Rambo Breaks the Silence: Why Mental Health Warriors Talk About Their Emotions

I never thought I’d run into John Rambo at the diner downtown.

No, he wasn’t there to blow up the town — just to grab an afternoon Diet Soda. Turns out, we share that trait.

But as he slid into the booth across from me, I could tell something was different. His trademark scowl had softened, replaced by a look I can only describe as… peaceful.

“Bruce,” he said in that gravelly voice, “I wanted you to know — I’ve been working on talking about my emotions.”

I nearly choked on my diet soda. Rambo? Talking about emotions? The man who stitched up his own wounds with fishing line?

But he wasn’t joking. He’d read 53 Mindset Rules of a Mental Health Warrior and said Mindset Rule 3: Talk about it — hit him right between the eyes.

“I realized,” he said, “I’ve fought every battle but the one that mattered most — the one inside.”

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My Warrior Journey

Rambo knows my story. How for twenty years I battled Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders and PTSD — battles that left me feeling so powerless, I tried to end my life. But in that darkest time, I discovered something life-changing: mental health is the key to overcoming any challenge.

Armed with that knowledge, I created the Mental Health Warrior Program — a bold new SELF-HELP approach that puts YOU in charge!

“I stopped trying to avoid emotions,” I told him. “Instead, I learned how to lead them. That’s what being a Warrior is about — courage in chaos.”

Rambo nodded. “Then we’re on the same mission,” he said. And with that, he shared how he became a Mental Health Warrior — not by fighting harder, but by talking more!

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1. Self-Talk — The First Conversation

Rambo leaned back, Diet Soda in hand. “Look,” he said, “before I could talk to anyone else, I had to stop fighting myself. Every night, I’d replay everything I did wrong — the people I couldn’t save, the mistakes I made. I had to start talking to myself differently.”

He told me he started his mornings the same way he used to prep for missions — but instead of checking weapons, he checked his thoughts.

“I tell myself: ‘It’s okay, John. You did your best with what you knew then. Today’s a new mission.’ That’s how I keep my head straight.”

He grinned slightly. “And yeah… sometimes I still yell at myself. But now, I answer back with compassion.”

Our Turn:

That hit home. Because before I could ever open up to others about Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders and PTSD — I had to face myself.

I used to treat emotions like enemies — ambush them, suppress them or try to drink them away. But when I started self-talk instead of self-attack, everything changed.

Try This:

Tomorrow morning, before you check your phone, say one encouraging thing to yourself. It doesn’t have to be grand — just honest. Remind yourself: you’re still here, you’re trying and that counts.

That’s your first Warrior victory of the day.

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2. Summon Courage and Take the Plunge

Rambo took another sip of his soda and nodded. “The next part was harder. Talking to other people.”

He said for years he’d rather rappel down a cliff than open up about his nightmares. “But the thing is,” he said, “silence is just another battlefield — and no one walks out unscarred.”

So he started small — told an old friend about his sleepless nights. Then a fellow vet. Then his sister.

“I figured out the mission wasn’t to fix anything,” he said. “It was just to be honest. Once I did that, people didn’t see me as broken — they saw me as human.”

He shrugged. “Turns out, talking about your pain doesn’t make you weaker. It gives others permission to do the same.”

Our Turn:

That’s exactly what happened to me. The first time I told someone I had Bipolar Disorder, I expected rejection. Instead, I got connection.

I learned that courage isn’t the absence of fear — it’s the decision to speak despite it.

Try This:

Reach out to one person this week — a friend, coworker, family member — and say,

“Hey, can we talk? I’ve been carrying something and I think saying it out loud might help.”

You don’t have to have the perfect words — just the courage to start.

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3. Embrace the Power of Shared Experiences

Rambo glanced out the diner window. “You know the best part, Bruce?” he said. “When I started talking, the people around me started talking too. Guys who used to joke their way through pain started telling real stories.”

“It’s like I gave them permission to stop pretending. Now we meet up once a month — no mission briefings, no weapons. Just talk. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry. But we always walk out lighter.”

He paused and added, “I used to think being a warrior meant carrying everyone’s pain alone. Now I know — the real mission is carrying it together.”

Our Turn:

That’s the truth. Talking about mental health isn’t just for you — it’s for everyone around you.

Once I began opening up, my circle changed. Friends started talking about their struggles too — anxiety, burnout, PTSD. Suddenly, we weren’t isolated soldiers fighting separate wars. We were a tribe.

And that’s what being a Mental Health Warrior is all about — not perfection, but connection.

Try This:

Share one real moment this week. Maybe at dinner, maybe in a text. Something like: “This week was tough — but I’m learning to talk about it instead of burying it.”

That simple act can create a ripple that changes someone else’s life.

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Wrap Up

Rambo finished his Diet Soda, stood up, and adjusted his jacket. “Talking doesn’t make me soft,” he said. “It makes me stronger. Because now, I don’t fight alone.”

Before he left, I reached into my bag and handed him a copy of 53 Mindset Rules of a Mental Health Warrior.

“Keep this,” I said. “Mindset Rule 3: Talk About It — will help you keep the conversation going. And the other 52 rules? They’ll help you build resilience and keep growing on your Warrior journey.”

He looked at the cover, then back at me and gave that classic Rambo nod — the one that says, You’re doing good. Keep going.

So today, Warrior, it’s your turn. Break your silence.

Talk. Heal. Connect.

Because real strength doesn’t come from holding it in — it comes from letting it out!

Bruce Schutter

Every day is a chance to choose strength — because YOU'RE IN CHARGE!