Latest / Rooted & Real With Keenan / Why Truth Matters for Mental Health
Transcript
- Keenan: Hey y'all, welcome back to Rooted and Real. I'm Keenan Crowley, a registered mental health counseling intern. And in this podcast, we talk about real life stuff, real issues, real struggles, real growth, mental health, relationships, faith, and what it looks like to become emotionally healthy and spiritually grounded in a world that can feel very unstable. Before we jump in, quick reminder. I'm a therapist, but I'm not your therapist. This podcast is intended for education, encouragement, and personal growth. It's not suitable for individualized mental health, mental health treatment, mental health care, crisis care, or medical advice. Take what is helpful, reflect on it honestly, and apply it wisely. So today we're gonna be in episode two the Bible doctrine And the title is this Why ⁓ Truth, Truth Matters for Mental Health. So episode one, we talked about can you trust the Bible? ⁓ We about scripture, ⁓ evidence, reasoning, and the foundation you build your life on. So today we're taking the next step. We're asking, what does truth have to do with your anxiety, your shame, your marriage, your parenting, your stress, your identity, and the way you make decisions every day? truth is not just a theology category. Truth is a mental health issue. Why? you do not simply react to what happens in your life. You react to what you believe is happening. You react to the story your mind tells you. You react to the meaning you attach to the moment. Someone says a short text and your brain says, Are they they're mad at me? Your spouse is quiet, your brain says, Something is wrong. Your boss asks to talk privately. And your brain says, That's it. I'm getting fired. Your child, your kid. Has a meltdown and your brain says, I am falling apart as a parent and I am a failure. You make a mistake and your brain says, proves I'm not enough. The event matters, ⁓ the interpretation often drives the emotional reaction. ⁓ this is where the Bible and counseling overlap in a very practical way. CBT teaches us that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. Scripture teaches us that the mind needs renewal. Both are telling us you believe to be true deeply shapes ⁓ you live. So here's the opening question for today. Have you ever felt something so strongly that it felt impossible for it not to be true? You anxious, so danger guaranteed. You feel rejected, so rejection feels confirmed. You feel ashamed, so condemnation feels deserved. You feel overwhelmed, so defeat feels inevitable. This is what happens when feelings become facts, and I want to be very clear. Feelings are not bad. Feelings are not the enemy. They're not part feelings are a part of being human. The Bible is full of emotion. The Psalms alone give us grief and Anger, fear, confusion, joy, longing, hope. Jesus himself showed emotion. He wept. He grieved. ⁓ felt pressure. He felt compassion. He felt he experienced anguish. So the goal is not to become emotionally numb. The goal is not to say, well, I should not feel this. That is not emotional health. ⁓ is suppression. The goal is to learn how to feel honestly without letting every feeling become the final authority. And that decision matters. So in counseling, one of the most common patterns I see is people treating a feeling as proof. This is something called emotional reasoning. It sounds like this. I feel guilty, therefore I must have done something wrong. I feel anxious, therefore, something is bad about something bad is about to happen. I feel unlovable, therefore I must be unlovable. That feeling is real. The conclusion may not be true. So let's start with a basic clinical idea. Your mind is always interpreting reality. Most people think this happened, so I feel this. And sometimes that's accurate, but often there's another layer. Something happens. Then your mind interprets it. Then your body and emotions respond to that interpretation. So, like for example. You imagine imagine you texted a friend and they do not respond for six hours. person might think, ⁓ they're probably busy. But another person might think, ⁓ they're upset with me. Another person might think I did something wrong. And another person might think, Nobody cares about me. Same event, different interpretation, different emotional results. And that is why truth matters. Because if your interpretation is distorted, your emotional world may be reacting to something that feels true, but is not fully true. This is not about blaming people for emotions. It's about giving people tools. If anxiety tells you a story, you do not have to immediately obey it. If shame tells you a story, you do not have to immediately wear it as your identity. If anger tells you a story, you do not have to immediately speak from it. You can pause. You can ask, what story am I telling myself right now? That is a powerful question. What story am I telling myself right now? Because sometimes the story is accurate, and sometimes your body is warning you about something real. Sometimes