Simply Danny: Seeing A Psychiatrist For The First Time (Part 3)

 ***This is a fictitious account of a man named Danny who deals with Clinical Depression. Some content in this series may be triggering. If you are easily triggered, please do not read this***

It is officially the third day since I've been admitted into this psychiatric hospital and I do not feel any better. I keep thinking to myself of ways that I can kill myself, but it is frustrating because I cannot do any of them while I am here. If I let on to these nurses what I am thinking then they will never let me out of here. It is for this reason that I need to essentially fake it until I make it. If I can successfully convince these people that I am well, then they will let me leave, and then I can fulfill my plan. However, I am so very stupid and that means that I will most likely fail at trying to convince these people. They are much more intelligent than I am. But, I have to try anyway. Otherwise, I'll be stuck inside of here until I die of old age. A male nurse says over the intercom that it is time for Breakfast right now, so I slowly get up and begin my slow shuffle to the Day Room. 

As I am walking with my head down, I begin looking at the cracks in the floor once again. These cracks perfectly describe my life. Broken. Falling Apart. Decrepit. My life in a nutshell. I eventually make it to the Day Room and sit down on one of the seats at one of the round tables. A female nurse brings me my tray and I open the lid. I see pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, a fruit cup, and white milk. What a hearty Breakfast but too bad I do not enjoy eating anymore. I grab my fork and begin to slowly eat while at the same time thinking about how much of a worthless human being I am. Justin comes and sits down at my table with his tray. Today he is eating a bowl of oatmeal, scrambled eggs, and hot coffee. I used to enjoy coffee. We sit in silence while eating our food for about three minutes, but then he decides to break the silence. I hate that because I just want to be left alone. 

"So, where are you from?" He quietly asks. I give him an annoyed look before telling him that I am from right here in Colorado Springs. He then tells me that he is from Denver. I wonder to myself why the heck is he here for? Are there no psychiatric hospitals in Denver? However, I do not bother asking him because I do not really care. I just continue eating my food in silence. 

"Do you like drugs?" He asks me and I am surprised that he would ask me this. What the heck is this guy's problem? I just politely shake my head and then tell him that I am a Christian. He tells me that he is a Christian too but that he also likes Shrooms. Yeah, I bet he does. I do not know much about the Bible but I think it says that doing drugs is sinful, but whatever. I just wish this guy would leave me alone already. A female nurse comes up to me after I finish eating to take my tray and then tells me that Doctor Thurman wants to see me now. Finally, I have an excuse to get away from this moron. I quickly get up and begin walking to Dr. Thurman's office. 

Once I am in the Doctor's office, the first thing I notice is how small it is. Shouldn't a Doctor's office be a lot bigger? I also notice that Dr. Thurman is dressed rather strangely. He is wearing a colorful coogie sweater with dress pants. He also has thick-rimmed glasses and his hair is combed to the side. He is some sight to see actually. I look around the room before sitting down and I see that he has a bookshelf full of books on Psychology. This guy may be strange but I guess he is smart. He is at least smarter than I am. Everyone is smarter than I am. As soon as I sit down, he smiles at me. 

"How are you doing today, Dan? Are you alright with me calling you Dan?" He asks me and I sigh and tell him that I prefer Danny. He apologizes. I tell him that I wish that I was not here. 

"I understand," He says while nodding "We just need to make sure you are safe before we discharge you. We do not want you to hurt yourself or others. Can you tell me what brought you to this hospital?" I get frustrated with this question. How many times do I have to explain this to these people? Don't they have a chart on me or something? I groan loudly, but he seems unfazed. I slowly explain to him how I tried to kill myself but that I was unsuccessful because I am stupid. He simply nods and writes something down in his notepad. I begin wondering what is he writing about me and I notice my right leg shaking. I put my right hand on it to get it to stop. 

"Why did you want to kill yourself, Danny?" He seems genuinely concerned, but I do not buy it. He is getting paid to pretend like he cares for people like me. I tell him about how I lost my job and how I want to be reunited with my mom in Heaven. For real, don't these people communicate with each other about us? This is getting ridiculous how I must keep repeating myself to everyone. He asks me about my sleep patterns, eating habits, relationship with others, and what my daily life at home looks like. Then, all of a sudden, he hits me with a question that surprises me. 

"What are your thoughts concerning the future?" He asks me and I pause. Why would he ask me this for? I look up at the clock on the wall. The Mickey Mouse face is telling me that it is 8:00 in the morning. It has officially been half an hour already. I sigh yet again. I don't want to be in here. I decide to be honest with him and tell him that I see myself dying shortly. He does not look surprised at my answer at all. 

"Why do you think that for?" He asks and I tell him because I am going to kill myself. He jots something else down in his notepad. Boy, I just want to snatch that notepad out of his hands just so I can see what he is writing about me. After about thirty more minutes of questioning, he finally tells me that I have an illness called Major Depression Disorder. He says that it is characterized by really low moods, low energy, feelings of hopelessness, dysfunctional relationships, and a whole host of other symptoms. What he is saying actually makes sense. I knew that there was something wrong with me because nothing I did ever seemed to cheer me up. 

"I know that this is tough for you to hear, but I can help you feel better" He promises me and I do feel a sense of relief. He says that he will be prescribing me about 50 mg of Zoloft, but he tells me that it will not completely cure my Depression because my Depression will always be with me for the rest of my life. However, he assures me that with the medication and the proper use of coping skills and therapy, I can learn to properly manage my Depression. I actually feel a sense of relief about this. Maybe there is a glimmer of hope for me after all. He types something into his computer and then stands up and reaches out his hand. I stand up and we shake hands. He then thanks me for my time and I walk out of his office actually smiling for the first time in a long while. Maybe it was a good thing for me to come to this hospital. Maybe finally I will begin to feel better. Right now, I have the song Every Morning by Sugar Ray playing in my head. I begin humming the tune to myself as I walk back to my room. 

STAY TUNED FOR PART 4 OF THIS SERIES... 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Simply Danny: The Details Within These Walls (Part 2)

 

 ***This is a fictitious account of a man named Danny who deals with Clinical Depression. Some content in this series may be triggering. If you are easily triggered, please do not read this***

It took these nurses what seemed like an eternity for them to transfer me to this psychiatric hospital. However, when they finally did, the first thing I noticed was how massive it was. I mean, it was built like an old Roman Catholic Cathedral! It had tinted windows lined up all around the building. I assume that was to prevent anyone from seeing the people inside. I guess I can appreciate the fact that they want to protect our privacy. The hospital is called Memorial Hospital and I was told that it is actually run by the Catholics. No wonder it is so massively huge. As the transporter is wheeling me into the building, I look around and immediately notice that along the walls are crucifixes hanging. I also notice that they have pictures with sentimental sayings such as "Home is where the heart is". It actually makes me sick to my stomach. I do not feel like I have a home. The house I live in is an empty shell with a woman who would be happier if I were dead. I just want to die already. Oh, Lord, why couldn't  You just let me die in my kitchen? Why do I have to continue living this pathetic excuse of a life? One of the nurses approach me and the first thing I notice is how rotund she is. She literally looks like she ate one too many Boston Cream Donuts. She greets me with a gentle smile and speaks to me as if I am a child, which just further aggravates me. This woman must think I am the dumbest man alive. Maybe I am. I mean, I couldn't even succeed at killing myself. She lets me stand up from my wheelchair and then she leads me into some tiny office. This office looks pretty empty, except for a small table with a computer on it. The walls around are pretty bland too. There is not a single decoration anywhere in this room. It actually perfectly describes my life. Bland and boring. We take our seats and she then proceeds to ask me a series of long questions. 

