lot of heartache. Unfortunately, I am too stubborn for my own good and I was also very desperate for a relationship. My ex seen my desperation and she took advantage of it too. My hope in writing out this blog is that it will help someone else who is in a similar circumstance realize that they deserve better and will get out of their toxic relationship before it is much too late. This blog will be separated into five parts: 1) How we met, 2) The Red Flags, 3) The Abuse, 4) How I Got Out, and 5) My Words of Advice. This will be a pretty lengthy article but I hope that you find this beneficial to you somehow.

How We Met

I first met Natasha Ortiz back in 2016 in a AMBW (Asian Men Black Women) Facebook group and  She contacted me to confront me about some images she seen on my Facebook that were inappropriate which originally won my respect. At first she was annoyed with me because I would call her only late at night and I would always talk about politics with her.   Eventually, I would call her at more reasonable times and I would talk more about Christianity instead, I actually introduced her to Reformed Theology, which she pretended to be interested in. In the beginning everything seemed perfect and she seemed to be perfect for me too. She has her degree in Psychology so it seemed like she understood mental illness and even had a heart for the mentally ill, which was a plus in my eyes. I remember she paid my phone bill when I could not afford to and she would also send me care packages to make sure I had plenty to eat so I would not go hungry. 

Red Flags

There were signs that she was not good for me but I could not see them at the time because of my stubbornness and desperation to be in a relationship. She seen my desperation and took advantage of it. People closest to me noticed these red flags and tried to tell me but she would manipulate me into betraying my closest friends and even my sisters too. She also led me to believe that everything wrong in the relationship was solely my fault. She would shame me any time I shown any kind of concern for my mother and she also would shame me if I expressed an opinion that was different from hers by telling me that I was "acting white". Also, when I was approved for SSI/SSDI, she talked me into making her my representative payee, which then gave her complete control over my life. 

The Abuse

There came a time when my mental health began to decline because none of the psychiatrists in Monmouth County, New Jersey were able to find the right medication for me. On top of this, Natasha had two surgeries done on her because of some bowel obstructions where she almost died. This caused her to become sensitive to invisible bugs biting her constantly. No one believed her except for me and I only believed her because I personally seen the bug bites on her. This eventually led her to become emotionally disturbed and she began taking out her anger on me by physically punching me in the face and at one time she even broke a mirror on my back. During this time, I have never raised a hand to her at all because I do not believe that it is ever right for a man to lay a finger on a woman out of anger. My friends would tell me to leave her at this time too. 

How I Got Out

At this time I began hearing voices telling me to kill her and I also began having vivid dreams of me killing her in a variety if gruesome ways. Naturally, this scared the living daylights out of me. So, one day when she went to work, I went to the local bank and pulled out all of my Social Security money and got on a train to New York City and bought a greyhound ticket back to Colorado Springs. I still remained in contact with for two years after this incident because I felt incredibly guilty for leaving her. However, during this time she would only berate me, guilt trip me, and brag to me about her dating relationships and how great her life is. She would also constantly tell me that no one would ever love me as much as she does. Eventually, I ended meeting my wife, Lydia Sarchet, and we ended getting married. Once I started talking to Lydia, I cut off all communication with Natasha, which caused her to get irate and begin to harass us through email, text messages, and voicemail. I had to change my number but then recently she started harassing us through the ministry phone number and email. We filed a police report and the officer called her to tell her to leave us alone. Hopefully, this is the last we will have to deal with her, Lord willing. I do not wish her any ill-will and I do care about her as a person, however, I do believe she needs professional help and she also needs to come under a proper knowledge of the Gospel. Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ will heal her pain and I do pray that the Lord will draw her to Himself. 

Words of Advice

If you are someone who is in a toxic relationship with narcissistic person, you need to get out of it immediately. I understand that you probably cannot see the red flags for yourself but this is why you need to listen to those who are closest to you. Other people see your relationship with objective eyes so you need to trust their advice. Do not do what I did to my friends and family. No relationship is worth forsaking those who are closest to you. Also, if you are in this toxic relationship because of desperation, you need to understand that God wants so much more for you. The Lord is a loving Father and He knows you better than you know yourself and He is in control over everything that comes to pass. This means that He has someone very special planned just for you who is your perfect match. You can trust Him for your life. Do not remain in a toxic relationship just because you feel there is no one for you. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths". 

This Means War By Petra


-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

For 24 hour peer support, please call the Christ-Centered Mental Health ministry line at 567-343-3727 or email me at christcenteredmentalhealth@gmail.com

Lydia Sarchet: mrssccmh@gmail.com
Britton Garleb: britaingabriel@protonmail.com
Joe Roman: Twiztedmembrain@gmail.com
Scott AKA Johnny Kangaroo: scottsoconmhs@outlook.com
Dwayne McLeod: psyconatics@gmail.com
Veronica Talbot: vtalbot747@gmail.com
Amber Williams: shayneedm18@gmail.com
Chuck Ward: wcw50@aol.com
Sarah Olivia: sarahjesseolivia@gmail.com
Amber Marie: amarie0193@gmail.com
Zachary Uram: Netrek@gmail.com
 Joseph McDermott: jpmlovesjesus@live.com

Roselyn Morgan  (Christian Counselor): RoselynMorgan53@yahoo.com 

Support The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry

To Make A One Time Donation

How To Pray While Dealing With Voices

 As someone who frequently hears voices and has intrusive thoughts, I find it really difficult to pray to God at times. Whenever I attempt to pray, I hear distracting voices and I get intrusive thoughts that tell me things like "You are God", "People are praying to you", and "People are worshiping you". These voices and thoughts cause me a great amount of stress and make me not want to pray. However, I know that I need to pray because in order to make it day by day moment by moment I need to rely solely on His strength alone. Since I realize this, I have decided to pray my own way that helps me and in this blog I hope I can encourage anyone else who is in my position to not be afraid to pray either. When it comes to prayer while dealing with voices, there are three things to keep in mind: 1) You do not need to force yourself to keep praying, 2) God does not love you any less, and 3) The voices are telling you lies. I will expound on each of these points in this blog and I will also give you a guideline on how you should pray from a biblical perspective. 

