Is Mental Illness Demonic? A Biblical Analysis Of Mark 9:14-28

 In a previous blog titled Is Mental Illness Demonic? A Biblical Analysis Of Mark 5:1-20  , I clearly show how that passage is commonly misused in order to justify the claim that mental illness is demonic. I show how when people use that passage, they are committing the fallacy of eisegesis, instead of properly exegeting the text, in order to make it seem it like it is talking about mental illness. Furthermore, I also clearly explain how proponents of this claim are woefully ignorant of what constitutes mental illness to begin with and to this very day there has never risen a solid criticism of anything I said in that blog. Well, today I will be discussing another commonly misused passage that many Christians will cite in order to justify their belief in mental illness being demonic. It really does grieve my heart to know that there are so many Christians, including reformed Christians, who have been duped by this heretical doctrine and will even defend it to their death despite the fact that there is absolutely no biblical warrant for this belief whatsoever. The purpose of the stories in the New Testament of Jesus and the Apostles casting our demons were to demonstrate that Jesus Christ is God and that He has authority over even the demonic realm.  The belief that mental illness is demonic has come from the Roman Catholic Church and not the Bible, yet many Protestants, who believe in Sola Scriptura, honestly think this is a biblical belief. It is time for all true Christians everywhere to abandon this lie from the devil and to return to the plain teaching of Scripture. The Holy Bible is our sole authority on all things concerning faith and godliness. So, as you read this blog, I ask you to test everything I say with the Bible and if you disagree with me, please show me exegetically where and how I am in error. For those of you are not aware of this biblical text, Mark 9:14-28 says, 

"And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him a were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, 'What were you arguing about with them about?' And someone from the crowd answered him, 'Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and 'they were not able'.' And he answered them, 'O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.' And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, 'How long has this been happening to him?' And he said, 'From childhood. And it often casts him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.' And Jesus said to him, '(If you can!') All things are possible for one who believes.' Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, 'I believe; help my unbelief!' And when Jesus saw a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, 'You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.' And after crying out and convulsing him terribly it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so most of them said, 'he is dead.' But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, 'Why could we not cast it out?' And he said to them, 'This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.' 

I would like to admit that upon a surface level reading of this text, it certainly does seem to be talking about mental illness. However, there are a few key indicators within this text that should be obvious to anyone that this is not about mental illness in any way, shape, or form. I will break this passage down and explain exactly what I mean now. There are three defining characteristics that clearly show that the demon-possessed boy was not mentally ill. These characteristics are the following: 

1) The Demon Was Self-Aware 

2) Mute and Deaf 

3) Only Prayer Was The Solution

I know that you're probably thinking right now "how do those characteristics definitively prove that this passage is not about mental illness?" Well, I will not expound on each of these points and my hope is that after reading this blog you will see this passage in a different light than you used to. 

Demon Was Self-Aware 

I think that this detail is the most important detail in this text because epilepsy is not self-aware and therefore this cannot be about any brain disorder. The reason why I say that the demon was self-aware is because the language of the text would seem to indicate that the demon had some sort of self-aware consciousness. First off, when they brought the boy to Jesus, the text says that the demon "saw him and immediately convulsed the boy". How can a brain disorder, such as epilepsy, "see" someone? Seeing indicates a consciousness and self-awareness. Rocks do not "see" people, but other consciences, such as people, animals, and spiritual beings, do see other people, animals, and spiritual beings. The next piece of evidence that demonstrates that the demon was self-aware is when Jesus asks the father about how long his son has been this way. The father makes an interesting reply when he says, "From childhood. And it often casts him into fire and water, to destroy him." This answer is peculiar because it demonstrates that the demon had intentionality. The father clearly said that the demon would purposefully cast his son into fire and water in order to kill the boy! This would mean that the boy going into fire and water was on purpose. Anyone who suffers from epilepsy goes into epilepsy as random times for no rhyme or reason. There is no purpose whatsoever behind an epileptic seizure. However, according to this text, the boy was cast into fire and water by the demon for the sole purpose of the demon trying to take the boy's life. There is no other way to read this text and any other interpretation is a gross misreading of the text. The plain reading of the text shows that the demon had intention behind this act and epilepsy is purely random. Furthermore, epilepsy does not tend to throw people into fire and water. I am not saying it never happens but the point is since epileptic seizures happen at random, they usually happen anywhere and everywhere, but this text seems to indicate that the boy was only being cast into fire and water. Interesting right? The last piece of evidence that demonstrate that the demon was self-aware and had a conscious, was the fact Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit. I submit this as evidence to bolster my point because this would indicate that Jesus literally spoke to the demon and the demon responded by crying our. People cannot speak with epilepsy and epilepsy cannot reply back to people in human language. So, this would indicate that the demon had a consciousness that mere epilepsy does not have. 

Mute and Deaf

The second evidence in this text that proves this is not about mental illness is by the fact that demon is recorded to have caused the boy to be mute and deaf. Epilepsy, and other mental illness, do not in fact cause someone to be mute and deaf. Anyone who claims otherwise does not understand epilepsy or mental illness in general. Sure, some mental illness may cause someone from speaking temporarily but that is not what being mute is. Mute simply means that one cannot speak ever for their entire life. Mental illness does not cause someone to be mute and it definitely does not cause someone to be deaf. 

Prayer was the only Solution 

I would like to be careful with this section because I do not want to come across as discrediting prayer. I believe that Christians are to pray and that God does answer our prayers, according to His will. However, in the case of epilepsy or mental illness, merely praying is not enough because one also needs the use of medication and counseling. Prayer alone will not suffice in this case and actually if someone with mental illness only resorted to prayer, and nothing else, it will cause more harm than good for that individual. However, in the case of this text, Jesus said for this specific demon that was possessing the boy, the only solution was prayer. This would indicate that there was more going on rather than epilepsy or mental illness. 

I hope that this blog has convinced you that this passage is not about mental illness and that if you held to the belief that mental illness is demonic please consider abandoning that belief because you are harming millions of people with mental illness, regardless if you see it or not. We should not be adding to the Word of God by inserting our own interpretations onto the Bible. Instead, we need to learn how to see the proper interpretation of any given text in the Bible and allow for the plain reading of Scripture. Thank you very much for reading my blog and 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 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