"So, what brings you here to Memorial Catholic Psychiatric Hospital?" She asks and I am bewildered. Weren't they informed of what I had attempted to do before I came here? I groan loudly and she does not even flinch. I carefully explain to her how I attempted to kill myself. She quietly types on the computer. For about two minutes all I hear is the rapping of the keyboard buttons being tapped. I decide to stare at my feet. I notice that my right foot is tapping on the floor. I must be nervous. I guess I am because I do not know what to expect. I've never been to a Psychiatric hospital before and all I've known about them was from movies. Am I going to see people acting like zoo animals or am I going to see a bunch of walking zombies because they are hopped up on medication? Are they going to give me a whole bunch of medication? I shudder at the thought and now I want to die even more. 

"Why did you want to die?" She calmly asks me. I groan again. I really do not want to explain this to her. However, I decided to give her the condensed version. What could it hurt? I tell her that I miss my mother and I would like to be with her again. She was the only person who truly cared for and understood me. The nurse begins rapping on the keyboard again. I stare at the clock on the wall. I did not notice it before, but now I see that it has a Mickey Mouse face in the center. The Mickey Mouse's face seems to be mocking me with his smiling face. Why does he have to appear to be so happy? If he were real, he would not be so happy because real life is not a joyous thing. I hate my life. 

"Are you still feeling suicidal?" She proceeds to ask me and I honestly do not know how to respond. I was not expecting this answer, but I just cooperatively say yes. She then asks me if I have any plans. I did not think of that because I am not sure how I could manage to hurt myself in a place like this. So, I just tell her that no I don't. She resumes her typing yet again. I see the clock again and this time I pay extra close attention to the ticking. It's 5:00 in the evening and I am feeling famished. I hope they are planning on feeding me soon. I have not had anything in all day. I really should not care about whether or not I eat because I want to die but I heard that dying by starvation is not pleasant. I do not want to die slowly either. She proceeds to explain to me what she calls my "patient rights" such as my right to privacy and my right to not have my picture taken and other meaningless things. Then, I have to sign some piece of paper. I feel like I am signing my life away. 

"How long do I have to stay here for?" I ask because I am afraid they will try to keep me here forever. I just want to leave and go kill myself. This time I'll succeed because I will get ahold of a gun somehow and blow my brains out. Imagine the glee that Angela will feel when she sees my brains splattered all over the walls. She then told me that it is up to my psychiatrist. Oh, great, he is going to keep me here forever! I groan loudly again. She just ignores me and continues typing. Then, she stands up and says that she will now take me to my room. I actually get a room? Maybe this place is not so bad. I wonder how comfortable my bed will be. If it is comfortable I will just sleep the whole time I am here. On the way down the long hallway, she explains to me that I do not have to attend the group therapies but if I do then it will go a long way in helping the doctor know if I am ready for discharge. That gives me hope. So, if I attend these stupid groups, then I can get out of here sooner? She then asks me if I identify with any cultural or religious beliefs and I tell her that I am a Christian. The truth is, I have not been to church in many years and I have not read the Bible in just that long too, but I do believe in Jesus though. 

As we walk into the room, the first thing I notice is two twin beds laying parallel to one another. I also notice that there is one chair up against the wall too. Some man is sitting in that chair with the lights turned off. The nurse calls the man's name. He is Justin and she introduces me saying that I am his roommate. All of a sudden, I feel scared. Why do I have to share a room with a complete stranger? I do not even know if I can trust this man. What if he tries to kill me in my sleep? I guess I'll be sleeping with one eye open while I am here. The man politely says hello to me and he seems friendly, but then he goes back to staring blankly at the wall. I wonder what he is thinking. Or what he is staring at? The walls here are not too fascinating. They are much like the walls in the tiny office the nurse had me in before. There are not even any pictures or anything at all. I lay on my bed for about five minutes, but it is not comfortable at all. It feels like I am laying on a hard gym mat with a pillow and a thin blanket. All of a sudden, a nurse announces on an intercom that dinner is being served. Good, I am feeling starved. I immediately stand up and start heading out to what is called the Day Room. 

The Day Room looks more lively because the walls are actually colorful. I see one wall painted red and another wall painted yellow and the two other walls are green. I like that a lot. I also notice that there is only one television that seems like everyone shares. I notice that the people here all seem like normal people that I would see in daily life. No one is running around like a zoo animal and no one seems to be hopped up on too many sedatives either. I guess the movies were wrong in their depictions. I sit down at a small round table and a nurse brings me a tray with a lid on it. I open the lid and to my surprise, I see two cheeseburgers, green beans, a fruit cup, and chocolate milk. This actually looks like a delicious meal. I decide that this place might not be so bad. It is also very quiet in here, except for the television playing Gunsmoke. I hate that show with a passion. I do not understand what people see in it. 

I eat my meal in silence and the other people seem to just ignore my presence. I am fine with that because I want to be left alone anyway. After I finish, I put my tray away and begin heading back to my room. However, I overhear one of the nurses announcing on the intercom that it is time for Process Therapy Group whatever that means. I start heading toward the room where the group is being held and take my seat. I notice that this room has a 75-inch plasma screen television in it and I wonder why they need such a massively large television in this room. However, I do not ask about it because I do not care too much. There are pictures of Jesus holding lambs all over the walls in this room too. I think they look nice. Four more people come into the room and take their seats. The group therapist has us introduce ourselves. There is Amy, who suffers from severe panic attacks, Greg, who is a suicidal alcoholic, John, who is a Schizophrenic, and then there is Justin, who suffers from severe Depression. I feel a sense of relief to be around these people because for once I do not feel so alone. Maybe these people will understand me. 

The group therapist begins talking about the importance of having coping skills. What is a "coping skill"? I've never heard that terminology before. She explains that coping skills are things we do to help us cope with life's stressors. I am not sure what my coping skills would be, but I do like listening to music and watching movies though. Do they count? I guess that they do because they are what Amy says she likes and the therapist seems pleased with that answer. The therapist continues talking, but I drone her out. All I can seem to think about is how after I leave this place I am going to succeed at killing myself. Maybe I should drink Bleach or this time stab myself in the throat. The group seems to last forever. Amy begins crying, but I am not sure why though. Greg hands her some tissues and she tells him thanks. I just want this group to end so that I can go back to my room and sleep. I would love to fall asleep and never wake up. 

After about thirty minutes, the group therapy is over. I guess that was not so bad. It was kind of mundane, but this whole place is pretty drab. I stand up and begin walking back to my room in a slow shuffle while looking down at the floor. I notice the tiny cracks in the floor. When was the last time they had someone take a look at this? The floor tiles look like they need to be replaced. Once I am in my room, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. I actually find solace in this boring room. I pull back the blanket and lay down on the bed. At least the pillow is nice and soft. After about five minutes, I drift off to sleep. I wish that it would be the sleep of death. 

STAY TUNED FOR PART 3 OF THIS SERIES... 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Check out the other Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Simply Danny: Ending Up In The Psychiatric Hospital For The First Time (Part 1)

 ***This is a fictitious account of a man named Danny who deals with Clinical Depression. Some content in this series may be triggering. If you are easily triggered, please do not read this***

Hi, my name is Danny Valentino and I am 23 years old. I live with my wife of three years but we have no children yet. Angela says that she does not want children until I get some "professional" help. I am not entirely sure what exactly she even means by that. I mean, I do feel a little sad but who would not be in my predicament? I had an amazing job as an IT specialist, but because of a crude joke I made to a fellow co-worker I got fired. Maybe I should not have made that joke to her, but then again maybe she should not have been so dang sensitive. Everyone in this world is super sensitive these days. Also, I just recently lost my loving mother to cancer about three years ago and today happens to be the anniversary of her passing. Maybe that is why I am extra sad right now. Anyways, it has been about three weeks and it seems like I cannot get out of this funk that I am in. Food does not taste right to me anymore and movies do not hold the same kind of pleasure that they once held either. I used to enjoy walks in the park with my wife, but these days all I really want to do is lay in bed all day like a beached whale. My wife keeps making these attempts to cheer me up but all they do is aggravate me. I do not intend to get upset with her. I know she means well, but I just want to be left alone with my music. I am currently listening to Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars as I ride on the bus. It is an upbeat song and I put it on my iPod because I was thinking it would lift my spirits. However, it is just driving me to become even more sad. I cannot believe how happy and energetic he seems to be. How can he be so carefree when the world is going to crap? I do not understand. I am staring down at my feet when I notice an elderly white woman looking at me. I look up at her and pause my music. 

