David Arquette thought he was "dying" following his so-called ‘Death Match’ with Nick Gage in 2018.
The 48-year-old actor and professional wrestler was accidentally stabbed in the neck with a cylindrical light bulb during the wrestling match two years ago, and has now said he wasn’t sure he would recover from his "gruesome" injuries.
He confessed: "I thought I was dying. I got out of the ring and I was totally lost. I couldn’t see and I couldn’t hear."
The aftermath of David and Nick’s fight is featured in the new documentary ‘You Cannot Kill David Arquette’ – which launches later this month – and footage shows the star being rushed to hospital, where he received stitches and surgery.
And David admitted his brush with death forced him to come to terms with his demons, which stemmed from a troubled childhood, rejection in Hollywood, and the death of his sibling, Alexis, in 2016.
He explained: "There was a certain carefree, daredevil aspect about the way I lived life previously. But I didn’t want to die. With the death match, I was doing it on purpose. I was feeling pain to numb pain. Afterwards, I realised I needed to be kind to myself."
With the help of therapy and support from his wife Christina McLarty Arquette – with whom he has six-year-old Charlie and three-year-old Gus – David eventually learned to love himself.
The ‘Scream’ star – who also has 16-year-old Coco with ex-wife Courteney Cox – said: "I learned to love myself. I had to stop being self-destructive and making choices that were throwing bombs."
And now, David has realised he isn’t "invincible", but feels "at peace" with his life.
Speaking to People magazine, he added: "I’m not worried about the future. I’m trying to live in the moment.
"I’m not invincible and there have been times in my life where I didn’t want to go on. But I’m proud of my kids, I’m proud of my wife, and I’m proud of my family. And when you start to like yourself, it’s easier to feel at peace."