To Make A One Time Donation To The Ministry

Psychiatry And Psychology Are Slavery Apart From Christ

 "Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?" -Galatians 4:8-9 

In my previous post, I discussed how Psychiatry and Psychology are blessed gifts from God for His people. That blog received a lot of praise but in this blog will be pretty controversial. However, before you decide to stop reading please hear me out and seriously consider what I am saying here. I do support the practices of Psychiatry and Psychology because I have benefitted from these scientific disciplines personally and I know people who also personally benefit from these disciplines as well. This blog is not an attempt to demean or discredit these wonderful and blessed disciplines. I still maintain that Psychiatry and Psychology are indeed gifts from God. However, I would be lying if I said that these are the only methods of which people with mental illness need in their life. Although, Psychiatry and Psychology can, and often does, help many people with dealing with their mental health symptoms, they cannot do anything to offer any real hope apart from knowing Jesus Christ the Savior and Lord. Actually, I would argue that when we are only seeking Psychiatry and Psychology, apart from the Truth of the Gospel, we are being enslaved to the "elementary principles of the world". One's psychiatrist and psychologist may give us good advice to know how to manage our symptoms but if we do not know Jesus Christ, then we are bound for hell. When I say "know" I mean know in the sense of intimacy. We were created by God to be in eternal communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the Westminster Larger Catechism it tells us, 

"Q. What is the chief and highest end of man? 
  A. Man's chief and highest end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever" 

The problem we all share is that because of the Fall of Adam and Eve, our first parents, sin has entered the world. Once sin entered the world, we are all by default are born into sin. Sin entering the world is the reason why their is so much suffering in this world, including mental illnesses. I am not saying that individual sin is the cause of anyone's mental illness, but Original Sin is the cause of all mental illness because it is the cause of all suffering amongst human beings, animals, and creation. As a matter of fact, we read in Romans 8:19-20, 

"For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the glory of God" 

As I said, Psychiatry and Psychology are slavery when they are separated from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, even when they benefit people with mental illness. In this blog, I will be discussing exactly how these disciplines can and will be slavery when they are separated from Christ. Afterwards, I will tell you about the hope of the Gospel and how it should create in us a sense of peace as we await in hopeful expectation for our Lord and Savior to return for His people. However, before I do that, I would like to give you an analogy of what I mean. Imagine two people wandering in the desert, one is a psychologist and the other is a patient. The patient is dehydrated and the psychologist is offering the patient advice on how to keep moving forward so he can prolong his life. The psychologist may be giving good advice but unless that patient receives some water soon he will die of thirst. In the same way, when you go to see your psychiatrist and psychologist, they will offer you plenty of wise counsel but unless you come to know the Gospel, you will die in your sin. You may claim to be without sin, but everyone has broken God's law. Have you ever lusted? Then, you have committed adultery in your heart. Have you ever gotten angry with someone? Then you have murdered in your heart. James 2:10 says, 

"For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it" 

In order for us to be in communion with God, we must be absolutely perfect because sin cannot be in the presence of the Holy, Perfect, Righteous, Pure, and Just God. Now, is the time for me to talk about how these scientific disciplines are slavery apart from Christ. There are about two ways these practices can, and often does, enslave us: 

1) Legalism 

2) False Hope

I will expound on these points more and afterwards if you can think of more ways then please feel free to tell me what you have thought of in the comments section of this blog. 

Legalism 

I know that you are possibly thinking, "What in the world is legalism?" Legalism is a theological term that is about attempting to  achieve salvation through any works apart from the grace that is found in Jesus Christ alone. The Bible is clear that there is nothing we can ever do to achieve salvation because of our sinful and corrupt nature. As a matter of fact, in our natural state of being, we hate God and hate our neighbor. The Heidelberg Catechism puts it very succinctly when it says, 

"Lord's Day 2
Q. Can we keep all this perfectly? 
A. No, for I am prone by nature to hate God and my neighbor" 

However, even though this is true, we all still have an innate desire for the benefits of knowing God, although we want nothing to do with Him. All of us desire to be at peace and happiness and joy. This is why we look to all sorts of therapeutic methods to achieve happiness, peace, and joy. When we do this, these things may help us temporarily, but over time these methods will ultimately fail us. When that happens, we will look to something else to fill the void. We do this because our natural default setting is legalism. What we are ultimately looking for when we turn to these methods, or even to drugs and alcohol, is something that will give us ultimate peace, joy, satisfaction, and happiness. This can only be found in Jesus Christ. Pastor Paul Washer once said, "We all want heaven but we do not want God". Our psychiatric medication and therapy techniques will ultimate fail us if we depend on them for our salvation. 

False Hope 

This concept may fall on deaf ears but I need to say it anyways: a lot of what our therapists tell us is setting us up with a false hope. Therapists promises us that if we do everything they recommend, and keep doing them, then we will achieve true happiness and peace. However, if we depend solely on their wisdom and advice, what will eventually happen is we will end up getting burned out much like the man dying of thirst in the desert. If our therapists do not offer us the living water of the Gospel, then all their techniques and advice will be for nothing. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through Him. This means that anything we do that is not centered on Christ will ultimately fail us. Therapists are fond of teaching us about mindfulness exercises and deep breathing exercises and DBT/ CBT skills, but none of these methods will ever give us the everlasting peace and joy that we crave. The methods will only benefit us temporarily. Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can, and will, fulfill our deepest desire and longing for peace, tranquility, and everlasting joy. 

The Solution: Hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ & True Liberation 

We will now turn to Romans 3:21-25 which tells us, 

"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it---the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For their is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith" 

I have already established how nothing we do or learn will ever save us. This means none of the therapeutic techniques, or even our psychiatric medication, will ever help us achieve the peace with God that we desperately need and desire. Since we are born into sin, we are bound for an eternity of experiencing the wrath of God. However, God has not left us there. In His mercy, He has chosen to save some people by coming down to earth as a man in history in order to take the punishment we ourselves deserve. There is not a single person in this world who is truly good and there never has been anyone who is truly good, except Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the only man who has, and will ever, keep the commands of God perfectly. He lived the perfect life we could never live and then He died on a cross and experienced total alienation from His Father in order so He could take our punishment upon Himself. Three days later, He literally rose from the dead, which signified a new life for everyone who believes in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" 

When we come to Christ, the Holy Spirit makes us into new creations who now find their identity in Jesus Christ. This is literally true, not poetry. When we are in Christ, our identity is no longer someone with mental illness, but someone who belongs to Jesus Christ. This means that the Father no longer sees us as sinful or as someone with a mental illness. Actually, the Father sees the righteousness and holiness of Christ on us! The Bible tells us that all those who call on the name of the Lord are considered a royal priesthood and a holy nation! Please let this truth sink in: All those who belong to Christ are royalty and holy! If that isn't good enough for you, well, let me turn your attention to Revelation 21:1-4: 

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things shall pass away" 

What this text is referring to is what theologians have typically referred to as the eschaton, or the consummation. In the consummation of the New Heaven and the New Earth, all Christians will reign for eternity with Jesus Christ as coheirs over all of creation. We will not only be in everlasting communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit but God will also put an end to death, sorrow, suffering, pain, and sin once and for all. This means there will be no more mental illness! Although, in this life we will experience sorrow and trouble, in the New Heaven and New Earth, everything will be perfect bliss and happiness because we will have perfect and glorified resurrected bodies, which will not be subjected to sin and decay. This means that our brains will no longer have any chemical imbalances that need to be treated. I cannot fathom what it will be like living with a mind that is not subject to having hallucinations, delusions, and manic episodes, but when Jesus Christ returns and raises our bodies to glorify them, I will never again experience those symptoms. We will finally have the everlasting peace and joy and happiness we desire. We will also never grow tired or weary anymore and we will also judge angels because we have the mind of Christ! Doesn't this sound amazing? This glorious and everlasting inheritance is yours as long as you put your faith in Jesus Christ alone. God is good and God is sovereign. He knows all who belong to Him from before the foundations of the world and He will lose not a single person who belongs to Him but He will bring our salvation to completion. I hope and pray that after reading this blog, the Holy Spirit will draw you to Himself and you will call upon the Lord Jesus Christ so you can be saved. There is no other name of which you can be saved other than the name of Jesus. I plead with you, please turn to Jesus Christ today. He will radically change your life forever. 

