How Guilt And Shame Can Be Positive

Recently, I was challenged by one of my readers to write a blog on the different ways that guilt and shame can be positive. Since I am not one to shy away from a challenge, I have decided to write on that topic. However, I would like to say that I do not think that shame is ever truly "positive" in the sense that it is beneficial to one's mental health. Studies have shown the devastating effects that shame wreaks on a person's mental health. I do think that there are certain benefits that a healthy sense of guilt and shame do provide though and I will discuss what those are here. The four positive benefits to guilt and shame are the following: 

1) Guilt Drives Us Closer To God 

2) Shame Keeps Us Stable 

3) Guilt Keeps Us Humble 

4) Shame Keeps Us Honorable 

I will now elaborate on each of these points, but first I would like to ask you think of more benefits and share them with me in the comments below. 

Guilt Drives Us Closer To God 

As I write this, I am reminded of Peter right after he denied Jesus three times and immediately felt guilty. After Christ rose from the dead, Peter did not hide from Jesus but instead when he seen the Lord he immediately went to Him. I imagine that even though Peter felt guilty for denying Christ, he did not want to let His guilt drive him away from the Lord, but instead he drew closer. Our guilt over our sins should cause us to do the same. Whenever we feel guilty over a sin, we must take the opportunity to draw closer to Christ and to rest in His forgiveness and grace. 

Shame Keeps Us Stable 

When we have a healthy sense of shame, it will help us to realize that we need to do what we need to do to keep a stable mind. For example, I know that when I am manic I will do embarrassing things in public that will bring shame onto me and my family. It is precisely because of this reason that I always make sure that I take my medication and seek counseling too. If I did not do these things, the result would destroy my mind. 

Guilt Keeps Us Humble 

When we acknowledge our guilt before God, the realization then shows us that we are no better than any other sinner. This knowledge will keep us in a state of true humility as we relate to others. Anyone who looks down their noses on other people have neither understood the magnitude of their own sin nor have they understood the immense grace that is bestowed on all believers on behalf of Christ. 

Shame Keeps Us Honorable 

Whenever we feel a healthy sense of shame, it will cause us to behave appropriately because we will be concerned with how we are perceived by the public. Anyone who says they do not care what the public thinks of then do not understand how their public life can either make the Gospel attractive or repulsive to others. Our lives should reflect the life of Christ in such a way that people will be drawn to Jesus. It is an unfortunate reality that due to the blatant hypocrisy within the Church many people do not want anything to do with Christianity and Jesus Christ. I believe that this is the reason why the apostle Paul mentioned a few times in Scripture that we are to work quietly with our hands. He also said that one of the requirements of elders in a church is for them to be above reproach. If this were true for elders, how much more true would every Christian need to be above reproach? When I was young in the faith, I was taught to always be mindful of my testimony to unbelievers and there is wisdom in that knowledge. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I hope you found this edifying to you and glorifying to God. 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 CCMH Ministry Website

What Is It Like In A Psychiatric Hospital?

Before I get started on this blog, I would like to say that everyone's experience in a psychiatric ward will be a little different. So, please keep in mind that I am merely talking from my own experience of being in many different psychiatric wards across the country from my teenage years to adulthood. Every psychiatric hospital will be different but similar at the same time. For this blog, I will split this into five sections to describe the experience one will have in any given psychiatric hospital. These five sections are the following: 

1) Intake 

2) Schedule 

3) Group Therapy 

4) Daze Phase 

5) Discharge 

Like I said, every psychiatric ward will be different from one another, while at the same time sharing some similarities. I have had experiences where I have had a lot of fun in certain mental hospitals and the experience was more like being in a summer camp. However, I have had other experiences where I felt like I was inside of a prison and the experience was miserable too. I will now elaborate on these five points. 

Intake 

The first thing that has to happen in order to be admitted into a psychiatric hospital is you will need to be evaluated. This entails going to either a mental health crisis center or to the local emergency room. At these places there will be a clinical psychiatrist who will meet with you for an evaluation. If you came willingly then the experience will not be so bad but if you were brought by the police or someone in authority then your experience might not be so pleasant. Regardless, if the clinical psychiatrist deems that you need to be admitted, then the next step is you have to wait until a bed opens up in the hospital so that you can be transferred. 

Schedule 

Everything that happens in the psychiatric hospital happens like clockwork from the time you are scheduled to wake up to the time you are scheduled to go to bed. All the meals and distribution of medications happen at set times throughout the day and in between meals you have group therapy. 

Group Therapy 

The type of therapy you will receive in these groups will vary from hospital to hospital. Some hospitals teach Dialectal Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and other hospitals teach Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Regardless of what type of therapy that the hospital teaches, group participation is mandatory. If you do not attend groups, and participate, then your doctor will not discharge you. Your participation in the groups will be the evidence the doctors will look for when determining whether to discharge you or not. 

