Triumphing over Substance Abuse: Percy the “PTSD” Platypus and the World’s Largest Ketchup Bottle

I was halfway through my diet soda — and, let’s be honest, the second mini snack I swore I wasn’t going to eat — when I heard a familiar, gravelly voice behind me.

“Bruce. We need to talk about ketchup.”

I froze mid-sip.

There are very few situations in life where someone brings up ketchup with the seriousness of a military debrief — and most of them involve Percy the “PTSD” Platypus.

Sure enough, there he was. Aviator sunglasses. Worn camo jacket. And clutched in one webbed paw, a souvenir bottle of ketchup roughly the size of his bill.

“Percy,” I said cautiously, “please tell me you didn’t get into another condiment-related crisis.”

He smirked. “Not a crisis. A revelation.”

And that’s when I knew — whatever was coming next, I needed to buckle up.

Now Percy isn’t your average platypus. He’s part philosopher, part veteran and today works as an EMT. He also has a dark sense of humor and for a long time treated alcohol like emotional WD-40 — something to quiet the noise instead of dealing with it.

Percy is part of Marvin the “Mental Health Warrior” Cat’s crew, a group of unlikely friends traveling across America and tackling real mental health challenges while stopping at some of the most unexpected roadside attractions along the way.

So when Percy says he’s had a “revelation” — especially one involving ketchup — you don’t ask questions. You listen.

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My Warrior Story

I nodded, because I knew exactly what Percy meant. I’d been there myself — battling Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders and PTSD from my years as an EMT during high school and college.

Those struggles left me feeling so powerless that I tried to end my life. But in that dark time, I discovered something life-changing: mental health is the key to overcoming life’s challenges.

Armed with that knowledge, I created the Mental Health Warrior Program — a bold SELF-HELP approach that puts YOU in charge, so you can take control of your emotions, overcome challenges and build the life you truly want.

And now here was Percy, living proof that those lessons could stick — a story shared in my book, Marvin the Mental Health Warrior Cat’s Road Trip.

“Go on,” I said. “What happened next?”

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The Revelation at the World’s Largest Ketchup Bottle

“So there we were,” Percy said, “me, Marvin, Doug, Andy and Samantha — five emotionally challenged people in a van that smelled like beef jerky and regret.”

“Marvin insisted we stop at the World’s Largest Bottle of Ketchup in Collinsville, Illinois.”

His exact words were, “You can’t heal trauma without condiments.”

I chuckled. “Sounds about right for Marvin.”

Percy said they stood beneath the 170-foot ketchup bottle like tourists at the Lincoln Memorial. Then Marvin handed him a tiny bottle of mustard.

“To scale,” Marvin said.

Percy looked from the mustard to the towering ketchup bottle. “That’s me versus my emotions.”

“For years,” Percy continued, “I treated my emotions like enemies. I drowned them in vodka. And when you bottle things up too long — like ketchup — pressure builds. Eventually something explodes.”

Then Percy smiled slightly. “But that changed at the ketchup bottle.”

He told me Marvin tossed him his Mental Health Warrior Challenge Coin and said, “Use it to feel, not to fight.”

“Later, while everyone else was buying ketchup hats, I sat in the grass. I didn’t drink. I didn’t run. I just sat and felt everything.”

“And for the first time in a long time… I didn’t explode.”

“That was the moment I realized I didn’t need alcohol to survive my emotions.”

Percy leaned forward. “And that’s when I learned three lessons on the road.”

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Lesson One: Bottled Emotions Always Explode

Percy said, “Every emotion you ignore adds another ounce of pressure to your bottle.

Eventually it bursts — sometimes loud, sometimes quiet. But it always bursts.”

“When I stopped pretending everything was fine and finally admitted what I was feeling, the pressure didn’t explode — it started to release.

That’s when I realized emotions aren’t enemies. They’re signals.”

Our Turn:

Percy said, “Every emotion you ignore adds another ounce of pressure to your bottle. Eventually it bursts — sometimes loud, sometimes quiet. But it always bursts.”

I nodded because I knew exactly what he meant. For years I tried to ignore my emotions and power through them.

But when I finally admitted what I was feeling, something surprising happened — the pressure started to release.

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Lesson Two: Courage Means Feeling, Not Fleeing

“I used to think bravery meant ignoring fear,” Percy said. “Turns out, it means feeling fear and showing up anyway — even if you’re shaking like Doug in a thunderstorm.”

He shrugged. “For years I ran from my emotions. If something hurt, I drank. If something scared me, I buried it.”

“But when I finally stopped running and started letting myself feel those emotions, something changed.”

Percy tapped the table for emphasis.

“The fear didn’t control me anymore — because I was finally facing it.”

Our Turn:

When I feel the urge to numb out — whether it’s stress, anxiety or just wanting to escape the moment — I pause.

Then I ask myself, “What’s really going on inside me right now?”

That simple pause changes everything. Instead of reacting or running, I can face the emotion and choose my next move.

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Lesson Three: Warriors Don’t Fight Alone

Percy grinned. “When my challenges get overwhelming and I feel broken, Marvin wouldn’t let me isolate. He made me talk, laugh and even dance at a rest stop once. (Not pretty, but effective.)

Turns out, the antidote to shame is connection.”

He shrugged. “When I stopped hiding and started letting people see what I was really dealing with, the weight got lighter.”

Our Turn:

When I feel myself starting to withdraw or handle everything alone, I reach out.

Sometimes it’s a quick text. Sometimes a call. Sometimes just sitting with someone who understands the battle.

And every time I do, the same thing happens — the struggle doesn’t feel quite so heavy.

Because Warriors know something powerful: we heal better together.

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Wrap Up

As he stood to leave, Percy tossed me his ketchup bottle souvenir.

“A reminder,” he said. “You can’t bottle up life. You’ve got to taste it — even when it stings.”

He started for the door, then paused and turned back.

“You know, Bruce, I still get triggered. I still have bad days. But I don’t drown them anymore. I face them. And every time I do, I realize something…”

“I used to think alcohol helped me escape my emotions. Turns out, it just kept me from living them. Now I feel them, deal with them — and keep moving forward.”

He smiled. “Guess that makes me the world’s first emotionally mature platypus with a ketchup problem.”

Percy adjusted his jacket, gave me a half-salute and headed for the door.

“Next time,” he called over his shoulder, “I’ll share another story from Marvin the Mental Health Warrior Cat’s Road Trip.”

So if you’re struggling, remember this: like Percy discovered beside the world’s largest ketchup bottle, the path forward isn’t about numbing life — it’s about facing it.

Even when life feels bottled up and messy, you can still rise — one breath, one emotion and one ketchup-coated step at a time!

Bruce Schutter ⚔️

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