Scholtes-Blog

Category: Mental Health

  • I Accept Myself

    I Accept Myself

    There are many things in my life that seem to cause me distress. But it’s not the things themselves that cause the distress – it’s my response to them that causes it. I think this is kind of like the Buddhist teaching that suffering is caused by our attachment to things. It’s not the thing…

  • The Hardest Words to Say

    The Hardest Words to Say

    I have noticed that I have a very difficult relationship with some words. For instance, the sentence, you’re welcome. When someone thanks me for something, I usually respond with, “No problem,” or, “Sure,” or just a nod. I can’t get myself to say the words, “You’re welcome.” I’m not entirely sure why, but I think…

  • That’ll do, Self. That’ll do.

    That’ll do, Self. That’ll do.

    A long time ago, I read about the difference between maximizers and satisficers. As I understand it (which may be incomplete or just plain wrong, I’ll admit), a maximizer is someone who always needs to find the perfect answer for something, and a satisficer is someone who determines a level that is “good enough,” and…

  • Pleading Guilty

    Pleading Guilty

    Today was the second day of my ten-day program at Alternatives, the partial hospitalization program at Lehigh Valley Hospital. One of the things we learned about today was a type of therapy called “Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy,” or REBT. I found that this type of therapy really resonated with me. It was created by Albert…

  • Untying the Gordian Knot

    Untying the Gordian Knot

    So today was my first day at “Alternatives,” a Partial Hospitalization program at Lehigh Valley Hospital. Partial Hospitalization is a program offered by many hospitals that provides intensive mental health care. It’s called “partial” because you spend a certain amount of time there each day, and then go home at night. At Alternatives, I will…

  • Invited or Impostor?

    Invited or Impostor?

    I just received an invitation to attend the installation of the new bishop of the synod where I serve as a pastor. I feel very uncomfortable about this, and I’m really not sure what I’m going to do. Let me explain. The installation of a synod bishop is normally a huge occasion, a festive affair.…

  • The Slow Telling of a Story 6: Downtime

    The Slow Telling of a Story 6: Downtime

    I’ve been writing these occasional essays for a little over a year. In them, I’m sharing the story of turning my manuscript into a book. It’s been a long process, and every time I think it’s gotten as long as it could, another thing comes up to slow it down again. Read Slow Telling 1,…

  • How do you do it?

    How do you do it?

    Every time I read a book about being Black in the United States, I become sad at the horrible way that people of color have been treated, and continue to be treated, in what is so often called “the land of the free.” Every time I read an article this year about the 100th anniversary…

  • One of My Biggest Triggers

    One of My Biggest Triggers

    So, I’ve recently discerned one of the things that continually upsets me in daily life, that causes me both anxiety and depression. It’s a major trigger for me, and that’s a shame, because it’s almost unavoidable in everyday life. The really interesting thing about this trigger, for me, is that I have finally found something…

  • Sometimes Despair

    Sometimes Despair

    Sometimes I find out just how angry people are. Sometimes I make the mistake of reading the comments. Facebook posts these days are so frequently about wearing masks, or about churches being open, or about opening businesses, or about keeping them closed. Even reading just those posts can sometimes remind me of the anger, but…