Daze Phase

Whenever you are in the hospital, the first three days seem to go by quickly. However, around the fourth day everything seems to go by really slow. You think the reason why everything slows down is because around this time you feel like  you are now in a daze and just going through the motions. You feel stuck in the facility with no way out and you also wonder if you will ever get discharged. It becomes harder to participate in group therapy. 

Discharge 

As soon as the doctor tells you that I have a discharge date, everything begins to lighten up again. You will find that it is easier to participate in group therapy because your overall mood is more cheerful. On the day of your discharge, you may feel a lot of anxiety because you partially excited to go home, but you are also very much afraid of relapsing into old behavior patterns that landed you in the hospital in the first place. Once you are home, it may take you awhile to acclimate back into society because everything will feel surreal. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I hope that this helps you have a better understanding of what it is like in psychiatric hospitals. May the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all! 

Check Out The Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Check Out The Other CCMH Ministry Website

How God's Predestination of His Elect Helps You Overcome Shame

"For consider your calling, brothers, not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, 'let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord'." -1 Corinthians 1: 26-31 

Shame is a powerful motivator for us  to attempt to be a good person who seems to have it all together. It is because of shame that we tend to go to great lengths to hide our flaws from people because we want people to see an image of us that is better than we perceive ourselves. This is why the Gospel is so offensive to our ears because it tells us that we do not have it all together and actually we are totally messed up. The apostle Paul tells us that it is precisely because we are "weak and foolish" that God chose us and the reason why He chose us was so that He could shame the "wise and strong" according to worldly standards. While the world glorifies the Lebron James' and Kim Kardashians of society, God intentionally chose the homeless bum on the street while passing over the world's "prized possessions". The irony is that while the world would look down on us as rejects, God has rejected the world and all of their splendor. However, this should not give us cause for pride because it was nothing in us that caused God to choose us. We are nothing but weak and lowly beggars who were bound for hell and it was only through the sacrifice of our Savior on the cross that any of us can lay hold to eternal life. When we realize this then it should cause us to be very humble instead of looking down on others because we realize that we are in the same boat as the crack addicts and prostitutes of the world. However, not only should this cause us to remain humble, but it should also cause us to not feel ashamed anymore because we understand that we have the Eternal Father on our side. If God is for us, then who can be against us? As a matter of fact, the apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, 

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness'. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 

As we see the apostle Paul pleaded with the Lord three times to remove his thorn in the flesh, but the Lord responded to him that His grace was sufficient for him. It was because of this that Paul could then respond with that he will boast in his weaknesses "so that the power of Christ" may rest upon him. When we understand how and why God chose us, it should cause us to no longer feel ashamed of our weaknesses but instead we can boast in our weaknesses. We can in a sense wear our weaknesses as a badge of honor because we know that it is in our weaknesses that we find our strength in Christ. I used to be ashamed of my struggles with debilitating Schizoaffective Disorder, but these days I see my illness as something that drives me to Jesus Christ. It is this reason why I believe that mental illness can display the glory of God. 

Thank you very much for reading my blog and I hope that you found this edifying to you and glorifying to Our Heavenly Father. 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

5 Tips To Help You Manage Mania & Hypomania

There are common symptoms that many people with bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder deal with. These symptoms are what psychiatrists refer to as mania and hypomania. Now you may be wondering what these terms mean right? According to the Cleveland Clinic, 

"Mania is a condition in which you display an over-the-top level of activity or energy, mood, or behavior. This elevation must be a change from your usual self and be noticeable by others. Symptoms include feelings of invincibility, lack of sleep, racing thoughts and ideas, rapid talking and having false beliefs or perceptions."

Obviously, if someone is in a manic episode, they may need to be hospitalized for a few days to have their medication adjusted. Mania is very serious and should not be taken lightly. An example of mania is when years ago I believed that it was biblically prophesied for me to harm the president. This is obviously a delusional belief that caused me to act in odd fashion and during this time I was very euphoric and felt invincible with high entering too. As for the definition of hypomania, according to www.mind.org.uk, 

"Hypomania is a milder version of mania that lasts for a short period (usually a few days)." 

Hypomania does not necessarily require hospitalization, but should be taken seriously regardless because it can easily lead into mania if left unchecked. During my hypomania stages, I may not become delusional or have hallucinations, but I will engage in high risk activities such as over-spending and becoming very sexual. My mind will race and I may even talk a mile-a-minute too. 

Now, that you have an idea as to what mania and hypomania are, it is time for me to share how to best manage these symptoms. These are tips that I use in my daily life and I believe if you utilize them they will help you as well. If you can think of more tips please feel free to share what helps you in the comments below. 

