Loss of identity and role

The RCMP is a calling, it’s a lifestyle. Because we are expected to carry our police ID everywhere we go… it’s mentally exhausting to be on all the time. You can’t just snap your fingers and get rid of it. - RCMP Veteran

You know, I never thought of that dumb piece of plastic as anything other than an ID card to get you where you needed to go. But when I had to give it up, it was really hard. I still haven’t applied for my Veteran’s Service Card because I’m still not over that. I will eventually, but it’s just one of those things that I have a bitterness toward. - Military Veteran

There is the loss of who you were. You’re now a civilian and have no extra authority like you used to. You need to find out who you are now. Meaning and purpose are huge. Even if you think you will be fine in retirement, you likely will have some form of grief, and it can be a surprise. - RCMP Veteran

For many Veterans, being in the military or RCMP is a defining feature of who they are. As you transition out, you may struggle with your sense of identity.

I know this happens in a lot of jobs, but particularly in policing. Members tend to identify too much with the profession itself as opposed to recognizing that they’re a person who is practicing this profession for some period of time. Not recognizing that can really have a detrimental effect. - RCMP Veteran

Some who enter civilian life wonder who they are now. Leaving the service includes grieving parts of yourself that you feel were lost, as well as redefining who you are “out of uniform.” Your situation can be further complicated when the skills acquired in service don’t transfer smoothly to civilian life.

Who I was in the military was lost and I was really fighting to get back to being the old me. I wanted my old life. I wanted my old career. I wanted all these things that were gone from my life now. - Military Veteran