"Can I help you?" I ask while trying not to sound rude. But, I am pissed off that she would cause me to interrupt my music. She just smiles at me. I guess she is not good at reading social cues. I sigh really loudly. Hopefully, she gets the hint and decides to leave me alone. 

"Is everything alright, young man?" She inquires of me. I merely nod my head and go back to listening to my music. I see her mouthing something but I just turn up my music volume. I cannot believe she does not take the hint and leave me alone. After a while, she decides to talk to someone else. She must be feeling really lonely. I am the one who should feel lonely. I have no one who truly understands me, not even my own wife. Angela thinks that I am a detriment to society and maybe I am. Maybe I should just do the world a favor and just kill myself. I think that is what I will do as soon as I get home. If I can successfully kill myself, then I will finally be at peace and be reunited with my mom. No one will care anyway and Angela will finally be free of me. I've only been a burden to her anyway. If I die, then everyone will be happy, including all of my so-called "friends" who only pretend to like me to get favors from me. 

I see my stop approaching and I pull the bus cord. As the bus comes to a halt, I begin to step off the bus. The elderly woman waves at me. Stupid old hag. As I am walking home, I am considering all the ways that I can kill myself. I can hang myself on the tree in the backyard or I can drink some bleach. Or maybe I can just jump in front of a moving car. Whatever I do, it has to be quick and painless because I do not want to suffer any more than I have to. I walk into my apartment and Angela greets me with a fake smile. She is playing nice but I know deep down she wants me to die. She has Life Insurance on me so if I die, she will be rich. And happy too. Everyone will be happy without me. 

"Are you alright, babe?" She asks me gently. Why is everyone asking me this today? I do not like all this attention. I just nod my head and start walking to the kitchen. My wife tells me that she is going to head to the store real quick. Perfect. This means that I will be alone for a while. Now, is my time to kill myself. When she gets back home, she will be in for a pleasant surprise. I bet it will just make her day so much better. It's actually the most loving thing I can do for my wife. It will release her of a huge burden. Didn't the Apostle Paul command husbands to "lay down their lives for their wives"? I think this means that if I am a burden to my wife, I must remove myself literally to make her happy. Her happiness is all I care about really. 

Angela steps out of the apartment and makes her way down the stairs. As soon as I hear our car start-up, I open up a drawer in the kitchen. I grab the sharpest knife I can find. I think this will finally do the trick. I just have to cut my wrist deep enough to cause me to bleed out and then I'll slip into the Afterlife. Oh, blessed Afterlife. Mother, I am going to see you very soon. I put the blade to my wrist and immediately a surge of fear runs through me. What if I mess up? What if I seriously injure myself? What if I do die but then I end up in hell? Wouldn't that be worse than the hell I am in now? I do not think so. This hell couldn't be any worse. I just have to do this quickly. 

As I make the first slit on my wrist and see the blood oozing from it, I feel a sense of euphoria. This was not expected. How can cutting myself feel good? This is strange. Maybe I am a freak of nature. I decide to keep cutting my arms. Oh, joy! All of a sudden, I hear my front door opening. Crap, is she already back home. As she steps inside, she yells saying that she forgot her purse. I quickly put the knife back in the drawer but then I begin feeling light-headed. I think death is coming for me now. I immediately become very happy. For the first time in a while. As I fall to the floor, I see Angela rush to my side. I do not hear anything she is saying, but I see her pick up our landline phone. Then, everything goes pitch black. I smile. 

All of a sudden, I woke up in a hospital bed and see my wife standing by me crying. Why is she crying? And why am I still alive? Did I do something wrong? I am laying in a hospital bed and my arms are wrapped in gauze. This is horrible. Somehow my plan backfired. Maybe that is why Angela is crying. She is disappointed that I failed. This is just great. First, I fail at life and now I fail at killing myself. I suck at life and I am a trash human being. I am lower than dung and dumber than a rock. 

"Why did you do this?" She asks me, "What were you thinking?" I just shrug my shoulders and then tell her that I do not want to live anymore because I am tired of being a burden on her. She looks genuinely surprised and tells me that I am not a burden. I do not buy it. She is supposed to say that because she needs to put on a show for the doctors and nurses here. I must admit that she is one hell of an actor. She deserves an Oscar award. Some young doctor comes into my room and introduces himself as Dr. Thomas. He tells me that since I attempted to take my life I must be admitted into their psychiatric facility on a 72-hour mandatory hold. Oh, great! My life just got a whole lot worse! First, I fail at life, then I fail at death, and now I am going to be locked away inside a nuthouse! Things could not get any worse. My wife asks to speak to Dr. Thomas outside the room and they both step out. I wonder what she is going to talk to him about. Probably about how they should keep me in there indefinitely. I become even more sad and angry at the same time. 

After about five whole minutes, my wife comes back in and tells me that she will visit me every day when she can. I simply nod my head. She kisses me on the forehead and assures me that I'll be back home in no time. She says that they will just check me out and see what they can do to "help" me. Help? I do not think anything can help me anymore. Not even God Himself. Angela then grabs her purse and walks away. I begin to cry. I cannot believe what my life has become. 

STAY TUNED FOR PART 2 OF THIS SERIES...

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Check out the other Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Why God Does Not Heal Mental Illness?

 

As some of you may know already, I consider myself a strict cessationist. What this means is that I believe that the spiritual gifts have ceased for today. I fully understand that this is controversial in many Christian circles, but I am not afraid of controversy. I am more concerned about what the Bible says and I found that the Bible supports the view called cessationism. Right now, you may be thinking that you want to stop reading my blog, but first please hear me out. As Christians, our primary concern should be what the Scriptures teach and not what man's opinion is. So what exactly is the biblical basis for cessationism? Well, if you turn to Hebrews 1:1-2, we read, 

"God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his son, whom He has appointed as heirs of all things, through whom also He made the worlds..." 

I would like to stress how this text says that in former times God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. This means that God has always used mediators to communicate with His people. This is an important point to make because many Christians believe that they hear directly from God Himself, but this text would flatly contradict that belief. God speaks through His prophets and apostles. If this text were not clear enough for you, please turn with me to Hebrews 2:3-4, which says, 

"...how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, God also bearing witness both signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?" 

Do you notice how this text is speaking in the past tense? This would indicate that at the time of the writer to the Hebrews writing this letter that the spiritual gifts were either ceasing or have already ceased. Why else would the writer to the Hebrews be speaking in the past tense? It was almost as if the writer knew that his audience may have been wondering why they were not seeing the miracles that they were hearing about in previous times. 

Since we have established that God does not speak directly to just anyone, the question still remains about whether or not there are prophets and apostles today. Some Christians answer in the affirmative while others answer in the negative. But, what does the Bible say? As it is, the clear biblical answer to this question is no. When we turn to Ephesians 4:11-13, we read, 

"And He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edification of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ..." 

Some Christians who answer the question above in the affirmative will see this text and say, "See, this is saying that there are prophets and apostles today" and then they will close their Bibles, thinking that is the end of the discussion. But, that would be a gross misunderstanding of this text. What Paul is pointing out here is the fact that Christ, as the Body's Head, has appointed the prophets of old and the twelve apostles with authority, then afterward He appointed teachers, pastors, and evangelists. He was simply saying that Christ is the One who is the head of all the people who preach with authority and that they were appointed for the edification of the Church. One must commit eisegesis to make this text say anything else. 