1) Take Medication At The Same Time Every Day 

This may seem like a trite point to make but it is a proven fact that our medication work the best when we take them on a regular daily schedule. We do have an hour window before and after our scheduled time, but it is very important that we stay on schedule because if we miss a dose then our minds will not fare well. 

2) Get Plenty of Sleep 

It is vitally important that we make sure we get plenty of sleep at night time because the less sleep we have the easier it will be for our minds to slip into a hypomanic or manic episode. 

3) Do not drink too much caffeine or energy drinks 

This one is particularly tough for me because I LOVE Mountain Dew but I have come to the realization that drinking too much caffeine can,  and often does, trigger mania and hypomania episodes. I am not saying that we cannot enjoy a good soda here and there, but we must be careful not to over consume too much caffeine. 

4) Do not over stimulate the mind 

Sometimes we need to stay away from electronic devices because too much stimulation to our minds can trigger mania and hypomanic episodes. This one is tough for me because I love watching movies and tv shows and I love playing video games too. However, we need to make sure we take time to give our minds a chance to relax too. 

5) Meditate on the word of God 

I cannot stress enough how important biblical meditation really is. We need to make sure we stay grounded in God's word daily and that we hide His word in our hearts too. If we are meditating day and night on His word, then we will be more at peace in our minds. 

I hope that this blog helps you properly understand mania and hypomania and how to manage these symptoms. Thank you for reading 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 CCMH Ministry Website

Why Purity Culture Is Bad For Mental Health

In today's American Christian circles, there is a trend that is highly popular. This trend has been commonly referred to as Purity Culture. What exactly is Purity Culture, you wonder? Purity Culture is 

"a subculture of evangelical Christian culture that emphasizes strict gender roles and norms, abstinence and modesty".

Proponents of this ideology will advocate for complete abstinence of any physical affection prior to marriage such as kissing or even hand holding. There are many issues with this sort of ideology, but for the sake of this blog I will focus on three of the issues. After reading this, I hope that you will see that Purity Culture is something that needs to be rejected. However, I would like to say that I am not in any way saying that Christians are not to remain sexually pure before marriage. Scripture is clear that we are to abstain from sex prior to marriage and I do not aim to contradict Scripture. 1 Corinthians 6:18 tells us,

  "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body." 

As Christians, we need to be careful not to commit sexual immorality because that will dishonor God and the marriage covenant. However, even though Purity Culture starts with a good premise, their practical application has some devastating effects on mental health. Some of these are the following: 

1) Purity Culture burdens the consciences of its adherents 

2) Purity Culture stifles affections between couples 

3) Purity Culture sets people up with unrealistic expectations

These points are not the only things wrong with Purity Culture, but I will not say that someone who adheres to this ideology is not saved. I will leave that up to the Lord Himself because He knows those who are His. I will now elaborate on each of these points. 

Purity Culture burdens the consciences of its adherents 

The first reason why this ideology is so dangerous is because it creates unnecessary anxiety amongst believers. I say this because believers who subscribe to this ideology spend inordinate time worrying about trivial things such as whether or not its sinful to hold hands with their boyfriend or girlfriend. They also spend a lot of time stressing over whether or not to even kiss one another. Regardless of what Purity Culture tells you, kissing and holding hands is NOT the same thing as having sex. Anyone who says otherwise does not know anything about sex. There are plenty of Christian couples who manage to hold hands and kiss one another without succumbing to fornication or sexual immorality and if kissing were the same thing as sex then every parent should be considered pedophiles! According to Galatians 5:1 we read, 

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery"

Christ came to set us free from all forms of legalism and Purity Culture is a form of legalism. The command to flee sexual immorality is more about matters of our hearts than about following some strict moralistic guideline. Yes, we must avoid sexual immorality, but we need to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. 

Purity Culture stifles affections between couples 

It is a known fact that any relationship survives off of both the man and woman showing one another affection. As a matter of fact, I do not know of a single woman who would want to be with a man who shows absolutely zero affection towards her. So, a man who refuses to do something simple such as hold hands with his woman will only hurt his chances at being in a relationship with her. As soon as another man comes along who shows affection, that woman will be attracted to him. This is basic common sense. In order for a relationship to survive and thrive, there must be affection. 

Purity Culture sets people up with unrealistic expectations 

I have seen it over and over again with people who subscribe to this ideology. These people tend to believe that they can meet someone and jump right into marriage without there being any affection whatsoever. It is almost as if these people honestly believe that someone will magically be attracted to them without any pretense. That is not how relationships work at all. In reality, relationships require work and lots of affection. If someone is not willing to put in the work or show affection then they cannot expect to ever be married to anyone! They are merely setting themselves up for a life of loneliness and despair. 