Do not force yourself

I know that this point is a very important one that I think many of us miss. We want to our prayers to be honoring to our King and we feel that if we end our prayer in the middle then God will not be pleased with us. However, anyone who believes that one must hold to a strict view of prayer that says you must force yourself to pray all the way to the end are in violation of the "I desire mercy not sacrifice" principle of Matthew 9:13. This means that God desires us to freely communicate with Him and not in some legalistic fashion. God is not honored by our legalism. Actually, our legalistic acts dishonor Him. So, when you are praying, if the voices or intrusive thoughts become more than you can bear do not be afraid to stop your praying. God will not condemn you for ending your prayer early. I used to struggle with this because I thought that as a "good Christian" I must force myself to pray no matter what and if I stopped then God would be displeased with me. If you are someone who struggles with this, then I remind of Romans 8:1 which says "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus". If you are in Christ, then nothing you do or say will ever condemn you because of what Christ did on your behalf. We need to keep this truth in mind whenever the enemy tries to make us feel guilty for not praying enough. 

God's Love

This next point is something that we need to seriously ponder. For those of us who are in Christ, nothing will ever separate us from His love. According to Romans 8:37-39, nothing in all of creation will be able to separate us from His love. This means that even when our voices interrupt our prayers and cause us to stop praying, the Lord Jesus Christ still loves us. This is a truth that I took me many years to learn because I used to believe that I was one sin away from God forsaking me, but now I know that is a lie straight from the pit of hell. 

The Lies of the Voices

This is something that the Lord really put on my mind because I used to struggle with not being able to tell reality from fantasy. However, now I know the importance of staying grounded in the word of God. When I am in His word, I know that whatever the voices tell me are lies when they contradict His word. Most of the time the truth is evident but sometimes I must dig deep into the Word but I always do find the truth. If you are reading this and you have trouble hearing voices, I would encourage you to compare everything you hear to His word because His word is truth. Anything that contradicts His word is false. 

Lord's Prayer

In this section, I will outline exactly how we must pray according to our Lord. In Matthew 5:8-13, Jesus gives us this prayer as a template for how we should pray, 

"Our Father in heaven
Hallowed be Your name
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread 
And forgive us our debts
As we forgive our debtors
And do not lead us into temptation
But deliver us from the evil one
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen"

I will now proceed to break this prayer down line by line: 

"Our Father in heaven" 

Jesus tells us to acknowledge God as our Father. This has connotations of intimacy. The Father is our Heavenly Father who loves us and invites us into perfect communion with Him for all of eternity and nothing can ever break that bond. 

"Hallowed be Your name"

Even God is our Father, we must still always to remember to honor Him as our King. He is the ruler and sustainer of all creation and everything was created by Him and for Him. We owe our very existence to Him. 

"Your Kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"

This is simply a petition asking for God's will to be accomplished on this earth just like it is in heaven. One could say that this is an acknowledgment that of the consummation of the New Heaven and New Earth when Jesus Christ returns in His majesty and Splendor. 

"Give us this day our daily bread" 

This is a humble acknowledgement of our need for Christ because apart from Him we cannot do anything. You may think that you have everything you need because of your hard work but the only reason you can even work is because of the Lord sustaining your body and giving you strength to get through the day. We must always keep in mind that we are utterly dependent upon Him for literally everything. 

"And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" 

Jesus is saying that our forgiveness is so closely tied to our forgiving of others. If we truly understand the depths of our sinfulness and how much God has shown us grace in Christ, it should be really easy for us to forgive other people because their offenses are minor compared to our offenses to the infinitely Holy God. 

"And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one"

This is an acknowledgement of our utter dependence on God to keep us from temptation. The Lord promises us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear and that He will provide us with the way out when we are tempted too. 

"For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen" 

We always end the prayer in adoration of our amazing God who is forever praised. This keeps us humble because we understand that we are not God. This especially helps me whenever the voices start telling me lies about me being God. 

I hope that this blog article helps someone out there and I thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Soli Deo Gloria! 

 -David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

For 24 hour peer support, please call the Christ-Centered Mental Health ministry line at 567-343-3727 or email me at christcenteredmentalhealth@gmail.com

Lydia Sarchet: mrssccmh@gmail.com
Britton Garleb: britaingabriel@protonmail.com
Joe Roman: Twiztedmembrain@gmail.com
Scott AKA Johnny Kangaroo: scottsoconmhs@outlook.com
Dwayne McLeod: psyconatics@gmail.com
Veronica Talbot: vtalbot747@gmail.com
Amber Williams: shayneedm18@gmail.com
Chuck Ward: wcw50@aol.com
Sarah Olivia: sarahjesseolivia@gmail.com
Amber Marie: amarie0193@gmail.com
Zachary Uram: Netrek@gmail.com
 Joseph McDermott: jpmlovesjesus@live.com

Roselyn Morgan  (Christian Counselor): RoselynMorgan53@yahoo.com 

Support The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry

To Make A One Time Donation