Thank you for reading this blog and I pray that it blessed and edified you. 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 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

To Make A One Time Donation

Psychiatry And Psychology Are Good Gifts From God

 "Every good 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" -James 1:12 

I understand that calling Psychiatry and Psychology "good gifts from God" is pretty controversial in many Christian circles today. I completely understand that many believers have a faulty assumption that all forms of these sciences are anti-Christian and therefore we should not regard with any kind of respect. However, I do firmly believe that the Lord, in His sovereignty, has blessed psychiatrists and psychologists with common grace blessings of knowledge in order for them to be a benefit for human beings who struggle with mental illness in their daily lives. What is "common grace"? Well, a standard definition of common grace is that it "encompasses the biblical teaching about the universal and undeserved goodness of God toward sinners. By common grace, God restrains sin, evil, misery, and wrath in this fallen world, while conferring general, nonredemptive blessings on all mankind" (Ligonier Ministries Sept 21,2021). If it weren't for my psychiatrist and psychologist, I would be either dead or in prison today, so I am thankful the Lord has placed them in my life. They may not be Christians, but we do not need to see only Christians for services that help us. It is actually an unbiblical view to say that Christians should only see other Christians. People who say this, do not really believe it because if they did then they would have to inquire about the religious beliefs about any medical doctor before seeing them and even if they did do that there would be absolutely no way of really knowing whether or not their dentist is truly Christian, unless they know him or her personally. I reject the notion that all psychology and psychiatry are inherently anti-biblical anyways, but even if they were it would be irrelevant because God can, often does, use even unregenerate men and women for the benefit of His people. I know that amongst Christians who despise the fields of psychiatry and psychology, often will attack Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. However, when they do this, they are essentially attacking a strawman because Psychiatry and Psychology have progressed so far from the founders of the fields that Freud and Jung are no longer the model for Psychiatry and Psychology. Their beliefs no longer hold any weight nor authority in these fields. Also, many mental health professionals have been affirming faith and things such as prayer and Bible reading today because they acknowledge these things have positive effects on one's mental health. I firmly believe that if a Christian who suffers from mental illness and will not seek mental health professional assistance, then they are living in sin. I say this because when we refuse to take our medication and see our therapist, we are essentially  telling God that we do not trust His sovereign providence in our lives. Also, when you have a clinical mental illness, it is very dangerous for you to choose to not seek medical treatment. I say this because mental illness is degenerative, which means that over time it will gradually get worse the longer you let it go untreated. You may think you are fine, and you may be fine, for many years, but your brain is slowly deteriorating. This is why once you have been diagnosed by a licensed psychiatrist, it is wise to get on medicine  and to remain on it for the rest of your life, even when you are feeling better. I know that in my life, I get tempted from time to time to go off of my medication because I think I am doing well. However, it is precisely during these moments that I need to remind myself that it is because of my treatment that I am doing better. I am not saying that psychiatry and psychology is the end all, be all of medical treatment for people for mental illness. These disciplines are not perfect and it does help to couple psychiatric medicine and therapy along with the spiritual disciplines of prayer, biblical meditation, and Bible reading. It does you no good to only utilize psychiatry and psychology at the expense of the biblical practices God has blessed us with. In this blog, I will discuss some of the benefits of Psychiatry and Psychology on mental health and my hope that after reading this article that you would be convinced to remain on your medical treatment plan. The argument I will be using to support this claim can actually be broken up into a syllogism. The syllogism goes like this: 

"Premise #1: Every good gift comes from God 

Premise #2: Psychiatry and Psychology are good gifts 

Conclusion: Psychiatry and Psychology are from God" 

I will now break down this syllogism so that you can hopefully have a better understanding of this issue. After you finish reading this article, whether you agree or not, I would like to read your thoughts on this issue, so please leave a comment on the bottom of this page. I hope you find this edifying to you and glorifying to The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. 

Every Good Gift Comes From God 

As I mentioned above, I believe in the doctrine of common grace. We get the concept of common grace from Matthew 6:25-30 which says, 

"Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which one of you by worrying can add a single hour to the span of his life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" 

And then there is also Matthew 5:44-45 which says, 

"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" 

As we can clearly see from these texts, God takes care of His creation through His ordinary providence. We must not assume that if it is not a supernatural event that God is not interacting with His creation because that would be an error in reasoning. As a matter of fact, when professing atheists and charismatics alike assume that God only acts supernaturally, they are limiting the sovereignty of the Almighty God. 

Psychiatry and Psychology Are Good Gifts 

This is where I am going to get personal with you. I said earlier that if it were not for my medication and therapist that I would be either dead or in prison today, it is definitely a fact. I know that if it were not for God's sovereignty leading me to the right medication and therapist, I would have either taken my life or I would have done something while in a manic episode that would cause me to get arrested. I have many times in my life where I have made suicide attempts and even have come close to dying too. My last suicide attempt landed me in the ICU for a week. Also, I have had delusions during mania episodes where I believed I needed to kill people too. So I understand how serious it is to remain on your medication and to see a therapist you trust too. Its best to see both a Psychiatrist and a Psychologist instead of just one or the other. The Lord has really used both Psychiatry and Psychology as methods that have literally saved my life. I know they are not perfect, but they are the most effective means for treating mental illness we have. So, we should not take them lightly nor should we disregard them either. 

Psychiatry and Psychology Are From God 

I hope that by now you can see the clear logic how both of these scientific disciplines are valuable and how they are used by God for the benefit of the human beings He created on this earth. If you are someone who deals with mental illness, or you know someone with mental illness, I would strongly encourage you to remain on your medication by taking it regularly every day at the same time every day and I would also recommend that you do not neglect seeing your therapist either. Both of these can and will save your life.

DISCLAIMER: This does not mean that medication and counseling will cure you of your mental illness. No, there is no cure for mental illness. However, with proper medication and counseling, you can manage your symptoms better so that you can live a functional life in society. 

