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I Felt Powerless and Tried to End It All: My Talk with John Rambo on the Power of Mental Health

Writer's picture: Bruce SchutterBruce Schutter

Updated: Feb 7


I felt powerless and tried to end it all my talk with john Rambo on power of Mental Health

As the chaos of this month unfolds, I find myself reflecting on one of the darkest periods of my life—a time when I felt utterly powerless. I was so consumed by the weight of my mental health struggles that I saw no way out.

 

For years, I battled Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders, and PTSD. My life no longer felt like my own. Every decision, every thought was dictated by the storm inside my mind, leaving me trapped in constant despair.

 

At my lowest point, I truly believed the only way out was to end it all.

 

That moment—when you feel like there’s no future, no hope, no way forward—is impossible to fully describe. It’s suffocating. Everything turns dark, heavy, unbearable. The thought of another day feels like an impossible battle.

 

That’s where I was and I tried to end my life.

 

But then, I got a second chance. And that second chance became the catalyst for everything that came next.

 

 

My Revelation

With that second chance, , I discovered  something life-changing: Mental Health is the key to overcoming any challenge! They can be the source of our greatest pain, but they can also be the driving force that helps us overcome even the darkest moments.

 

I shifted my focus toward rebuilding my mental health. Instead of letting my emotions control me, I learned to harness them—to take back my life and rebuild it on my own terms.

 

That’s when I created the Mental Health Warrior Program, a new SELF-HELP approach designed to help everyone take charge of their emotions, triumph over challenges and build the life they really want!

 

But this isn’t just about my story. For on this journey of recovery and empowerment, I found unexpected allies—people who, even if their circumstances were entirely different, understood the battles I’d fought.

 

One of those allies was John Rambo. Together, we shared a conversation about the power of emotions—what they mean, how they shape us, and how they can become our greatest strength!

 

 

My Conversation with John Rambo

It was a chance encounter, really. I was standing in line at the store one day, wearing my Mental Health Warrior Program sweatshirt, when none other than John Rambo himself ended up standing beside me. Rambo—legendary soldier, survivor of countless battles, both external and internal—looked at me, noticed my sweatshirt, and asked about the program.

 

I explained the idea behind the Mental Health Warrior Program: that after 20 years of feeling powerless and nearly losing my life to my mental health struggles, I realized that within our emotions lies the power to overcome any challenge. I shared how I’d used that power to regain control over my life and help others do the same.

 

Rambo listened quietly, then nodded, his intense gaze softening just a bit. "I know that feeling," he said. "There were times when I was close to the edge too. I didn’t know if I could keep going. But like you, I found out that emotions can either destroy you or give you the strength to keep fighting."

 

He went on to share three moments from his life when he, too, felt powerless—when his emotions nearly led him to give up, but ultimately gave him the strength to rise again.

 

 

Example 1: Haunted by the Past

Rambo began by telling me about the time after his first mission when he returned home, only to find that he didn’t belong anywhere anymore. His emotions—rage, grief, and confusion—became overwhelming. He couldn’t turn them off, couldn’t escape them.

 

"There were nights when I thought it’d be easier just to end it," he admitted.

 

"But then I realized… those emotions, as terrible as they were, were also the fuel. They reminded me that I was still alive, still fighting. I used that pain to keep going, to make sense of what I’d been through."

 


Our Takeaway:

The emotions rooted in our past can feel like a prison, trapping us in moments we want to forget. Yet, these same emotions can become the driving force that propels us forward.

 

By confronting the rage, grief, and confusion of our past, we can transform these powerful feelings into motivation to forge a new path—a warrior’s path—today.

 

So, the next time your past resurfaces, use it as a launchpad. Let the pain and struggle you once faced empower your steps forward. Every emotion is a tool in your warrior arsenal, ready to be transformed into strength, resilience, and purpose.

 

Your past is a chapter, not the whole story. Today, start writing a new one—stronger, braver, and unbreakable.

 

 

2. Transform Fear into Strength

Rambo shared another story, this one from a mission deep in the jungle. Surrounded by enemies, cut off from his team, and facing the prospect of certain death, fear began to take over. "It was like the fear was in control," he said. "I thought I was going to lose it."

 

But in that terrifying moment, Rambo remembered a piece of advice from an old commander: "Manage your emotions, and the rest will follow."

 

Instead of trying to push the fear away, he made a powerful choice—he embraced it. Rather than seeing fear as an enemy, he used it to sharpen his focus, heighten his instincts, and survive the mission.


 

Our Takeaway:

Fear is one of the most intense emotions we experience, and for many, it feels like an unstoppable force that keeps us trapped. But when harnessed, fear doesn’t have to hold you back—it can become the fuel that drives transformation.

 

The next time fear grips you, don’t see it as an obstacle—see it as power. Let it sharpen your focus, push you forward, and propel you toward bold action and new possibilities.

 

True warriors don’t eliminate fear—they master it. They learn to stand in it, move through it, and use it as their greatest ally on the path to transformation.

 

 

3. Turning Struggle into Purpose

Rambo shared one final story—one that wasn’t about battles in the jungle, but a battle within himself.

 

There was a time when he was merely surviving, going through the motions without a clear path forward. He had been through so much, and yet, without a sense of purpose, he felt adrift, lost in the aftermath of his struggles.

 

"I didn’t know what was next," he admitted. "I had survived everything thrown at me, but for what? It wasn’t until I started helping others that I felt like I had a reason to keep going."

 

He realized that his pain, his battles, and his survival weren’t just for him. They were meant to light the way for others. When he saw that his story—his hardships—could give someone else hope, it reignited his own will to fight.

 


Our Takeaway:

Purpose isn’t always something we find—it’s something we create.

 

When we go through deep struggles, it’s easy to feel like we’re just pushing forward without direction. But sometimes, purpose reveals itself not in what we endure, but in what we share.

 

So if you ever feel lost, turn outward. Help someone who is struggling. Share your story. Offer support.

 

Because the moment you lift someone else up, you might just discover the purpose you’ve been searching for.

 

 

The Power of Mental Health

As we stood there, talking in the store, it became clear that although we came from different worlds, we were walking the same path. We had both discovered that managing emotions is the key to overcoming even the darkest moments.

 

Rambo may have been a warrior on the battlefield, but he was also a Mental Health Warrior. He understood, as I do, that emotions aren’t the enemythey’re the power that fuels our strength, our resilience, and our ability to rise above our challenges.

 

Before we parted ways, Rambo gave me a look I won’t forget. "If you ever feel like you’re at the end again, just remember—there’s always a way out. We’ve been there. We’re proof that you can survive it."

 

 

A Message of Hope

My conversation with Rambo was a powerful reminder that even in the most extreme circumstances, hope and strength can still be found. If you’re struggling with your mental health and feeling powerless, know this—you are not alone. You are part of the Mental Health Warrior Tribe!

 

Both Rambo and I have faced moments where we felt like there were no options left, where our emotions threatened to consume us. But in the end, we discovered something life-changing—those same emotions held the key to our survival and our growth. By learning to understand and harness them, we reclaimed our lives. And so can you.

 

So, during this chaotic time, remember this: you are never as powerless as you feel. There is hope, there is help, and there is a future waiting for you. Let your emotions guide you as a Mental Health Warrior to triumph over your life’s challenges, just like Rambo and I did!



Bruce Schutter


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