Ego, Tribe, and Purpose
Jun 15, 2022
They say you lose three things when you leave the military: Ego, Tribe, and Purpose.
Ego - attached to the job. No one cares what you did, and there's always a guy behind you waiting for you to hit the door so he can take your position.
Tribe - you are most likely no longer surrounded by people like you. You may also be figuring out who you are, after years or even decades of being something that you are not anymore.
Purpose - you gave it all for something greater than yourself, what's next?
These three factors play a large role in mental health issues within our community, among others, especially during/after transitioning out of the military.
We had the opportunity to attend a human performance and wellness conference for Special Operations members and families with @allsecurefoundation - which is the inspiration for this blog post.
@tomsatterly elaborated on the above, and then asked the crowd who knows someone that has taken their life. A lot of hands shot up. He was asked if it gets easier when you leave service, with the thought process of being home more, being able to pursue different therapy modalities, and doing the things you enjoy with more freedom in your schedule.
He replied, no, it becomes more difficult, because of the the above factors.
"Many people do not become self-aware until they self-destruct".