-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

To Make A One Time Donation

Homosexuality & Mental Illness

 "So God created man in His image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" -Genesis 1:27 

I would like to start this blog by acknowledging that this is a very important topic and that this blog will probably upset people on both sides of the discussion. I do not intend to upset anyone, however, I must be faithful to what I see is clearly taught in the scriptures. Our sole authority is God's word, not our subjective experiences, thoughts, feelings, or even culture. As Christians, we should care more about what the Bible says on this topic than about what any man says. It is unfortunate how many professing Christians are all too willing to compromise on God's word in order to appease the masses. I do not care one bit if I offend people because I much rather stand with God and be judged by the world than stand with the world and be judged by God. The Bible makes it very clear that homosexuality is a sin. Actually, in Leviticus 20:13, we read the following: 

"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them." 

But, wait, isn't that the Old Testament? Yes, it is and it is true that we live under the New Covenant of grace, which is why we are not to put homosexuals to death anymore. However, to assume that the New Testament does not condemn homosexuality is a misnomer. In Romans chapter 1, we read that homosexuality is the result of humans suppressing the truth in unrighteousness and God giving them over to a depraved mind. Some people like to say that "homosexuality is a sin, but it is not any worse than murder or lying or stealing". However, when I study scripture, it seems pretty evident to me that this is not true. No other sin is referred to as an abomination in the Bible, except for homosexuality. Sure, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is considered the unforgiveable sin, but only homosexuality is called an abomination to the Lord. There are two reasons I believe God sees the sin of homosexuality as being so heinous: 

1) It destroys the image of God 

2) It destroys the image of Christ's relationship with His Bride, the Body of Believers. 

In this blog, I will expound on these points. Once I have done that I will talk about how this relates to mental illness and what I believe is the remedy for homosexuality. 

Destroys the Imago Dei 

As we have seen in Genesis chapter 1:27, God created both men and women to reflect God's image. God sees homosexuality as such a heinous sin is because it distorts the image of God. God created both man and woman and together men and women reflect God's glory (by the way, this is why sexism is also really bad). Men do not reflect God's glory alone and women do not reflect God's alone either., but men and women together display God's image. There is a saying I heard awhile back that goes like "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve". While this saying is a little trite, it does speak a truth about the fact that two gay men do not properly reflect God's image. As a matter of fact, two gay or women does in fact display an evil image of God. Men were not created to be with men and women were not created to be with women. It is unnatural affections. 

Destroys the Image of Christ and His Church 

In Ephesians 5:31, Paul says something profound about marriage. He tells us, 

"Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and His church" 

The marriage covenant is a representation of the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Church, the universal Body of believers. Homosexuality distorts this image because Jesus is not gay and the image of homosexuality makes it look as if Jesus is gay. Jesus is frequently described as a bridegroom and the church is frequently described as a woman, or a bride. The image we have is between one man and one woman. This is why so-called "gay marriage" will never be a legitimate form of marriage in the eyes of God, even if the culture supports it. Any church that supports homosexuality is a false church, or a Synogogue of Satan. 

Now, that I have made my liberal readers angry, I will now make my conservative readers angry. I do believe that mental illness can lead someone into sin, even the sin of homosexuality. I have made a previous blog on this subject and I have talked about it on YouTube, so I do need to go into detail on this topic. Since people are born mentally ill, people can be born as homosexuals. However, this by no means is an excuse to live the homosexual lifestyle and promote it as some have been doing. No, even if someone is born a homosexual, Jesus commands us to deny ourselves (our needs, feelings, and desires) in order to follow Him. I understand that this is a tough teaching because dying to ourselves is not easy and we can only do this by the power of the Holy Spirit, not by our own strength. However, if we have truly repented and placed our faith in Jesus Christ, we must forsake our old way of life. There is no justification for us to keep living in sin and if you persist in living in sin then you are not truly saved. However, I know of two people with Schizophrenia who have struggled with homosexuality: 1) John Nash and 2) Myself. 

John Nash

For those of who do not know who John Nash is, I highly recommend you watch the movie about his life called "A Beautiful Mind" and then read the book by the same title. John Nash was a famous mathematician who struggled with Schizophrenia all his life. During his episodes, he would engage in a number of elicit affairs and some of them were with other men. He even had a child out of wedlock. Through the power of his wife's unconditional love and support, he was able to live a pretty functional life in society. His story is very inspirational for anyone who deals with Schizophrenia or any kind of mental illness. 

David Lee Chu Sarchet

While I have never engaged in homosexual sex, when I was younger, during my mania phases I struggled with bisexual attractions and I even believed I was transgender too. I thank and praise the Lord that He enabled me to never act on those urges, even when I was out of my mind. 

Remedy

There is this type of "therapy" called deconversion therapy. I put it quotes because it is not therapeutic at all. People who practice deconversion therapy have been exposed for using practices that were considered abusive towards gay people. I am against this form of "therapy" because I believe you cannot manufacture a work of the Holy Spirit. However, in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, we read: 

Or do you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you, But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of our God." 

The solution for the sin of homosexuality is not therapy or promoting it, but it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Only Jesus Christ can wash you clean of your sins and heal your souls. There is no answer for your sins other than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you are someone who is struggling with the sin of homosexuality, please come to Jesus and be washed clean and sanctified. 

I thank you for taking the time to read this blog and I hope that it blesses and edifies you while also glorifying God. 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 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

To Make A One Time Donation

Desires In Conflict By Flame

7 Life Lessons the Lord Has Taught Me

"Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life" -Proverbs 16:31 

As some of you may already know, my birthday is on June 17, 1988. So, this means that tomorrow I will be turning 34-years-old. While I readily admit that I still have a lot to learn, The Lord has blessed me with some lessons concerning life and godliness in the 34 years that I have been on this earth. In this blog, I will share some of the valuable insights that I have learned from the Lord. Before I get started, I do want to clarify that I am not talking about some divine special revelation. My  theological perspective is cessationism, which means I believe that the spiritual gifts and miracles have ceased and are not for today. This blog is not about that but I just want to make it clear what this blog is not about. God works through means, primarily through Scripture and then through creation and people. The lessons I have learned in my life are truths that I have gleaned from Scripture and from just living life. My prayer and hope for this blog is that anyone who reads this will be edified and encouraged to trust in the Sovereign Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Life Lesson #1: God's Word defines reality 

In a previous blog, I talked about how my Schizoaffective disorder makes it difficult for me to distinguish what is real and what is not real. The solution to this problem is being grounded in God's word, the Bible. I have found that the word of the Living and True Triune God is the Truth. Anything that contradicts the Bible is not reality. For instance, when my voices tell me that I am God and that people are praying to me, well, I know that is false because the word of God says that there is only one God and I am not Him. This truth has really helped me refute the lies that my voices and intrusive thoughts attempt to deceive me with. 

