By Nataly Kogan — 2018
For most of my life, I clung to the belief that I wasn’t happy because I “just wasn’t wired that way.”
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A veteran turned to art to try to heal his trauma. There he found solace and meaning. Now he helps others.
Like most veterans, I found the transition from military to civilian life a struggle—a tougher struggle than I had anticipated. For me, I found that one of my trickier struggles was with my identity.
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In a path to heal, a clinician guides a veteran through a conversation with an imaginary and benevolent “moral authority” to talk about the act or event that has caused suffering. The patient then describes the regret and sorrow that has followed, and asks for forgiveness or a chance to atone.
Soldiers are always supposed to be thinking. That’s what West Point teaches its cadets, who are officers in training. You’re supposed to question the orders you’re given, to see whether they conform to the Geneva Conventions and the laws of war.
The process to uncover your purpose after a career in military service takes great introspection.