your anger is pointing to a boundary violation. Sometimes. Sometimes your sadness is pointing to a loss. Sometimes your anxiety is pointing to something that needs preparation. But sometimes the story is old. Sometimes the story comes from childhood. Sometimes it comes from rejection. Sometimes it comes from a previous relationship. Sometimes it comes from trauma. Sometimes it comes from a family system that taught you do not need too much. Do not feel too much, do not trust too much, do not mess up. And if you never test the story, you may spend your whole life reacting to the old narratives as if they're current truth. This is where Christian faith gives us something more stable than self generated truth. In Bible doctrine, the first major section after the introduction deals with the word of God. And that matters. Christian theology does not begin with self-expression. It begins with revelation. God speaks, God reveals, God makes truth known. is very different from the cultural message of find your truth. Now I understand that people often mean when they say that. Sometimes they mean be honest about your story. Sometimes they mean stop pretending. Sometimes they mean do not let others define you. Those can be good instincts, but technically my truth can become dangerous it means whatever I feel most strongly must be ultimate reality. Because my feelings can be sincere and still incomplete. ⁓ perspective can be ⁓ and still distorted. My experience can be valid and still not the whole story. Biblical truth can be. Gives us a standard outside of the storm. So if we look at John 17, 17, it says this them in truth. Your word is truth. ⁓ not gonna overcomplicate that, nor should you. Jesus connects spiritual formation to truth. Growth happens ⁓ we are shaped by what is true. So let's take a look at Romans 12, too. I'm sure you all heard about this. ⁓ It talks about being transformed by the renewal of your mind. That's just not thinking happier thoughts. That is a deep reoriation, reorientation of the mind around God's reality. So when we talk about truth and mental health, we are not saying just quote a verse and your anxiety will disappear. That would be shallow and unhelpful. What we are saying is that the mind needs renewal. And the renewal requires truth. So let's talk about distorted thoughts for a second. A cognitive distortion is a pattern of thinking that bends reality into a negative or inaccurate direction. You may know some of these already, like all or nothing thinking. If I'm not perfect, I'm a failure. Catastrophizing. This is going to ruin everything. reading. ⁓ think I'm annoying. Fortune telling. This is never gonna get better. Personalization. This is all my fault. Disqualifying the positive. That compliment did not count. Emotional reasoning reasoning. I feel it, so it must be true. These are not just cute therapy terms. These are patterns to create real suffering. If you believe every distorted thought your brain produces, you you'll live under a mental dictatorship. A thought shows up and you obey. A fear shows up and you submit. A shame message shows up and you agree. Christian wisdom and both invite a pause. You do not have to fuse with every thought. You can examine it, you can test it, you can ask, is this true? Is this helpful? ⁓ Is this the whole picture? Is this consistent with what says? ⁓ Is there another faithful way to understand this? So let's take a look at 2 Corinthians 10 5. It talks about taking thoughts captive. Now that verse is often used in a very simplistic way, but the principle behind it is really important. Not every thought deserves a throne. Not every thought deserves light. Some thoughts need compassion. Some thoughts need correction. Some thoughts need boundaries. Some thoughts need to be brought into the light and examined. One of the biggest mental health struggles right now is uncertainty. We want certainty about our health, our kids, our marriage, our money, our future, our world, our reputation, our calling, our decisions. And we cannot get certainty. Many of us, if we cannot get certainty, many of us start trying to manufacture it. We overthink. We overplan. We ask for reassurance. We check the email again. We check the text again. We reread the text. We search online for another answer. We replay the conversation. We imagine every We imagine every possible outcome. And the strange thing is this. can feel responsible, but often anxiety is wearing a responsible ⁓ outfit. There is a clinical concept called intolerance of ⁓ It describes how some people experience uncertainty as unbearable. Dangerous or threatening. Research connects intolerance of uncertainty with worry and anxiety. That makes sense. Because if uncertainty feels intolerable, your brain will try to eliminate it. But life does not offer exhaustive certainty. Sometimes wish it did, but it doesn't. the goal is not to know everything, the goal is to become more grounded when you do not know. This is where biblical truth matters. Scripture does not give you every detail out tomorrow. It does not tell