Life Lesson #2: There is no reason to worry when God is sovereign 

This truth took me many years to fully grasp because I tend to worry a lot. I think that is a symptom of my mental illness because it also causes me to stress out a lot too. However, when I read Scripture, the common thread I see running through every page is that God is sovereign over all of creation. This means the Lord not only rules over all of creation but He also orchestrates everything that comes to pass. He has also promised to uphold me and to sustain us too. I find this truth to be rather comforting because I understand that as I go through life God is at work guiding me through everything. I no longer have to try to manipulate things to make them happen the way that I want to because I understand that everything will happen just as God has planned and his plan is ultimately good because He is good. Romans 8:28 promises us that God is working all things out for our good. This means that no matter what happens in this life, whether they are good things or even really heinous evil things, they are all working together for our good. We may not fully grasp how God is doing this but we can trust that this is true because God cannot lie. 

Life Lesson #3: God's Providence 

This next lesson is closely related to the lesson on the sovereignty of God, but it is a little different. Since the Lord is sovereign over all creation and He is actively ordaining everything that comes to pass, I know that God will always provide for me. I no longer have to worry about what I will eat or how I will pay my bills or even how I will get my psychiatric medication or ostomy supplies because The Lord always provides. I am commanded to seek and follow Him first and everything will be provided to me. This does not mean that The Lord will give all sorts of luxurious material possessions but it does mean that He will always provide for my needs. This also does not mean that I do not have to work for what I have either. Like I said earlier, the Lord works through ordinary means. This means that if I need to pay my bills, He will provide me with an income to do so in either the form of social security disability or through a job. If He provides me with a job, He will sustain me and give me the strength to fulfill the duties of that job. Right now, my job is being a Christian mental health advocate and while the income is not that much, I know that the Lord will provide in His time. I can rest by trusting in His providence. 

Life Lesson #4: Forming genuine relationships is superior than being right 

This lesson is something that has taken many years for me to finally understand. I have a tendency to be zealous for my beliefs and I tend to be very vocal about them too. This has caused me to make a lot of people very angry with me and I have lost a lot of relationships. However, the Lord has been good to me by providing me with certain relationships with people who have never left my side and I appreciate them for it. I have learned that sometimes for the sake of the relationship it is best to lay aside your pride and focus on what unites you with your friends or family instead of what divides you from them. It also takes wisdom to admit that you do not know everything and on some things you can be wrong too. 

Life Lesson #5: Being a good husband to my wife 

This lesson I have been learning recently since I have been married. As a husband, it is my responsibility to lead my wife into godliness and righteousness before God. She should submit to me, only as is fitting unto the Lord. This means as long as I am doing what I am supposed to do as a man of God, she should submit to me, but if I try to lead her into sin then she has no obligation to submit to that. I am blessed to have a wonderful godly marriage but sometimes my mental illness does cause me to do destructive things. It is in these moments that my wife must step up and handle business until I am stable enough again to handle being the leader. This is a hard truth for me to admit because I do tend to be very prideful but it takes great humility to admit that I cannot always lead the way I am supposed to. My wife understands this and she is incredibly patient and loving towards me. 

Life Lesson #6: The grace of Christ is sufficient 

I confess that I have not always fully understood this concept but in recent years I have come to appreciate it. The fact is no matter what we go through in this life, the grace of Christ is enough for us. We honestly do not need anything else. We do not need money, cars, women, family, friends, or anything else because all we truly need is the grace of Christ. Any blessing that the Lord chooses to give us is solely because of His kindness and mercy to us. It is the height of arrogance to think that God owes us sinners anything at all. God does not owe us anything but wrath and condemnation for our sin and rebellion against Him. When we suffer, we should not expect God to heal us or our circumstances because He does not owe that to us. No, when we suffer, we should remember that Christ's grace is sufficient. So, even if we die, we will trust in Him and in His grace. When things are going well, we need to remember that Christ's grace is sufficient because we can lose everything over night. 

Life Lesson #7: Our Identity in Christ 

This lesson has been the most powerful lesson I have learned in my life. The Bible says that our very identity is so closely united to Christ that we can literally base our identities in Him. This means that nothing in all of creation defines who we are. Our mental illnesses, our physical disabilities, our relationships, or fame or fortune, or anything else does not define us. Our identity in Jesus Christ is the only thing that defines us. The word of God tells us that those who are in Christ are new creations and that we are holy and that we are royalty. We will one day reign on the New Heaven and New Earth with Jesus Christ and we will judge even the angels! This is an astounding truth that should completely revolutionize our self-esteem by affecting the way we see ourselves. 

I hope that these truths have a profound impact on you the way they have had a profound impact on me. We serve a good, holy, righteous, and just God. In a world that is increasingly becoming more and more evil, we can trust the God is always good. Please allow these truths to sink in your mind as you go throughout your life and always remember to stay in God's word because God's word is where we can see the Jesus Christ. Thank you for reading my blog and 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 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

To Make A One Time Donation

The Positive Effects Of Taking Care Of An Animal

 "A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, but even the compassion of the wicked is cruel" -Proverbs 12:10 


As some of you may know, I am a big time cat-lover. During my 30-year life I have owned plenty of cats as pets even though currently I do not own any pets. I have found that there are plenty of positive effects of taking care of an animal so I would highly recommend to anyone struggling with any kind of mental illness to own a pet because it will greatly benefit your mental health. Some of the positive effects of taking care of an animal are the following: 

1) Companionship 

2) Responsibility 

3) Purpose 

Keep in mind, this is not meant to be an exhaustive list so if you can think of any more benefits towards having a pet please feel free to let me know in the comments below. These are just some of the benefits I have found to have a positive impact on my mental health. However, everyone is different and so everyone has their own reasons for owning an animal. In this blog, I will talk about each of these points and explain how they serve to help positively impact mental health. At the end of thos blog, I hope that I will have convinced you to go out and get a pet today! It does not matter what kind of animal you have because what I am going to say will apply no matter what kind of animal you prefer. However, cats are the most superior of all the animals! 

Companionship 

I have found that in my life animals make wonderful companions. Whether you are happy or sad or angry, animals can sense your emotions and they will come around you to show you love and compassion. Animals do not care about you race, ethnic background, religion, political affliation, gender, or anything else that may divide human beings. They will show you true unconditional love no matter what. In my life, whenever I would be dealing with Depression, my cats would come near me and bring me such joy and comfort. I was always thankful for them. However, I will always say that having an animal should never replace human companionship. We were created to be in community with other human beings. So, having an animal is only a supplement for companionship not a replacement for being around other human beings. 

Responsibility 

Animals that you own will be completely dependent on you for their very existence. This means you must make sure they are fed and that they have water to drink and that they have their shots too. Also, you may have to clean their cage or litterbox or take them out for daily walks. All of this serves to help you become more responsible because you know that this creature depends on you. This will cause you to budget your money for food, shots, litter, cages, etc. This will also cause you to think more about how your actions effect your animal too. That is important because animals have feelings just like humans and when we do certain things it does make the animal either scared or happy. 

