Loss of a way of life

Your service may have instilled a certain work ethic and pace in your life. It provided structure, determined your priorities, directed the trajectory of your life, has been the source of deep friendships, and may have affected how you spend your time and energy “off the clock”. Big life decisions, such as posting and deployments, were often made for you. The transition out of the fast-paced, achievement-oriented, work-focused service lifestyle can be jarring and disorienting.

You know, I was kind of conditioned to think that the military lifestyle is the one and only way to be. And I think, that is part of what set me up to struggle on the civilian side of things because I didn’t recognize myself or my life after I left. I didn’t know how to be. - Military Veteran

You may have been looking forward to a more relaxed and less demanding life when you left the service. However, things can look different on the other side of a big decision. The military or RCMP have defined structures within which many people excel. The loss of this structure can be liberating but can also leave you feeling lost and unsure how to motivate yourself. You may feel that you’ve lost the driving force behind your daily existence.

This idea of freedom, of making my own choices, was a bit terrifying. I’ve done really well having somebody tell me what I need to do Monday to Friday, or that my block leave would be at this time of year, and I’m allowed to do this or that. Now? Let’s just say I got some work to do managing my newfound independence. - Military Veteran