So, if the spiritual gifts have ceased for today, then does this mean that God is no longer acting in the world? Heaven's no. God is still very much acting in this world. To say otherwise is to misunderstand the nature of God. However, the primary way the Lord acts in the world is through what theologians call ordinary means. What does this mean exactly? It means that God is active through the ordinary providence of His creation. For example, when we turn to Genesis 1:11-13, we read, 

"Then, God said, 'Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth'; and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the third day" 

Notice the use of the words "bring forth" and then later the words "brought forth". This would indicate that God brought forth the trees and plants through the ordinary means of the created order. He could have zapped them into existence right away but instead, He decided to use the natural order of things to cause the trees and plants to come into existence. Furthermore, in Exodus, we read of certain people building the Ark of the Covenant in tedious detail. Why did God bother to use people to build it when He could have snapped His fingers and made the Ark of the Covenant appear out of nowhere? It was to demonstrate His power over even the ordinary. God equips people with the natural abilities to fulfill His purposes all the time. This is why we can trust medical doctors, psychiatrists, and therapists because God has blessed them with Common Grace blessings to help the people whom He created in His image. 

So, what was the purpose of all the signs and miracles in the first place if God was going to cause them to cease then? Well, if we return to Hebrews 1:1-2 and 2:3-4, we will see the answer. These texts clearly tell us that the purpose of the signs, wonders, and miracles was to point us to Christ. In other words, they were meant to authenticate the message that our Lord, the prophets, and the apostles were preaching. In Biblical times, whenever a king needed to send a new message to another king, he would send a messenger and he would put his unique insignia onto the message. This was to authenticate the message so that the other king would know who sent it. Well, God was using the same method with miracles, signs, and wonders so that people would know that the message the prophets, apostles, and the Lord was preaching was truly from God. Since there are no more new messages from God, there is no more need for a new sign to authenticate a message. In other words, the canon is closed. 

So, what does this all mean for why God does not heal mental illness today? I see two practical reasons why the Lord does not heal mental illness today. 

1) All Suffering Produces Character 

2) It Keeps Us Humble & Dependent Upon Him 

I will elaborate on both of these points, but first I'd like to say that these are not the only two reasons why the Lord chooses not to heal mental illness today. However, these are the two main points I will be discussing for the sake of this blog. If you can think of others, please feel free to let me know in the comments below. 

All Suffering Produces Character 

If we turn to Romans 5:3-5, we read, 

"And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character;  and character, hope. Now, hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" 

All suffering, whether mental or physical, produces character in us. If it were not for my Schizoaffective Disorder, I would not be the man that I am today. Because of dealing with my mental illness, I am a much more humble, kinder, and compassionate man. Also, it is because of dealing with my mental illness that I feel that I can endure just about any hardship that comes my way by the grace of God. Many people who do not deal with mental illness tend to break under any kind of pressure, but those of us with mental illness live daily with all kinds of pressure. It is because of this reason that we have the mental fortitude to withstand life's daily trials and tribulations. 

It Keeps Us Humble & Dependent Upon Him 

If we turn to 2 Corinthians 12, we read of Paul's account where he says the Lord gave him a "thorn in the flesh" to keep him humble because of the "surpassing greatness of the revelations" he was receiving. He then says that he pleaded with the Lord three times to remove this thorn, but the Lord responded in verse 9, 

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" 

It is because of this reason that Paul then concludes that he should boast all the more in his weakness for when he is weak, then he is strong in the Lord. There are two important points to take from this text: 1) Our sufferings, whether physical or mental, are to keep us from becoming puffed up with pride and 2) Our sufferings, whether physical or mental, are to keep our eyes on Jesus. When we truly understand how the grace of Christ is truly sufficient to meet all of our needs, it should cause us to rise above our afflictions and to look daily to Him for our sustenance. It is by God's strength and power that we can thrive in this life no matter how much suffering we endure. So, no matter what, we must always keep our eyes on Jesus, the author, and perfecter of our faith. 

I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog and I hope this gives you some encouragement as you are dealing with your own mental illnesses. God may not heal your mental illness, but through His grace, He can help you rise above it. Remember, your mental illness does not define who you are. Your identity in Christ is what defines you. Thank you very much and I hope you found this to be a blessing in your life. May the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all!! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Check out the other Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

My Dating Story

 

Recently, I read about a friend's dating story and it gave me the idea to write my own dating story because I could relate to him on many different fronts and I feel that my dating story can help others who are single too. I was single for a good portion of my life and actually, I did not have my first girlfriend until I was 19. This was especially hard for me when I have seen other guys my age with their girlfriends. In the same way as my friend, whenever I heard platitudes such as "God has you in a season of singleness" or "Just wait on His timing", it really stung. How long does a season of singleness last? Why is God making me wait so long? These questions and much more constantly ran through my head daily. So, please understand that I get where you are coming from. I know that must seem like difficult to understand because you are probably thinking, "How could you possibly understand where MY situation is?'". I am not going to give you the same platitudes that I received growing up because I know that they do not help. However, I hope that after you read my blog, this will give you some hope. My journey was a long and arduous one and it is filled with a whole lot of pain and heartache. I actually did not find my wife until I was in my thirties. So, please read my story to the end and I believe that you will understand where I am coming from a little better. 

I was pretty much a loner growing up. I had some friends, mainly females, but I felt that I was a weirdo and that no one would understand me. It did not help that at the age of 13, I was originally diagnosed with clinical Depression and put on antidepressants. It made sense to me because I did feel very depressed because of being taken away from my mother and placed into foster care. However, my diagnosis did not do anything but serve to make me feel even more like a weirdo. Why did I get stuck with Depression? It made absolutely no sense and I felt cursed by God. 

It did not help that I had my first hallucination at the age of 15, which only confirmed in my mind that I was weird and destined to be alone. Some people would try to reach out to me but I still pretty much pushed them away. I wanted to be left alone in my sorrows. Also, it did not help that I went through puberty late, which made me jealous of my peers who seemed to be becoming men a lot sooner than I was. It made me feel inferior to them. All of this combined and much more caused me to resort to cutting myself. When I made my first slits on my arm, I felt such a surge of relief and I was instantly addicted to the feeling. I cannot really explain the euphoria that I felt, but those who used to cut will understand. 

At the age of 19, I met the first woman that I started dating. We met in a Christian-based transitional housing called New Creations Inn. Her name was Cherrelle and I instantly fell in love with her. She was 27 years old at the time and I literally was infatuated with her. Unfortunately, she was only interested in sex with me. Needless to say, she ended up using me and manipulating me for her own needs, then when her baby's father was back in the picture, she dumped me right away. I felt crushed and humiliated for a long while after that. I had thought that she was the one I would marry. 

During this time, I was attending a church called the Vineyard, but I was still feeling hurt by Cherrelle. However, I was determined to relieve myself of my pain by dating again. I remember I told three separate women on three separate occasions that the Lord told me that they would marry me. In retrospect, I was acting out of desperation. I was desperate to be married because I was very lonely. 

It took me a couple years before I finally recovered from the pain of what Cherrelle had put me through and was ready to date again. This time I met another girl named Nicole Mathis. Again, I fell head over heels in love with her, but she was only interested in having sex with me. I remember I began questioning my relationship with her one day when we were watching a movie called "Crazy, Stupid, Love" with Steve Carrell because she told me in the theater that she was not ready to be "tied down" because she was still young and wanted to experience life. I felt crushed at this revelation because again I thought that she was "The One". However, I still remained with her for a while because I felt it was better to be around her than to be alone. I hated being alone. 

Shortly after Nicole broke up with me, I met Nuri Rhines on Facebook. Back then, I would spend an inordinate amount of time on Facebook. I still spend an inordinate amount of time on Facebook but these days it is to promote my ministry mainly. Nuri and I hit it off immediately, but it was a long-distance relationship because she lived in Nevada and I lived in Colorado. Again, I feel deeply in love with her and that she was "The One". This time the feeling was mutual. We both shared a love for Christian apologetics and she even introduced me to Reformed Theology. Finally, I found the woman that I was destined to marry! Or so I thought. Unfortunately, the relationship did not last very long. We did not have a nasty breakup or anything though. We just were heading in two different directions in life. 