you exactly how every conversation will go. It does not promise a life without risk. But it does reveal God's character. It reveals God's presence. ⁓ reveals God's commands. It reveals God's promises. Faith not pretending uncertainty does not exist. Faith is learning to live with uncertainty under the care of a trustworthy God. But this is a major difference. Control says I need to know everything to be okay. Faith says I do not know everything, but I know enough about God to take the next faithful step because God hasn't. Now let's bring this ⁓ into identity. Truth protects from shame. Shame is one of the most powerful examples. Of feelings becoming facts. Shame says I did something wrong. Therefore, I am wrong. Shame says I failed. Therefore, I am a failure. says I was rejected. Therefore, I ⁓ rejectable. Shame I struggle. Therefore, I am weak. But biblical truth tells us. A fuller, more beautiful story. The Bible does not flatter us. It does not say you are perfect just the way you are. That is not the Christian message. ⁓ ⁓ Scripture also refuses to reduce us to our worst moment. Genesis says humans are made in the image of God. Romans 8 says there's no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ. Ephesians talks about adoption. the gospel says you are more broken than you want to admit. And more love. you dared to hope. That is truth with depth. So, like in psychology counseling language, many people carry core beliefs like, I'm not enough. I'm unlovable. I'm defected. ⁓ needs do not matter. Or I'll have to reform to be accepted. Those core beliefs ⁓ feel true because they were learned through experience. ⁓ learned ⁓ Does not always mean true. Familiar does not always mean true. Loud does not always mean true. This is where scripture becomes deeply practical. Truth gives you a way to say this shame story may be old. It may be understandable. It may even be connected to real pain. But it is not allowed to define me. That is not denial. That is resistance. You're resisting a lie with truth. Truth also matters in relationships. A lot of conflicts happen because people react to assumptions instead of facts. Your spouse gets quiet and you assume content. Your friend cancels and you assume rejection. pastor does not respond quickly enough, and you assume they don't care. You assume they're not doing their job. Your kid rolls their eyes and you assume disrespect rather than exhaustion, I anxiety immunity. Now sometimes your interpretation may be right, but often we do not check. We just react. This is why one of the most practical communication tools you can use ⁓ this sentence. The story I am telling myself is blank. Is that what you meant? That sentence can save a marriage conversation. When you got quiet, the story I told myself was that you were done with me. Is that what is happening? When you did not text back, the story I told myself was that I was bothering you. Is that true? When you corrected me in front of people, the story I tell myself was that you were trying to embarrass me. Is that what you intended? That is truth seeking. ⁓ It does not accuse, it So let's look at Ephesians 4 15. talks about speaking the truth in love. That is such a needed phrase. Truth without love can become harsh. Love without truth can become enabling. Christian maturity holds both together. In relationships, truth says, I want to know what is real. Not just what my wounded nervous system assumes is real. That is emotionally mature. That is spiritually mature. Now I want to be careful because some people listening have had truth used against them. Maybe someone used the Bible verse to dismiss your pain. Maybe someone used theology to control you. someone told you to forgive because you were safe. Maybe someone told you your depression was a lack of faith. And maybe someone told you your anxiety meant you were spiritually immature. Maybe used truth as a weapon instead of a path towards healing. That is real. And that is wrong. truth should not be used to bypass grief, silence trauma, excuse abuse, ⁓ avoid responsibility. Truth not a club. Truth is a way to win arguments. Truth is not tool for spiritual senior seniority. So ⁓ John says Jesus came full of grace and truth. Not grace without truth. Not truth without grace. Both. So when we talk about truth, we're not talking about cold correction. We're talking about reality as God defines it, applied with humility, courage, compass, and wisdom. the anxious person, truth says your fear makes sense, ⁓ fear does not get the final word. For the ashamed person truth says your sin matters and condemnation is not your identity in Christ. For the angry person, truth says hurt may be real and revenge will not heal you. For the burned out person, truth says your limits are not weakness. You are not God. For people pleaser, truth says you are called to love people, not worship their approval. That is the kind of truth that heals rather than crushes. Let me give you a practical tool. So I call this, I like to call this the truth triangle. So we have three questions. What am I