A common thing I hear from people is that mental illness is just an excuse for one to be lazy. People who say this tend to be hard-working Baby Boomers, but I have heard this sort of rhetoric from even people in my own generation. To be fair, there is some truth to this statement. Some people do use mental illness as an excuse to be lazy, but those people are few and far between. I must admit that when I was younger in the faith, I used to be bothered by how so many Christians have the old "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps" mentality. It would bother me because it was very difficult for me to hold down a job for an extended amount of time. As a matter of fact, even when I would read passages in the Bible such as 2 Thessalonians 3:6-9, it would greatly haunt me. What does that text say specifically? It says,
"Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you, yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have a right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate"
It was not until I was much older that I realized that this text did not apply to me or anyone with severe mental illness. As you can clearly see this text is referring to those who are "walking in idleness". This implies an intent to not work. People who suffer from severe mental illness do not have an intention to not work. For the most part, we generally desperately want to work. However, for the majority of us, our mental illnesses prevent us from working. For example, how can you expect someone who is experiencing delusions to have the wherewithal to know that they need to clock in for a job? Whenever I am experiencing a delusion, that is all I can think about. Or how can someone who is being distracted by hallucinations all around them be able to focus on a single task at their job? People who hallucinate tend to struggle with even knowing what is or is not real. Or how about someone who suffers from panic attacks? They cannot possibly be expected to work when they are feeling like they cannot even breathe and that they are on the verge of dying. As you can see, mental illness is a serious disease that makes it extremely difficult for us to be at a traditional 9-5 job.
There is one other thing that makes it difficult for those of us with severe mental illnesses to be able to work. It is a thing called Anhedonia. What exactly is that you ask? According to the Cleveland Clinic,
"Anhedonia is the lack of interest, enjoyment, or pleasure from life's experiences. You may not want to spend time with others or do activities that previously made you happy. Anhedonia is common of many mental health symptoms"
Anhedonia is characterized by a lack of motivation to do basic daily activities such as brushing your teeth, taking a shower, and other such things. It can also affect your sex life because you cease to find pleasure in it. So, how does this relate to working? Well, for those of us with severe mental illnesses, we tend to get in these moods where we are not motivated to work. It is not about laziness or even about being depressed. The difference between anhedonia and laziness is that with anhedonia, we may want to work but our minds will not allow us to work, and with laziness, people just refuse to work. So, what are some treatments for people who suffer from anhedonia? There are quite a few treatments for this condition. Some of them are medication changes, ECT therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or Transcranial magnetic simulation. However, I have found some natural remedies for anhedonia. One of those ways is simply getting outside into the sun. There is something about being outside in the fresh air under the bright sun that has a way of lifting one's mood. There is also taking a warm shower that lifts the mood too. I understand that with anhedonia it may be tough to even think about getting in the shower. But, I have found that even if I tell myself to spend even a minute under the water it helps tremendously.
Now, I would like to close this blog by giving those people with severe mental illnesses some encouragement. I understand that you may feel extreme guilt over not being able to work due to your illness, but I would like to remind you of what the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:1. He says,
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those of us in Christ Jesus"
We are not condemned because Jesus took our condemnation upon Himself at the cross. Now, we are holy and blameless before God. So, do not allow the enemy to whisper condemnation into your ear. Also, as John tells us in 1 John 3:20,
"...for whenever our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything"
Keep this in mind next time you begin to feel condemned for not being able to work. God knows your situation. He understands your limitations. However, I would like to offer some advice. Try to think of all your talents that the Lord has blessed you with and then ask Him (and your elders at church) how you can possibly use your talents for His glory. Are you funny? Maybe you can be a Christian comedian. Are you artistic? Maybe you can paint murals for your church. Are you musically talented? Maybe you can sing in the choir at church. If you do not know what your talents are, ask the Lord to reveal them to you. Ask the people closest to you to tell you what they notice you are good at too. Then, when you have found what you are good at, put yourself out there with your talent for His glory. When you are working for His glory, you will be blessed and find fulfillment.