After Nuri and I broke up, I decided to just be single for a while and focus on myself and my relationship with God. However, I still felt lonely. It was during this time that I met a woman named Alicia. She and I were instantly attracted to one another, but she was not a believer. I did not care because I was wanting to end my loneliness. Besides, I told myself that  I could lead her to the faith. So, I decided to missionary date for the first time. I felt that she was "The One" too and I became infatuated with her too. However, because of my loneliness, I became very clingy toward her. I became increasingly paranoid that she would either leave me or cheat on me. As a result, I wanted to spend every second of the day right by her side. Needless to say, she broke up with me after about two weeks and I was left feeling devastated yet again. 

Shortly after Alicia, I met another woman named Nicole. She and I got along really well and we bonded over the fact that we were both Asian too. I actually looked forward to seeing her every day at college in the smoking pit. I even skipped classes just so I could hang out with her. She was not a believer and had no interest in hearing about my faith either though. It was different for me to be interested in her because up until now I was only dating black women. I quickly fell in love with her too anyway, but she had absolutely no interest in dating anyone. I tried with all my might to convince her to date me, even to the point of randomly buying her all sorts of gifts. Eventually, I actually began stalking her! This caused her some discomfort and she began to avoid me. Eventually, I gave up on her and decided to be single again and focus on my studies. I still felt lonely, though. I remained single for many years after Nicole and eventually, I resolved that I would be single forever. Slowly I began to accept this lot and I even became somewhat comfortable with it too. I still felt lonely, but I just channeled my loneliness into growing closer to the Lord.

After Nicole, I ended up meeting a woman named Natasha on Facebook. We ended up dating after a few phone conversations, but again it was long distance because lived in New Jersey while I was in California at the time. I eventually moved to New Jersey to be with her. It turned out to be a year of literal hell for me. She was a complete narcissist who only manipulated and controlled me. She even would emotionally abuse me and eventually, she even physically abused me too. Later, I ended up hearing voices telling me to kill her and it scared me so much that I ran away back to Colorado just to get away from her. 


Eventually, I was diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder Bipolar Type. It made complete sense to me when I was diagnosed with this because finally, I understood why I was such a weirdo. I eventually decided that I would put my mother and myself into a mental health group home. I had my sister, Virginia, take me to a couple group homes to check out, but neither of them appealed to me.



 Around this time, I met a woman named Lydia in an AMBW Facebook Group. AMBW stands for Asian Men and Black Women. We exchanged numbers after chatting for a little while and had our first phone conversation. We quickly hit it off and I knew that I truly loved her right away. She was much different than the previous women because she was Reformed in her faith and actually took it seriously. She did not have a mental illness, but she was open to dating me even though I have a mental illness. She was even open to learning more about mental illness too. We talked about all the important topics right away and I just knew that she would be the woman I wanted to marry.  We met for the first time in Chicago because she had a race there and then we went on our first date at a restaurant named NIU. It was an expensive place and I did not really have the money for it, but I wanted to impress her. So, I took her there regardless. When I returned to my rooming house in Ohio, I decide to buy an engagement ring because I had planned to propose to her the next time we saw one another. We ended up dating, getting engaged, and married in less than one year. When you know you know. Now, we are going on three years of wedded bliss this July. The Lord has really been good to us. 

Now, that you read my story, I hope you can understand that I get where you are coming from in your situation. As promised, I will not attempt to assuage your loneliness with platitudes but I do have some sound advice for you. As my friend said in his blog, you are NOT alone. I know that it may feel that way, but many people are in your situation. So, what you are feeling is perfectly normal. God understands what you are going through because Jesus was tempted in every way that you are, yet was with sin. So, The Lord truly does understand your pain. This means that you can take your pain to Him for He cares for you. Don't be afraid to ask the Lord for a spouse because our Lord told us to ask, seek, and knock with the promise that the door will be opened. I firmly believe that God would not have given you the desire for marriage if He did not intend to fulfill it. However, while you are pleading with the Lord for a spouse, ask Him to make you into the kind of man or woman that your spouse will need. Also, be in prayer always for your future spouse too. If you are interested in someone, do not be afraid to approach them and tell them you are interested. How will they ever know you are interested, if you do not say so? Also, join some singles groups in church or try joining some Christian dating Facebook groups to meet new people. The more you put yourself out there, the more you increase your chances of finding someone. If you are interested, my wife and I have a Facebook group called Marriage Minded, which is specifically for people with mental illness who are seeking marriage and for anyone desiring to help someone with mental illness seek marriage.  And do not give up on the first rejection because you may have to be rejected by a few people before you find the Right One for you. If someone rejects you, it just means they were not meant for you Most importantly, do not fall into the trap of finding your identity in your singleness or your relationship like I did. Our identity is found solely in Christ alone and because of that, you are already a whole person, regardless of your relationship status. Allow that truth to permeate your mind and heart and rest in His grace. 

I thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog story and I hope that you found it very encouraging. God does have someone for you, you just have to trust Him. May the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Check out the other Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Being Single With Mental Illness While Seeking Marriage

 

Singleness in this day and age is rough. It is especially difficult for those people who suffer from mental illness. It is rough because not only do they have to struggle with keeping their mental health stable with medication and counseling, but if they desire marriage, then they have to worry about if someone they are interested in is going to overlook the fact that they have a mental illness. I know that when I was single, I was too afraid to tell someone I was dating about my mental illness. I thought that they would never understand and just reject me because they would think of me as "too crazy" to date. People with mental illness have a strong tendency to fear rejection. On top of that, we must deal with the social stigma that society and the Church put on people with mental illness. I remember when I was single, I had to deal with people thinking that I was demon-possessed or that I just simply did not have strong enough faith to lead a woman. Many Christians believe that if a man cannot work a traditional 9-5 job, then they are not a real man and that they should not even desire marriage whatsoever. All of these ideas are very harmful to those with mental illness because they alienate us from the Church and society at large. The fact is, marriage should be available to anyone who desires to be married, regardless of their mental illness or lack thereof. According to Genesis 2:24, 

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" 

This text simply means that a man needs to eventually separate from his father and mother and be joined by his wife. This does not negate someone with a mental illness. As long as the man or woman is taking care of their mental health properly with medication and counseling and they are mature in their faith, then they should have the opportunity to marry someone whom they love. Anyone who disagrees with me has to somehow demonstrate via Scripture why a person with mental illness is for some reason disqualified from the covenant union with a partner of their choice. If we turn to Ephesians 5:22-27, we read, 

"Wives, submit to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 
Husbands love your wives, as Christ loves the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish" 

As you can see from this text, wives are commanded to submit to their husbands in everything, and husbands are commanded to love their wives so much that they are willing to lay down their lives for them like Christ laid down His life for the Church. There is nothing in this text that even hints at saying that a mentally ill man or woman cannot fulfill this Scriptural mandate. A wife who has a mental illness is still capable to submit to her husband and a husband with a mental illness is still capable of loving his wife, laying down his life for her, and leading her. In my own life, I lead my wife in everything regardless of my mental illness even though I do not have a traditional 9-5 job because there is nothing prohibiting me from doing so. This does not mean that I do not take my wife's opinions and thoughts into consideration, but I do have the final word on everything. My wife understands this and she gladly submits to me, even though she knows that I have a mental illness. My life is not the exception, however. Many more people with mental illness live in successful marriages. We just do not hear about them because the Church does not really acknowledge them or even talk about them. Mental illness is still very much a taboo in the church today. As a Christian mental health advocate, I would like to see more Christian men and women with mental illness find fulfilling marriages with someone whom they love. This is why my wife and I created the Facebook group called Marriage Minded. This group is for any Christian who suffers from mental illness and desires to find a spouse. It is also for anyone who wants to help someone who has a mental illness find a spouse too. We just started the group, but by God's grace, we expect many people to join the community. If you are someone with a mental illness or if you know someone with a mental illness who desires to be married, please consider joining the Facebook group. This group is only for serious inquiries though so spammers will not be allowed in the group. Anyone from any denomination is allowed to join, except for Roman Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, or any other cult that denies the Trinity. We only want real Christians to join. This group is expected to be a community full of like-minded Christians who deal with the daily life of mental illnesses where they can be transparent and raw with people in the hopes of finding someone whom they match with for a potential courtship that leads to marriage. Once they are married, they can then join our Facebook group called Holy Matrimony & Mental Illness. This group is a community of believing Christians with mental illness who are already married and need the support and love of other Christians with mental illness who are married. If you fit more in with this category, then you are free to join that one instead. 