feeling? What am I thinking? And what is true? Three questions like a triangle. That's it. It's simple, but it's not easy. Question number one: What am I feeling? Name it clearly. Anxious, sad, angry, guilty, embarrassed, lonely, overwhelmed, discouraged, sad, whatever. Name it. Question number two, am I thinking? Not what should be what should I be thinking? What am I actually thinking? I cannot handle this. I handle this. They are mad at me. I'm failing. God is disappointed in me. This will never change. And question number three What is true? What do you know to be true? And I want you to answer that from three angles. First, what are the facts? Second, what does wise counsel say? Third, what does scripture say? Keep facts keep you grounded. Wise counsel keeps you humble. Scripture keeps you rooted. Here's an example. Feelings anxious. Thought I'm gonna lose everything. Facts I had a hard financial month, but I am not lost everything. I need to make a plan. Wise counsel I may need to talk to who can help me budget and make decisions. Scripture. Jesus teaches me not to be ruled by tomorrow's worries. Proverbs. Calls me to wisdom and planning. God is with me in need. Next faithful step. Review the numbers. Make one phone call, pray honestly, and do not spend the rest of the night doom scrolling. That is a true that is truth and action. Here's another example. The feeling we have, shame. Thought I'm a terrible person. Facts. I lost my patience I needed to repair with my child. That does not make me a terrible parent. It means I had a hard moment and I need to take responsibility. Wise counsel would say repair matters. I can apologize without making my child responsible for my actions. Scripture says I am accountable for my words, and God's grace invites repentance, not self-hatred. faithful step step. Calm down, take a breath, go back, say, I'm sorry I raised my voice. That was not okay. I love you, and I'm working ⁓ handling my frustration better. Making that bid for connection. That truth, not denial. Not shame. Truth. And truth is practical. It changes what you do next. so what do we do with this episode? Let me give you five action steps. Number one, stop treating every thought like a fact. When a strong thought shows up, say this is a ⁓ not a verdict. Number label the distortion. Is this catastrophizing? Is it mind reading, all or nothing thinking, emotional reasoning, personalization? Naming the pattern helps you step back from it. Number three, bring scripture in carefully and honestly. Do not use scripture to slap yourself in the face. Use it as light. If we look at Psalms 119, it says this: God's word is a lamp onto my feet and a light onto my path. Light helps you see. It does not shame you for being in the dark. Number four, practice tolerating uncertainty. Not everything resolved tonight or today. Not every question gets answered immediately. Not every fear needs reassurance. ⁓ Sometimes the faithful next step is to checking and go to bed. Number five, seek truth in community. Not every community is wise, but healthy Christian community. Community helps us see what we cannot see alone. You need people who can say, I hear you, I love you, and I think anxiety is lying to you right now. That is a gift. So I'm gonna close with this. A rooted life is not an emotionless life. A rooted life is a truth-guided life. I will still have fear. You will still have distress. You have hard days. And you will have conflict. You will have unanswered questions. You will still have moments where your emotions feel louder than your faith. But if your life is rooted in truth and God, those moments do not get to become your master. Anxiety can speak, but it does not get the final word. Shame can speak, but it does not get the final word. Fear can speak, but it does not get the final word. Culture can speak, but it does not get the final word. Your past can speak, but it doesn't get the final word. Truth gets the final word. And for Christians, truth is not of just a concept. Truth is grounded in the God who speaks. Truth is grounded in God who speaks that scripture reveals and ultimately Christ Himself. So this week, here is your challenge. Use the truth triangle once a day for seven days. Ask yourself, what am I feeling? What am I thinking? What is true? Write it down. Keep it simple. Do not try to fix your whole life in one journal entry. Just practice telling the truth about your inner world and the presence of That is how renewal starts. hype, not pretending, no spiritual performance, honest, repeated, grounded truth. Thank you all for listening to Rooted and Real with Keenan. If this episode helped you, Tired. Share this with someone who is tired of being bossed around by anxiety, shame, overthinking. And make sure you follow the podcast because next time we are continuing the Bible doctrine project with episode three: how we got the Bible. Stay rooted, stay real, and remember, your feelings are real, but they're not always the final truth. Thank you all for listening. 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