Purpose 

When we own an animal who is completely dependent on us for their sustenance and existence, it does give us a sense of purpose. It may not be an ultimate purpose however it does give us a sense that we are actually needed in this life. When we realize that our actions effect our animals, it creates in us an awareness that our creatures actually need us. This is important because people with mental illness have a tendency to feel like we are not needed in this life. That concept of feeling like we are not needed can be deadly. So, when we have an animal it really helps us to fulfill the purpose of helping us feel needed. Again, this should never replace our need in the Body of Christ. People in the Church are in desperate need of what we have to offer them so do not think that since you have a pet you can just pour all your love and attention into your pet and disregard your family in Christ. Our brothers and sisters in Christ need us just as much, if not more, than our pets do. 

I hope that this blog helps you understand how owning an animal can have some positive effects on your mental health. Do you own a pet? If so, please let me know what your favorite animal is and how they help you with your mental health. I thank you for reading this blog and I hope that it was a blessing in your life. May the God of grace bless you abundantly in the name of Jesus Christ. 

My Adorable Kittens!

-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

To Make A One Time Donation

Marriage & Mental Illness

 There is a common misconception within the Body of Christ that if you are mentally ill then and living on disability then you are not worthy of marriage. From what I have seen, this type of belief is usually leveled against godly men who struggle with mental illness. The logic usually goes like this: a godly man should be able to provide and protect their wives, mentally ill men cannot always provide and protect, therefore mentally ill men should not marry. In this blog, I will attempt to dispel this myth in hopes that any godly men who struggle with mental illness who desire to marry will have hope. The truth is the desire to marry is a good and godly desire for ALL people and I believe that most people are meant to marry. There are only a few exceptions where some men are meant to be single. This does not mean that you should marry anyone though. Scripture tells us that believers should only marry other believers and that is the only requirement, regardless of mental status, socioeconomic status, and racial and ethnic identity. As we live for the Lord and we focus on honoring Him, when the right time comes I believe He will lead you to the person you are meant to marry. In marriage, there are certain roles that a godly man must fulfill in order to be a competent husband and these roles are: 

1) Provider 

2) Protector 

3) Leader 

I will now expound on each of these points to explain how this looks in the lives of a married couple who deal with mental illness. I will say that whenever mental illness is involved all relationship dynamics look significantly different than other relationships. However, everyone is different and every marriage is also different too. 

Provider 

Most Christians believe that this means the man must be the breadwinner who pays the bills while the wife takes care of the home. However, in a marriage where the husband deals with mental illness, he may not be able to work a traditional job. In this case, the wife may have to be the breadwinner. However, I believe that the husband can still provide in other ways. For instance, he can provide for his wife's emotional needs, he can help out around the house in order to lighten her load, and when he is able he can contribute his social security money to take care of things she cannot take care of. In my marriage, this is the arrangement we have set up. I may not do this perfectly well but I do my best. 

Protector 

Sometimes when the husband is dealing with mental illness, he may not always be able to physically protect his wife either due to himself going through psychosis or because his paranoia makes him timid. However, the husband can be the protector of his wife's heart. This means he will do everything he can to always show his wife he cherishes and adores her. He will also work hard to show he is only attracted to her and he will provide a safe place for her to unload her frustrations and concerns to. 

Leader

This is one is very controversial especially in today's society because most people take offense to the Scriptural command that tells wives to submit to their husbands. However, there are times when the wife must not submit especially when he is dealing with severe psychosis. For instance, if he is dealing with hypomania and he tends to overspend the money, it would be wise for the wife to take charge of the finances momentarily until the husband's mind returns to stability. Also, the husband with mental illness can still lead the wife spiritually in things like Bible study and prayer and he can still make the final decision over the household, as long as his mind is stable. If he needs a medicine adjustment then for that times the leadership role should go to the wife so that she can help her husband get the help he needs. 

I understand that this is controversial for most Christians who have never thought about these things. However, when you are married, the couple is a team and they should work together for a common purpose. The wife is called her husband's helper and sometimes that role does require the wife to step up and make some serious life decisions. My advice for any man with mental illness who is considering marriage, you need to make sure you are taking care of your mental health. This means you are taking your medication daily and that you are going to all your psychiatric and therapy appointments too. For any woman considering marrying a man with mental illness, my advice for you is to make sure you are always willing to show grace and forgiveness to your husband. He may do or say things that will hurt your feelings but understand that he does not mean it. His illness can cause him to act in ways that are unnatural to his character. As always, both the man and woman should remain in constant prayer for one another because the only for any marriage to succeed is for the marriage to be centered on Christ. 

-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

To Make A One Time Donation

How Dealing With An Ostomy Bag Has Affected My Mental Health

 As some of you may know already, as of June of last year I have been dealing with a permanent  ostomy bag. For those of you who may not know what an ostomy bag even is, basically it is a medical bag that is attached to your stomach where your ileus or colon is and your feces go into the bag. My ostomy bag is an ileostomy bag so it is where my ileus is. At least once a week I have to change the bag out for a new bag and sometimes more than a few times a week whenever it leaks. The reason I have to deal with this is because last year a nurse practitioner by the name of Seth Colvin at Unison Behavioral Health put me on an antipsychotic medication that ended up perforating my colon. The surgeons at St. Vincent Hospital had to perform six or seven surgeries on me in order to save my life because I almost died. On top of having a perforated colon, I also had a pulmonary embolism and gastroparesis too. There was absolutely no way that I should have lived through that. However, The Lord had other plans for me and I ended up surviving. However, I have to now live with this ostomy permanently because my specialist says that my surgeries were so extensive that any further surgeries could cause complications like death. On most days, things are fine, but I would be lying if I said dealing with this has not affected me mentally. In this blog, I will talk about the different ways that dealing with an ostomy bag has affected my mental health and then I will talk about the different things that have really helped me cope with the mental ramifications. My hope is that the Lord will use my words to be a source of encouragement for anyone who is in a similar predicament. I understand that it may seem like it is the end of the world however we serve a mighty God who is in the business of using terrible things for our good. We can trust in Jesus Christ because He is good and He does not lie indeed He cannot lie. The different ways that dealing with my ostomy has affected my mental health are:

1) My Psychosis 

2) My Self-Image 

3) My Hope 

In this next section I will expound on each of these points and explain how I ended up being able to turn things around for the better. Of course, I could not do any of this on my own though. Everything I am able to accomplish is by the power of the Holy Spirit, who gives me the strength to keep moving. All the glory goes to God alone. I am just His vessel that aims to honor and glorify Him with all that I do. 

