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 told John about my 20-year battle with Bipolar Disorder, Alcoholism, Anxiety, and PTSD. I was an EMT, and 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 reached a point where I felt so powerless, I tried to end it all,” I said, seeing the understanding in John’s eyes. “I was in survival mode, just getting through each day, as my mental health challenges were in control of my life.”
John nodded. “I’ve been there,” he admitted. “Feels like every day is a fight, but no matter how much you push, the struggle keeps coming.” “I know what you mean,” I said. “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 self-help approach that empowers 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 John’s wheels turning. He wasn’t used to letting anything, even emotions, slow him down. But being a Mental Health Warrior is all about embracing the fight, not running from it.
“Look,” I said, “I know it’s tough. My bipolar disorder still sends me into random waves of depression, and anxiety doesn’t just disappear. But the difference now is that I don’t let these things dictate my life. I have the tools to manage them. Every day is 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, life’s obstacles—you don’t give up. You face the fight head-on.
As a Mental Health Warrior, you’re not just surviving. You’re Living the full life experience!”
Because whether you’re John Wick or just someone struggling with mental health challenges, the message is clear: No Surrender! That’s the rallying cry of the Mental Health Warrior, and 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
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