Thank you for reading this blog and I hope that this helps you better understand those of us who suffer from severe mental illnesses. We are not lazy, but our illnesses make it very difficult for us to work traditional jobs. Maybe instead of judging us for our limitations, you can help us find what we are good at and encourage us to pursue that path instead. 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
"Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you, yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have a right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate"
It was not until I was much older that I realized that this text did not apply to me or anyone with severe mental illness. As you can clearly see this text is referring to those who are "walking in idleness". This implies an intent to not work. People who suffer from severe mental illness do not have an intention to not work. For the most part, we generally desperately want to work. However, for the majority of us, our mental illnesses prevent us from working. For example, how can you expect someone who is experiencing delusions to have the wherewithal to know that they need to clock in for a job? Whenever I am experiencing a delusion, that is all I can think about. Or how can someone who is being distracted by hallucinations all around them be able to focus on a single task at their job? People who hallucinate tend to struggle with even knowing what is or is not real. Or how about someone who suffers from panic attacks? They cannot possibly be expected to work when they are feeling like they cannot even breathe and that they are on the verge of dying. As you can see, mental illness is a serious disease that makes it extremely difficult for us to be at a traditional 9-5 job.
There is one other thing that makes it difficult for those of us with severe mental illnesses to be able to work. It is a thing called Anhedonia. What exactly is that you ask? According to the Cleveland Clinic,
"Anhedonia is the lack of interest, enjoyment, or pleasure from life's experiences. You may not want to spend time with others or do activities that previously made you happy. Anhedonia is common of many mental health symptoms"
Anhedonia is characterized by a lack of motivation to do basic daily activities such as brushing your teeth, taking a shower, and other such things. It can also affect your sex life because you cease to find pleasure in it. So, how does this relate to working? Well, for those of us with severe mental illnesses, we tend to get in these moods where we are not motivated to work. It is not about laziness or even about being depressed. The difference between anhedonia and laziness is that with anhedonia, we may want to work but our minds will not allow us to work, and with laziness, people just refuse to work. So, what are some treatments for people who suffer from anhedonia? There are quite a few treatments for this condition. Some of them are medication changes, ECT therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or Transcranial magnetic simulation. However, I have found some natural remedies for anhedonia. One of those ways is simply getting outside into the sun. There is something about being outside in the fresh air under the bright sun that has a way of lifting one's mood. There is also taking a warm shower that lifts the mood too. I understand that with anhedonia it may be tough to even think about getting in the shower. But, I have found that even if I tell myself to spend even a minute under the water it helps tremendously.
Now, I would like to close this blog by giving those people with severe mental illnesses some encouragement. I understand that you may feel extreme guilt over not being able to work due to your illness, but I would like to remind you of what the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:1. He says,
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those of us in Christ Jesus"
We are not condemned because Jesus took our condemnation upon Himself at the cross. Now, we are holy and blameless before God. So, do not allow the enemy to whisper condemnation into your ear. Also, as John tells us in 1 John 3:20,
"...for whenever our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything"
Keep this in mind next time you begin to feel condemned for not being able to work. God knows your situation. He understands your limitations. However, I would like to offer some advice. Try to think of all your talents that the Lord has blessed you with and then ask Him (and your elders at church) how you can possibly use your talents for His glory. Are you funny? Maybe you can be a Christian comedian. Are you artistic? Maybe you can paint murals for your church. Are you musically talented? Maybe you can sing in the choir at church. If you do not know what your talents are, ask the Lord to reveal them to you. Ask the people closest to you to tell you what they notice you are good at too. Then, when you have found what you are good at, put yourself out there with your talent for His glory. When you are working for His glory, you will be blessed and find fulfillment.
Thank you for reading this blog and I hope that this helps you better understand those of us who suffer from severe mental illnesses. We are not lazy, but our illnesses make it very difficult for us to work traditional jobs. Maybe instead of judging us for our limitations, you can help us find what we are good at and encourage us to pursue that path instead. 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
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