My Psychosis 

Some of you may already know that I have been diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder Bipolar Type 1. This means that I have schizophrenia mixed with bipolar disorder. Most days I am fine as long as my medication are working. However, dealing with this ostomy has aggravated my hypomania symptoms and have made me get easily overwhelmed and frustrated. There are days when all I want to do is cry out of the intense anger that I feel when I am dealing with this ostomy bag. During these times, I cannot help but think some pretty blasphemous and hateful thoughts toward God, even though I know better than to ever voice those thoughts. What has really helped me see things in a different perspective is being reminded on Romans 8:28 which says, 

"And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose" 

What this means to me is that no matter what I am dealing with the Lord will use everything I am going through for my good. Every time I deal with a bag leakage, even if its multiple times a day, God is using that seemingly insignificant trial for my good. I may not understand how He is doing this but I know and I trust that He is sovereign and in control over every single little detail of my life. Everything that happens to me happens for a reason because God has ordained it for my good. I may not fully understand this but I know that if God promises something He makes sure He fulfills His promises because He cannot lie. 

My Self-Image 

I understand that this may sound petty and childish to someone, but please understand something: I am a very conceited individual. That is not an understatement either. Before my surgeries, I used to be so full of myself because I honestly believed that I was the best looking man on the planet and that I knew how to treat any woman better than any other man too. Basically, I believed that I was the best at everything I put my mind too. I know this may sound like a surprise to those who thought they knew me well, however, there is a side to me that even  they were not aware of, unless they seen my old YouTube videos. Well, after my surgeries, I was really humbled a lot. I remember as I was laying in the hospital bed, I would look at my ostomy bag and feel disgusted with myself. Every time I would see my poop coming it grossed me out. Today, my self-esteem is kind of repaired but it is not where it used to be at all. I no longer believe that I am the best looking man. I actually feel like my ostomy bag makes me look extremely ugly. However, I understand that looks aren't everything. What matters most is how one lives their life for the Lord. Nowadays, I care more about my character than about what I look like on the outside. I tend to focus on how I treat everyone I come in contact with instead of trying to impress them. Basically, the Lord has really used this experience to humble and help me focus on being more loving and compassionate instead of being full of pride. 

My Hope

I remember right after my surgeries, I felt an incredible anger towards God. My wife would visit me daily and ask me if I wanted to pray with her and I would tell her no. My thought process was that God must really hate me and so I was beginning to hate God. I almost lost my faith during this time. However, the Lord was very patient with me and He kept bringing to my mind Romans 8:28 and eventually my spirit began to start lifting. Soon I was praying with my wife and alone again, then I started reading the Bible again, and I even began witnessing to a nurse while I was in the hospital too. What really helped me during this time was remembering the beauty of the Gospel. I really started to remember how I am a sinner who deserves absolutely nothing from God except an eternity in hell, but how God came to this earth as a human being in order to take the punishment that I deserve upon Himself, and then He rose from the dead showing that death has no control over Him. I started to remember that I am called to be with Christ for all eternity in the New Heaven and New Earth, where there will be no more sorrow, suffering, pain, sin, or mental illness ever again because God will cast the devil and death itself into the lake of fire. The hope of the consummation of Heaven and Earth where I will reign for eternity with my King is the what keeps me going every day. Even when things look bleak, I think about how someday all this pain and suffering will disappear and all I will ever see is the beauty and majesty of Jesus Christ, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I love Him with my whole being and He is the reason for my existence. 

Now, that I have gotten that out of the way, in this next section, I will give some advice to anyone who is in a similar predicament as me. These are suggestions that has helped me and is continuing to help me too. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list so if you can think of anything else that would be helpful please add them in the comments below. The main things that have helped me are: 

1) My Wife 

2) My Sisters and Friends 

3)  My Church 

4) Prayer 

Now, just like the first section, I will expound on each of these points and talk about how they have helped me and maybe they will help you as well. 

My Wife 

I am very grateful to have my wife by my side and I appreciate her so very much. I know that sometimes I get on her nerves but she is always patient with me no matter what. The Lord has really blessed me with her. I actually shudder to think about where I'd be if I was going through all of this by myself. My point is it is very important that when you are going through something like this you need someone your close to to support you. We should not being going through this alone. Whether it is a spouse, parent, sibling, or whatever we all need someone. So, if you have this special someone in your life, show them appreciation and do not take them for granted. 

My Sisters and Friends

Family and friends are also very important. If I did not have my sisters who are always praying for me even when they do not understand me, I would not be here today. My friends also have been by side always no matter what. The bottom line is, we all need to appreciate our family and friends. We only get one family and our friends are our friends for a reason. So, do not be afraid to reach out to any of them when you are struggling. Contrary to popular opinion, it is actually an act of great strength to admit you need help. 

My Church

My church community has been vital in my overcoming what I went through. If it were not for the faithfulness in helping my wife and I and for their prayers for me, I am not sure where I'd be. They also served a good purpose in reminding me of the Gospel too. We all need to hear the Gospel daily because we so easily forget. So if you belong to a church that faithfully preaches the unadulterated Gospel message you are truly blessed. 

Prayer

This is by far the most important tool that has helped me the best/ Prayer is simply talking to God and you do not need to pray in any kind of way. All you need to do is freely express yourself to Him in whatever way that looks. Jesus cares for us and wants us to be real with Him. I like how I can express my doubts, anger, and frustration to God and He is big enough to handle them. The Lord is incredibly patient with His children too. Prayer has been a major catalyst in my life that has helped me get through many different trials and tribulations. 


I hope that this blog blesses you and I thank you for taking the time to read this. May the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all!! 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 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

To Make A One Time Donation

Dealing With Insecurities While Being Mentally Ill

 "But you a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" -1 Peter 2:9 

As someone who has struggled with mental illness all of my life, I have always dealt with feelings of insecurity. When I was younger people would call me "stupid" or "retarded" whenever I exhibited behavior that they thought was weird. These kids did not understand that I had a clinical mental illness that I was struggling with and that it did not mean that I was less intelligent than they were. They just seen someone acting strangely and they assumed it was because of mental retardation. For the longest time I allowed their words to penetrate my mind and now even today as an adult from time to time I still find myself doubting my intelligence. Nowadays, when I doubt my intelligence, it manifests in me becoming argumentative because I think that if I can convince the other person to see things my way that will prove that I am smart. Awhile back I used to deal with this insecurity by getting into romantic relationships and clinging to the women whom I was dating. My thinking here was that if a woman chose to be with me that must mean I have value and thus I am intelligent. In this blog, I will give some encouragement to those who struggle with insecurity while dealing with a mental illness. The encouragement will be what I have learned from the Bible that has helped me and I hope that it will help you too. The three lessons I have learned that have helped have to do with 1) Identity, 2) Purpose, and  3) Community. My hope is that after reading this blog, you will be encouraged and that whenever you start feeling insecure you will remember what I discussed here. 