Marriage is a beautiful thing when it is done correctly in the way that the Lord wants it to be done. However, it is extremely difficult to manage but it is well worth the struggle. My wife and I are going on three years of marriage in July and the longer I remain married to her the more I realize I truly love her. She is literally the best thing to have ever happened to me besides my salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. I want the same thing for all of my brothers and sisters in the faith who deal with various mental illnesses. So, please come join our communities and make some connections with people. You never know who will meet and, by the Lord's providence, end up marrying. May the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all!! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Check out the other Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Emotional Abuse Is Much Worse Than Physical Abuse

 

Recently, Steven Crowder (a conservative commentator and host of the Louder with Crowder podcast) was exposed for emotionally abusing his wife, who was pregnant with his twins at the time. The video that went viral showed a defenseless Hillary Crowder standing off to the side as Steven Crowder berated her for not doing her "wifely duties" and even said that she "is not worthy of being a wife". He even told her that he wonders if she ever showed any respect for a man and then even threatened to "F*** her up". It is actually sickening how some Christians came to this man's defense by saying that he did not actually abuse her because it was not physical. These Christians are operating under the belief that emotional abuse is not real or that it is not as serious as Physical abuse. This belief is a horrible belief to hold because people who suffer emotional abuse usually end up suffering the consequences for much longer than if they were physically abused. I understand that in this day and age, anyone can claim emotional abuse any time someone is mean to them, but this does not negate the fact that real emotional abuse happens. We must not ignore the real cases because some people are making it up for attention or whatever they are doing it for.  In this blog, I shall discuss some of the devastating effects that emotional abuse can have on someone's mental state. However, I would like to say that my heart and my prayers go out to Hillary Crowder. I hope that she gets the help that she needs to heal from her now ex-husband's abuse and that the Lord will convict Steven Crowder of guilt and grant him repentance. 

Emotional abuse has many effects on the person's mental state and even their brain. It even affects the children, if they are in the picture. For this reason, emotional abuse should be taken seriously, and anyone who is emotionally abused should see a therapist immediately. In my own experience of being emotionally abused over and over by a narcissistic ex-girlfriend, I was feeling so powerless that I allowed her to control me for years after we broke up. I have found that emotional abuse has some short-term effects and long-term effects. I will explain these shortly, but first I would like to say that if you are someone who has been emotionally abused, please do not bottle it up. If you do, then it will only destroy you from the inside out. Talk to someone you trust. Also, take it to the Lord in prayer. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us, 

"...casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you" 

The Lord sees what you are going through and He does care for your situation. Furthermore, as the Sovereign God of the universe, He has the strength to heal your pain. So, trust in Him enough to take your pain to Him. 

Short-Term Effects

According to PsychCentral, there are a few short-term effects. They are the following, 

1) Isolation and Loneliness 

2) Self-Doubt 

3) Shame 

4) Confusion 

5) Low Self-Esteem 

6) Fear When Interacting With Others 

7) Avoidance Of The Activity Related To The Incident 

8) Feelings Of Powerlessness 

In my experience, when I was dealing with my ex, she caused me to definitely feel isolated and shame, and self-doubt. I did fear interacting with other people, but only because I was afraid that she would get angry if she caught me talking to someone else who was not her and because of her emotional abuse I did feel extremely powerless over my situation too. When I finally built up enough strength to run away from her, I immediately felt relief, but then I had to deal with the long-term effects, which leads me to my next point. 

Long-Term Effects 

According to PsychCentral, there are six long-term effects of emotional abuse. They are the following: 

1) Mental Health Conditions 

2) Neuroticism, Or The Tendency Toward Low Mood And Negative Emotions Like Anger 

3) Chronic Stress 

4) Physical Problems Like Body Aches And Heart Palpitations 

5) Attachment Challenges 

6) Emotional Disconnect Or Apathy 

When I was finally free from my ex and was over her, I experienced most of these. I remember that there were days when I would be so depressed that I thought about taking my life. I was always stressed out and even to this day I still have a little bit of an attachment issue. It mainly comes out when I think my wife is going to leave me or when I perceive those close friends are mad at me. I think that they will abandon me. I also somewhat have a trust issue because of dealing with my ex-girlfriend too. 

So, now you may be wondering how emotional abuse affects children, right? Again, PsychCentral records three different ways emotional abuse affects children. They are the following: 

1) Behavioral Changes 

The Children may begin to misbehave and show signs of ADHD and even bully other children. They also may engage in self-harm and have suicidal thoughts too. 

2) Emotional Development 

Children who are emotionally abused will have issues managing their own difficult emotions and will even be stunted in their maturity because they will not have a chance to mentally grow. 

3) Maladaptive Coping 

Adult women who have been emotionally abused have been known to resort to numbing their emotions or becoming disconnected. Children who have been emotionally abused have been known to resort to fantasizing, which leads to avoidant behavior and isolation over long periods. These are unhealthy coping mechanisms. 

Now that I have covered how emotional abuse affects one in the short-term, long-term, and even children, how does emotional abuse affect one's brain? Once again I refer to PsychCentral because they record three different ways that emotional abuse affects one's brain. They are the following: 

1) Emotional Understanding & Empathy 

Emotional abuse can cause damage to the hippocampus which can make it very difficult for one to feel empathy for others. 

2) Self-Awareness 

Emotional abuse has been known to cause damage to the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobe, which in turn makes it difficult for one to be able to manage their emotions and become self-aware. 

3) Epigenetic Changes & Depression 

Emotional abuse has been known to cause damage to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal portion of the brain, which in turn causes the person to suffer from Depression. 

As you can clearly see that emotional abuse is very real and in a lot of ways can be more harmful than physical abuse. At least with physical abuse, once it is over it is over, but with emotional abuse, that leaves a scar that some people never get over. I am not in any way trying to downplay the physical abuse, though. I understand that victims of physical abuse also deal with emotional scars for many years to come as well. Usually when someone suffers from emotional abuse long enough the abuse eventually becomes physical abuse. I know that was definitely true in my case with my ex-girlfriend too. So, I can understand and sympathize with anyone who has suffered both emotional and physical abuse. However, I must admit that the emotional abuse that I suffered was much more difficult for me to get over than the physical abuse I suffered. I think if you take the time to really think about what I am saying then you will agree with me about this too. 