I trust that now you can see how this ideology is dangerous and should be avoided but if you can think of any more reasons please feel free to share them in the comments below. I do believe that the people promoting this ideology mean well, but their practical application is burdensome. Thank you very much for reading 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 Website

Top 5 Ways To Do A Reality Check When Dealing With Hallucinations & Delusions

When someone deals with Schizophrenia, it can be very challenging to distinguish reality from fantasy. I know for myself personally I have a tendency to confuse the two frequently. This is why I have had to come up with some ways to help me distinguish what is real and what is unreal. Hallucinations and delusions can feel very real and in this blog I shall give you some tips that will help you distinguish between the two. After reading this blog, I hope that you will walk away having a better understanding of how you can see reality. These five tips are not meant to be comprehensive and they are not the only things you can do either. Everyone is different and so every one will find their own ways to deal with their hallucinations and delusions. I am merely telling you what has helped me in the Hopes that they will help you too and if you can think of more tips please feel free to let me know what you do in the comments. These five tips that I incorporate when I deal with hallucinations and delusions are the following: 

1) Ask Someone To Verify 

2) Take A Picture With My Phone 

3) Consult The Word of God 

4) Remove Myself From Situation 

5) Call A Friend or Talk To My Wife 

I will now elaborate on these five points. 

Ask Someone To Verify 

Whenever I see animal that I am not used to seeing or that does not seem to belong, I will ask either my wife or someone around me if they see that animal too. The reason I do this is because obviously if my wife or the other person sees the animal too then it is apparently real. This may feel uncomfortable to do at first so I would recommend doing this with someone you trust first. 

Take A Picture With My Phone

I have found that when I am hallucinating and I cannot ask someone to verify if it's real then it helps me to take a picture of the hallucination with my camera phone. The reason I do this is because a hallucination will not appear in a picture so if I see the object in the picture then it must be real. This is a very helpful tool to utilize when you're alone. 

Consult The Word of God 

The word of God defines reality so anything that contradicts the Bible is obviously false. Since I realize this, I know that when my voices tell me things that are contrary to the Word then I must reject what they are saying. Obviously, this would require one to be grounded in studying Scripture daily. 

Remove Myself From The Situation 

Sometimes the hallucinations and delusions can be so overwhelming that I must physically remove myself from a certain area that is triggering them. Usually whenever I do this the hallucinations and delusions calm down. 

Call A Friend or Talk To My Wife 

I have found that when I am experiencing a strong delusion or hallucination, it helps me to talk to someone about them. This is something we must exercise with caution because not all our friends can be trusted with this information. Also, we must make sure we talk to someone who will not attempt to argue with us about our hallucinations and delusions. 

I hope that these tips help you and I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog. 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

Does God Want You To Be Your "Authentic Self"?

There is much talk these days about people being true to themselves or being their authentic self. What people usually mean by this is that they want to be true to person they truly feel they are on the inside. In this mindset, objective facts do not really matter because subjective feelings are the master. In a more extreme case, this is why nowadays we see multitudes of boys and girls thinking they are not the correct gender. However, this "authentic self" mindset can reveal its ugly head in minor ways too. It is important to note that people who have succumbed to this dangerous mindset have only done so because of years of indoctrination. However, the rise of this influence does reveal that many people do have a desire to be genuine in how they identify themselves. People are fed up with the shallow and superficial fads that keep getting advertised to us on a daily basis and they want something deeper. As Christians, we should be all the more eager to embrace these people as we point them to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who alone gives us an identity and a purpose that is truly satisfying unlike the false messages of those who would have us believing in ourselves.

One of the primary issues with the whole "being our true authentic selves" ideology is that according to Jeremiah 17:9, 

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" 

Can we really trust a heart that is "deceitful above all things"? If we trust our hearts then we will be led to believe all manner of lies and distortions. Our culture inundates us with messages that tell us to believe our hearts from the moment we are children and as we become adults we learn quickly hoe problematic this view really is. On the contrary, what does the Bible tell us is the correct thing to do instead? According to Proverbs 3:5-6, 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." 

The solution to truly living authentic life is to humbly trust in the Lord's sovereignty and wisdom. God reveals His wisdom to us in His word and we should trust His word because His word defines reality for us. We should not base our identity in how we personally feel or think but instead we should base our whole identity on who we are in Jesus Christ. This may seem like a difficult task, and trust me it is not easy, but when our identity if based on Christ that is when we will truly be free to live our lives the way that God intended for us. As the Westminster Larger Catechism puts it, 

Q. What is the chief end of man? 

A. To glorify God and enjoy him forever 

Our purpose in this life and in the next life is to glorify God and to enjoy communion with Him. There is no higher calling in life than that. It does not matter what else you do in this life because if you are not glorifying and enjoying Him then your life is without meaning. Our lives should be so consumed with a desire to glorify God that literally everything else pales in comparison. 

I hope that this blog helps you understand the topic of whether or not we should live our authentic selves better and I pray that this edified and challenged you too. Thank you for taking the time to read this 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 Ministry Website