Identity 

This topic has been the most important fact for me to grasp because once I truly understood my identity in Christ I stopped caring what others thought of me. Whenever I start having doubts in my mind about who I am I always remind me of what the Gospel says about who I am. So, what exactly does the Gospel say about our identity in Christ. Well, for starters, according to 1 Peter 2:9, we are a holy nation and a royal priesthood. Holy means "set apart for God". This means that we were created for the sole purpose of being God's possession. According to the dictionary,   royalty means "people of royal blood or status" and it has the picture of kings, queens, princes, and princesses.  We know that according to the Gospel that the righteousness of Christ covers us and that is what elevates our status to being royalty. This means that because of Jesus Christ we are on the same level as a royal prince and princess! When I fully understood what this meant, it radically changed how I view myself. 

Purpose 

So when you understand your status in Christ, the next obvious question is "Why did God choose me?" Well, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 answers this when it says, 

"For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of . noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that as it is written 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord'." 

According to this text, God chose us from the foundations of the world because we were weak and there was absolutely nothing special about us according to worldly standards. We can bever say that it was because of anything in us that would cause God to choose us because all we have to offer Him is our sin and depravity. Even our good deeds are considered like filthy rags in His sight because He is holy and we are sinful. However, God chose us to accomplish His purposes which will ultimately bring Him glory. Our main purpose according to 1 Peter 2:9 is to "proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into  his marvelous light"  which means we are to tell people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No matter what else we do in this life, our primary purpose is to tell people about what God has done for sinful humanity and how they can be made right with God by repenting and putting their faith in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation. Elsewhere in scripture, we are called to be ambassadors for Christ. The definition of an ambassador is "an accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country". As citizens of the heavenly kingdom, we are commissioned to be heaven's official representatives in this world in whatever country or state we live in. This is a high calling and it is a high privilege for those of us who love the Lord. When you truly understand what this means, it should radically transform the way you conduct your  daily lives. 

Community

This last thing that has helped develop a better sense of self-worth is being apart of a community. I cannot stress enough just how important this is for stable mental health. We read in the Genesis account that God said it was not good for man to be alone right before He created the woman. It is important to note that the Lord said this before sin had entered into the world! So, if even Adam needed companionship while in the perfection of Eden then how much more do we need community with other people? For me, the community that has helped me was being part of the local church and my family and friends. A community of people who care for you will be able to recognize when you are not doing too well and will be able to bring it to your attention. They can hold you accountable when you are doing wrong and they can offer you a shoulder to cry on when you are in pain. I know that in my life if it were not for the local church I would probably not be here today. This is why it is very important to be plugged into a community. I strongly recommend support groups as well because a support group can provide you an outlet to express what you are dealing with with people who truly understand you because they deal with the very same things as well. 

I hope that this blog helps you better understand what can help you deal with insecurities while dealing with mental illness. Thank you for reading this. 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 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

To Make A One Time Donation

Mental Illness & Anger

"Be angry and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent." -Psalm 4:4 

As someone who struggles with Schizophrenia and Bipolar, I have a tendency to have a lot of built up anger inside of me. This anger tends to manifest itself in me getting easily frustrated over little things that really should not bother me, but for some reason they do. My wife can testify to my anger issues because she has witnessed me getting angry at inanimate objects when they do not function the way I want them too. For example, when my laptop is operating slower than usual, I have a tendency to yell and swear at it. I am not sure what it is in side of those of us with mental illness that tends to cause us to be this way. I have spoken to other people specifically with Schizophrenia who have reported to me that they also have this pent up anger inside of them. On most days we seem just fine because we have become masters of the art of covering up our real emotions. We do this because we live in a society that constantly bombards us with messages either from church or from the secular world that anger is bad and that we shouldn't be angry. However, according to the above verse anger is not a bad thing. I say this because the scripture clearly makes a distinction between being angry and sinning. In other words, the Psalmist is assuming that one can be angry and NOT sin. I believe that there are two different types of anger: 1) righteous anger and 2) sinful anger. In this blog, I will do my best to describe both forms of anger. My hope that after reading this you will be encouraged because no matter which kind of anger you feel the Lord Jesus Christ is gracious and patient with us and He forgive us of all our iniquities because of what He did for us on the cross. 

Righteous Anger 

This type of anger is bit more tricky to understand because I have personally witness people mistake sinful anger for being righteous anger. However, I think a proper definition of righteous anger is when one feels indignation over some injustice being done or when something immoral is being promoted. For example, in the month of June I feel a righteous anger towards all the gay pride stuff being paraded around and flaunted in our faces, especially on social media. I also feel a righteous anger when I hear about certain organizations that openly admit to targeting children with a LGBTQ agenda. However, I believe that the best example of someone who felt a righteous anger is our Lord Jesus Christ. In John 3, we read about how Jesus was deeply disturbed by the moneychangers who selling things inside the temple, which was considered the house of God. As a response, Jesus took some whips and drove the moneychangers out of the temple, even flipping over their tables! Jesus definitely was no pansy! How many churches these days follow in the footsteps of the moneychangers by opening up coffee shops and bookstores inside their churches? Shouldn't we feel some sort of way about this? 

Sinful Anger 

Like I said earlier, this type of anger frequently gets confused for being righteous anger. However, I think a proper definition for this type of anger is when someone feel indignation for some kind selfishness or self-preservation. I know that I frequently feel this type of anger but I rarely feel the other type of anger. For example, when I get angry because my laptop is not functioning as quickly as I'd like it is usually because I have a livestream scheduled and I do not want to look like a liar in front of all my subscribers. In this instance, I am getting angry because I want to save face with the people who are expecting to see me. Another perfect example of someone who experienced sinful anger is the Apostle Peter. In one of the Gospel accounts, Peter got upset with Jesus because Jesus kept talking to them about how He was going to be handed over to the Sanhedrin who would later hand Him over to the Roman soldiers who would then crucify Him. Well, Peter did not like this very much and he attempted to rebuke the Lord who then turned around and rebuked him and even called him "satan". I imagine that Peter got upset because he was afraid that if it were true that Jesus would crucified then they come after him and the rest of the discples next. As a result, he decided to try to dissuade Jesus from going down that path so that he wouldn't have to worry about anyone coming after him. Boy, was he in for a rude awakening! 

No matter which type of anger you find yourself in, there is absolutely no reason to despair. I know that when I blow up into a fit of rage over something minuscule I tend to feel really guilty. I feel guilty for dishonoring Christ and sometimes I even feel guilty for embarrassing my wife. However, it is in these moments that we need to desperately cling to Romans 8:1 which says, 

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

Also the Lord says about those who repent and puts their faith in Him, 

"For I will be merciful and forgive their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more" 

I admit I do not understand how God can forget my sins but I know that it is true and that when God sees me He sees the pure and holy righteousness of Jesus Christ on me. This is true for all true belivers in the Lord. So, next time you feel anger about anything, be angry. Do not cover up your anger. Let our your anger in healthy ways and then just know that the blood of Christ covers a multitude of sins and nothing in all of creation will ever separate us from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Romans 8:35-37) 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 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

To Make A One Time Donation