Regardless of whether or not you agree with me, I am sure that you will agree with me that abuse in whatever form it takes is horrible. No one should ever abuse anyone, but since we live in a fallen world with fallen people there will unfortunately be abuse. This should cause us all the more to desire for the Lord Jesus Christ to return quickly to usher in the New Heaven and the New Earth, where there will be no more sin, suffering, pain, or even death because God will make all things new. Soli Deo Gloria! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Check out the other Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Why Christian Nationalism Is TOXIC For Mental Health

 

There is a growing trend in modern society concerning the relationship between Christianity and America. This trend is called Christian Nationalism. Actually, this trend has been going on for many years since before I was even born. Many Christians, on both the Left and the Right, are divided concerning this topic. Those on the Right seem to think that this country is a Christian country that promotes Christianity and bases its laws on the Bible. On the contrary, those on the Left say that this country is a secular country that bases its laws on secularism. Which side is more accurate and which side is severely mistaken? Furthermore, does the Bible have anything to say concerning this topic? In this blog, I shall discuss whether or not America ever was a Christian nation, and if it still is a Christian nation, then I will talk about why Christian Nationalism is actually bad for one's mental health. If you still disagree with me after reading this, then I invite you to have a civil conversation with me concerning this topic. First off, I would like to say that I love America and I love the freedoms that being an American brings with it. Secondly, I am a conservative, Reformed Christian man, but I disagree with the Christian Nationalists concerning this topic because I believe it goes against what the Bible clearly teaches. I will get more into that later in this blog. However, before I get into the meat of this blog, I would like to give a definition of Christian Nationalism for the people who do not know what it is. According to Wikipedia, 

"Christian nationalism is a type of religious nationalism that is affiliated with Christianity, which primarily focuses on the internal politics of society, such as legislating civil and criminal laws that reflect their view of Christianity and the role of religion in political and social life" 

One of the arguments that Christian Nationalists will make to support their claim is that the founding fathers were Christians. Their argument says that since the founding fathers were Christians who promoted Christianity, that means our nation was founded on Christian principles, and thus is a Christian nation. But, is this even remotely true? Well, no it is not. In fact, most of the founding fathers were deists who were against Christianity. Read the words of Benjamin Franklin for example when he says, 

"I wish it (Christianity) were more productive of good works ... I mean real good works ... not holy-day keeping, sermon-hearing ... or making long prayers, filled with flatteries and compliments despised by wise men, and much less capable of pleasing the Deity."--- Benjamin Franklin, Works, Vol. VII, p. 75

Benjamin Franklin basically is promoting works-based righteousness, which is antithetical to the true Christian faith, which is based on God's grace found in Jesus Christ alone. If this is not convincing enough for you, read the words of Thomas Paine when he says, 

"Every person, of whatever religious denomination he may be, is a DEIST in the first article of his Creed. Deism, from the Latin word Deus, God, is the belief of a God, and this belief is the first article of every man's creed." 

If this still does not convince you, then I have one more quote from John Adams for you to read. He says, 


"As I understand the Christian religion, it was, and is a revelation. But how has it happened that millions of fables, tales, legends, have been blended with both Jewish and Christian revelation that have made them the most bloody religion that ever existed?" --- John Adams, letter to F.A. Van der Kamp, Dec. 27, 1816

I could go on and on for infinity with all sorts of quotes from the founding fathers just like these, but I think you get the point. The founding fathers were deists who did not like Christianity very much. As for the Constitution, if anyone actually reads it, then they will notice that the language used in it is inherently deistic, not Christian. There is absolutely no mention of Jesus Christ anywhere in the Constitution whatsoever. However, it does use terms such as "Sovereign" and "Creator", but these are not exclusively Christian terms, but they are deist terms. So, what does the Bible say concerning this topic, if anything at all? Well, if you turn to 1 Peter 2:9 it says, 

"But you are a chosen race, a holy nation, a people for his own possession..." 

This verse is clearly not referring to America because America was not even a country at the time Peter wrote this. So, what exactly was the Apostle Peter referring to when he penned these words? He was simply referring to the holy saints of God who are trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation. The people of God are the holy nation and they span all across the world in every tribe, nation, and tongue. The concept of a geopolitical nation being a Christian nation is very unbiblical. As for whether or not America has ever promoted or still promotes Christianity, I think the above quotes will tell you what the founding fathers were actually promoting and modern times have demonstrated that this country promotes anything but Christianity. 

So, what does all this have to do with mental health, you ask? I think that Christian Nationalism is very bad for mental health for three different reasons. However, before I get into them, I'd like to say that I love and respect my brothers and sisters in the faith who are Christian Nationalists. I do not hold any animosity toward any of them. I just think they are sorely mistaken on this issue. The following reasons I believe that this issue is bad for mental health are: 

1) It Goes Against The Grain Of Reality 

2) It Promotes Ethnocentrism

3) It Divides Social Groups 

I will elaborate on each of these points, but I would like to say that these are not the only ways that Christian Nationalism is bad for mental health, but for the sake of this blog these are the main points I'd like to address. If you can think of any more ways, please let me know in the comments below. I will now explain my points. 

It Goes Against The Grain Of Reality 

As I have pointed out, the reality is that America is a secular nation that was founded upon deism. To suggest that America is founded upon Christian principles or that the founding fathers were Christian is to deny all of the historical evidence that we have. Maybe before we had the advancement of the internet it was easy to pass off this lie, but now that we have the opportunity to do our own research, no one has an excuse to believe this. For someone to still believe that America is a Christian nation is at best ignorant or at worst willingly deceptive. 

It Promotes Ethnocentrism 

What do I mean by Ethnocentrism? According to the dictionary, Ethnocentrism is, 

"evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of own culture" 


In other words, Ethnocentrism is believing that one's culture is inherently better than other cultures and viewing other cultures in the light of one's own culture. Christian Nationalists tend to do this a lot. They say America is a Christian Nation and they are proud of this country, but then they look down on other countries they deem as "pagan nations". Even if this country were a Christian nation, which I've already established it is not, that would not make this country any better than Russia or Nigeria, or any other country. 

It Divides Social Groups 

This point is the most important one because numerous psychological studies have proven that we are by nature social creatures. This means that we are healthiest when we are being social with other people and we are unhealthiest when we are isolated from people. I am not saying that having alone time every now and then is bad, but constant isolation from others is unhealthy mentally. Christian Nationalism tends to isolate individuals from others who are not in their own circle because they look down on other people who they deem as "outsiders". As a result of this, Christian Nationalists are dividing people up into different groups instead of uniting people together. 

I hope that this blog helps you to better understand the issue of Christian Nationalism better and like I said if you still disagree with me, then I do invite you to have a discussion with me concerning this topic in the comments below as long as it can remain civil. I thank you very much for taking the time to read 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 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Check out the other Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

The Importance Of Basing All Your Reasoning On Christ

 

As some of you may already know, I subscribe to what is called presuppositionalism. What this means is that I start with the basic presupposition that God exists for all of my reasoning. I assume based off of God's word certain axioms such as all people know that God exists (i.e. there is no such thing as an atheist) and that God has revealed Himself to all people in such a way that they are without an excuse for not worshiping Him. The reason that I start my reasoning with the presupposition that God exists is because that is what I am commanded to do in 1 Peter 3:15 which says, 

"...but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you..." 

What this text is saying is that we must first start with Christ as Lord in our minds before we reason for us to be able to make a rational defense against unbelievers. We must decide that Christ takes first importance in all our reasoning. To do otherwise is to make an apologetical defense that goes against the clear teaching of Scripture. As it says in Proverbs 1:7, 

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge"

This means that our fear of God comes before we ever know anything whatsoever. As matter of fact, it could be said that unless you fear God first, you really do not know anything at all. You may have a doctorate in whatever field you are in, but if you do not fear God first, then you know absolutely nothing. Christ should take preeminence in all of our thinking because He is preeminent in all of creation. As Colossians 1:15-20 says, 

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn among all creation. For by him, all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him, all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile himself all things whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross" 

As you can clearly see from this text, Christ is obviously preeminent over all creation. So, why wouldn't He be preeminent in all of our reasoning abilities too? Now that I established that Christ should be the presupposition in all of our reasoning, you may be wondering why I say all people know God exists and that there is no such thing as an atheist. Well, if you turn to Romans 1:18-20, we read the following, 

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." 

According to this text, all men intuitively know that God exists, and the reason they do not acknowledge Him is that they are merely "suppressing the truth in unrighteousness" because they hate Him and love their own sin instead. God has clearly and plainly revealed Himself to all people in creation. Theologians call this general revelation, which simply means that man can see God in the intricate design of the universe and the world. All of life literally screams at us about God's existence. Professing atheists must plug their ears really tight to ignore all of that screaming. 

