Yesterday was supposed to be just another ordinary day. I was going about my usual routine, walking through town, when who do I bump into but the man himself—John Wick. Yes, that John Wick. The guy who’s taken down armies of assassins with nothing but sheer determination and a pencil. But today, something was different. Instead of his usual determined stare, John looked... well, almost defeated.
“John?” I said, half-expecting him to pull out his famous pencil. But instead, he nodded, his face tired. “Bruce,” he rasped, “I’ve been fighting all my life, and now it feels like the battle never ends. Sometimes, I think I’m just surviving. Not really living.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. Here was a man who faced death daily, but now he was talking about mental health. “John,” I replied, “I get it. I’ve been there too. Surviving isn’t enough—we need to live. That’s what being a Mental Health Warrior is all about.”
He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. So, I dove into my own story and how the rallying cry of a Mental Health Warrior is No Surrender!
My Journey: From Surrender to Warrior
I shared with John my 20-year battle with Bipolar Disorder, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders, and PTSD, stemming from my time as an EMT with the local rescue squad. After college, I transitioned into the Information Technology field, but the pressures of the job, combined with my mental health struggles, made life feel unbearable. Every day felt like a fight, and I wasn’t sure I had the strength to keep going.
“I was stuck in survival mode, merely getting through each day while my mental health challenges controlled my life. Eventually, I felt so powerless that I tried to end it all,” I said, noticing the deep understanding in John’s eyes.
John nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve been there,” he admitted. “It feels like every day is a fight, and no matter how much you push, the struggle keeps coming.”
“I know exactly what you mean,” I replied. “But here’s the thing—I realized that surrender wasn’t an option. I had to make a choice: either let my mental health challenges control me, or Take Back Control and Start Living Again.”
John’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “So how did you do it?”
The Mental Health Warrior Program: No Surrender
“That’s when I created the Mental Health Warrior Program,” I explained. “It’s a new SELF-HELP approach designed to empower us to manage our mental health while still living the life we choose. The rallying cry of the program is simple: No Surrender. No matter how hard it gets, we don’t give up. We face our challenges head-on.”
I could see the wheels turning in John’s mind. He wasn’t used to letting anything, even emotions, slow him down. But being a Mental Health Warrior isn’t about ignoring the struggle—it’s about embracing the fight and refusing to back down.
“Look,” I continued, “I know it’s tough. My bipolar disorder still hits me with random waves of depression, and my anxiety hasn’t vanished. But the difference now is that I don’t let those things dictate my life. I’ve built tools to manage them.”
I leaned forward. “Every day, we make a choice: I don’t surrender—and neither should you.”
Lesson 1: Embrace the Battle, Don’t Run from It
“The first thing I realized,” I continued, “was that trying to avoid my emotions or challenges only made things worse. I had to learn to embrace them. In the Mental Health Warrior Program, we don’t run from the fight. We meet it head-on, using tools and mindset shifts to take control of the situation.”
John looked thoughtful, clearly reflecting on his life of constant battles. “I’ve spent my whole life running from the pain of losing my wife, and it’s haunted me ever since. I threw myself into every fight, hoping to escape the emotions, but they’ve just grown stronger.”
I nodded. “Exactly, John. When we run, the emotions only get louder. But if we stand our ground and face them, they become manageable. The trick is to stop seeing emotions as the enemy and start seeing them as signals.
When anxiety hits me now, I don’t drown it with alcohol. Instead, I acknowledge it and use it as a prompt to grab a tool from my Mental Health Warrior toolkit. I take action.”
John’s Takeaway:
John paused, thinking it over. “So, next time I feel that overwhelming grief or anger, I shouldn’t push it down. I should acknowledge it. Maybe even use it to focus during a mission, rather than letting it control me.” “Exactly,” I said. “You’re the one in charge.”
Lesson 2: Resilience Built By Staying in the Fight
“The second lesson,” I told John, “is that resilience is built by staying in the fight, even when it feels like you’re losing. Mental health challenges can feel like they’ll knock you down for good, but as a warrior, you get back up. Every time you stand back up, you’re stronger.”
John clenched his jaw, clearly resonating with the idea. “I’ve been knocked down a lot, Bruce. Every time I think I’m out, something pulls me back in. But maybe I’ve been looking at it all wrong. Maybe the strength is in getting back up, not in trying to avoid falling in the first place.”
“That’s exactly it,” I replied. “The true power of resilience is in refusing to surrender, no matter how many times you fall. You don’t have to win every battle, but staying in the fight makes you stronger every day.”
John’s Takeaway:
John nodded slowly. “So even when I lose people, when the grief feels like it’s too much, the key is not letting it take me down permanently. I have to get back up, even if it’s painful.” “That’s right,” I said. “Every time you stand back up, you’re stronger than before.”
Lesson 3: You Get to Choose the Fight
“The third lesson,” I continued, “is that we get to choose the direction of our lives. Mental health challenges can make you feel like you’re trapped, with no way out. But as a Mental Health Warrior, you get to decide what your fight looks like. You can take your life in any direction, as long as you don’t surrender to your challenges.”
John leaned in, interested. “You mean it’s not about avoiding the fight, but choosing the right one?”
“Exactly. For years, I avoided everything. I avoided social situations because of my anxiety. I avoided talking about my emotions because of PTSD. But once I realized I was in control, I started choosing the fights that mattered to me.”
John’s Takeaway:
John thought for a moment. “In my world, it’s all about survival. Every fight is a fight for my life, and it’s exhausting. But if I get to choose the fight, I can focus on what really matters—like finding peace, maybe even helping others who are struggling.”
I smiled. “Now you’re thinking like a Mental Health Warrior. You don’t have to fight every battle that comes your way. You can focus on what’s most important to you and let the rest go.” John chuckled, a rare sound coming from him.
“You know, Bruce, I think I can do that. I’ve been fighting for survival so long that I forgot I could fight for something bigger. I’m not ready to surrender.”
“Good,” I said with a grin. “Because that’s the rallying cry of a Mental Health Warrior—No Surrender.”
Wrapping It Up
As our conversation came to an end, John stood up, looking more determined than when we first met. “No Surrender,” he repeated, almost to himself. “I like that!”
“That’s right,” I said. “No matter what you’re up against—mental health challenges or life’s obstacles—you don’t give up. You face the fight head-on.”
Because whether you’re John Wick or someone navigating mental health challenges, the message is clear: No Surrender. That’s the rallying cry of the Mental Health Warrior. It’s how we take back control of our lives, one battle at a time!
Bruce Schutter
Creator of Mental Health Warrior Program and Challenge Coin
Comments