So, what does all this have to do with one's mental health? Well, I have found three different ways that basing your reasoning abilities on Christ will have positive effects on your mental health. They are the following: 

1) You Will Be Going Along The Grain Of Reality 

2) You Will Think More Rationally 

3) You Will Be More At Peace 

I will elaborate more on these points in a minute, but I will tell you there are many more benefits to basing your reasoning on Christ. However, for the sake of this blog, I will just focus on these three only. I find that these three are the most important but if you can think of any more benefits please feel free to let me know. I will now explain these points more fully. 

You Will Be Going Along The Grain Of Reality 

As I have stated earlier, everyone already knows that God exists according to Romans 1:18-20. This means that when professing atheists claim that there is no God they are going against the grain of reality. It actually takes much more faith to believe that there is no God than it does to believe that God exists. As I have said earlier, creation screams God's existence, so it is natural for people to acknowledge God. One could say that theism is everyone's default position from birth and that one needs to be taught atheism to believe it. It is completely unnatural for someone to say God does not exist. 

You Will Think More Rationally 

When you are going along the grain of reality, you will naturally think more rationally. This is to be expected because when you start with the presupposition of God's existence, you have a logical foundation for things such as knowledge, logic, morality, and ethics. The worldview of atheism cannot account for any of these things because it has no foundation. All attempts that professing atheists employ to account for these things fail miserably. Any time professing atheists use logic or claim to know things or use morality and ethics, they are demonstrating that they in fact know God's existence.

You Will Be More At Peace 

When you start with the presupposition of Christ in your reasoning, you will definitely live in a more peaceful mindset. This should be expected because Philippians 4:7 tells us, 

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" 

Professing atheists definitely do not have this peace. Why do you think they are always angry and lashing out at God and Christians? When you begin with the presupposition of God, your mind will naturally be more at ease because you know that God is sovereign over all creation and absolutely nothing happens in life apart from His will. You will understand that God's providence is taking care of all your needs and thus you have no need to worry. You will be free from all anxiety. 

I hope that this blog helps you better understand why it is so very important to base all of your reasoning ability on Christ alone. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this blog and 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 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Check out the other Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

What Are Some Of My Triggers?

 

Triggers are extremely important to one's mental health. Everyone who deals with mental illness should know what their triggers are because then they will know how they can avoid them. If you do not know what triggers you, then you are in for a downward spiral. But, what exactly is a trigger, though? According to PsychCentral, 

"a trigger is a stimulus that causes a painful memory to resurface. A trigger can be any sensory reminder of a traumatic event: a sound, sight, smell, physical sensation, even time of day or season" 

Another thing that a trigger can be is anything that causes you to hallucinate or have delusions. Triggers should be taken seriously by others. Unfortunately, many people do not take other people's triggers seriously enough. I understand why because in today's modern age, it seems like anything and everything is a trigger to someone. To be fair, if we are speaking the Truth of Christ to people and that triggers someone, then the problem is with them and not us. However, real triggers are important and people need to be wary of them. If you are someone prone to unnecessarily triggering people then you seriously need to stop because you are causing unnecessary harm to others. In this blog, I shall be discussing what some of my triggers are in the hopes that those who know me best will be aware of them and will help me when I am not well and I hope to help someone else who deals with mental illness to seriously consider what some of their triggers are. The first thing I would like to say, however, is that there is no shame in having triggers. Technically speaking, everyone has something that triggers them, regardless of whether or not they have a mental illness. For example, for some people being stuck in traffic is enough to set them in a bad mood for the rest of the day. For others, just waking up and not having time to have the morning cup of coffee will send them into a spiral. Everyone has triggers, but some people's triggers are much more serious than others and they should be taken seriously. In my life, I experience at least six different triggers that will either cause me to hallucinate or set my emotions into a spiral. I will explain what they are and then I will tell you what I do to combat them. They are the following: 

1) Singing Hymns In Church 

2) Whenever Someone Else Is Praying 

3) Reading The Psalms 

4) Whenever Someone Tells Me I Am Demon Possessed 

5) Whenever Someone Argues With Me 

6) Being Reminded Of My Mother 

I will elaborate on these five points, but first I would like to say that I have more triggers than these but for the sake of this blog I am only choosing to focus on these. After you finish reading this and the next time you see me or talk to me I will hope that you will keep this in mind. These triggers have the potential to really cause me a lot of mental anguish that I do not need. I will now talk about these six points. 

Singing Hymns In Church

This one does not always trigger me, but sometimes singing certain hymns can trigger voices in my head telling me that I am God and that everyone in the church is worshiping me. These voices really disturb me because I know that I am not God. I know that there is only one God in the form of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I know that this one God will not give His glory to another. Regardless, even though I know this, it still does not stop the voices. So sometimes I need to remove myself from the congregation until the hymn that is being sung is over and I also repeat to myself  Deuteronomy 6:4 which says, 

"Hear O Israel, the Lord our God the Lord is one" 

I repeat this numerous times until the voices eventually subside. Sometimes when the voices are not as loud as usual, I just sit in the pew and repeat it to myself there instead. What this does for me is remind me that the Lord is one and that He alone is God and not me. It keeps me from becoming deluded. 

Whenever Someone Else Is Praying 

This one gets a little tricky because it becomes difficult to pay attention to what the person is praying. Whenever someone else is praying, again, I hear the voices telling me that I am God and that the person is praying to me. This really disturbs me too because like I said I know that I am not God. However, to keep myself from becoming deluded, I repeat Deuteronomy 6:4 to myself while the person is praying and sometimes I even tell the person that I need to be the one to pray. Whenever I am the one saying the prayer, I do not hear the voices for some reason. 

Reading the Psalms

Sometimes when I am reading the Psalms, the voices come to me telling me that they are about me and I get so disturbed that I must stop reading them. I hate this because I absolutely love the Psalms, especially Psalm 88. However, sometimes reading them can become too burdensome for me. Whenever this happens, I just go to a different book of the Bible. However, most of the time I just avoid reading them altogether because I do not want to risk becoming triggered. 

Whenever Someone Argues With Me 

This is one difficult one because I do love a good debate as long as it can remain civil. I do believe that there is a huge difference between debating and arguing. For instance, the Apostle Paul debated people but he was not arguing with them. The difference is that a debate is much like a civil disagreement and an argument tends to not be very civil. Whenever someone argues with me, I tend to ruminate on the argument for days afterward and it sends me into a spiral of emotions from angry to depressed. What I do whenever someone is arguing with me either on Facebook, on the phone, or in person I will remove myself from the situation for the time being until I can calm down. If I notice myself ruminating then I will do something to distract my mind such as reading a book or talking to my wife. These always help me to get my mind off of the argument and to think of more pleasant things. 

Being Reminded Of My Mother 

This one is hard because my mother went to be with the  Lord fairly recently in August of 2022. As a result, the memory of her is still very fresh in my mind. Little things such as walking around my neighborhood and seeing places she would hang out remind me of her. Also, whenever I look at her urn or anything she owned will remind me of her. Also, whenever I watch her video of her singing I think of her too. Then, I tend to get sad because I miss her terribly. What I do in these moments is again I do something to distract my mind such as watching a movie I like or I read a book. These help me to get my mind off of my mother. It is not that I do not love my mom because I do love her very much, but ruminating on her memory does not help me. Another thing I do to help me cope is I remind myself that I will see her again one day whenever the Lord returns or whenever I go to be with Him. That is what I look forward to. 

I really appreciate you taking the time to read my blog. What are some of your triggers? I hope that this blog has really helped you to consider what they are because they are important. May the grace of the Lord and Savior richly bless you all! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Click Here To Check Out The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Click Here To Check Out The Other Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website