We often hear about things like survivors' guilt and imposter syndrome in the veteran community, but rarely do we explore why we experience them or where they come from.
To tackle this issue, I've brought on Andrew Merrell, LMFT. Andrew is a therapist who works with men in the public eye who are struggling with their identities under the pressures of prestige and fame.
Andrew's perspective on this is valuable because he deals with men every day who do not feel like they deserve what they have. For veterans transitioning into the civilian world after experiencing the death of friends, this is a familiar feeling.
Many veterans enter their civilian lives with the feeling that they do not belong. For some, this can be a feeling of guilt due to the fact that they lost friends in combat. For others, it can feel as if they are impersonating someone else by trying to fit into a new identity.
As Andrew mentions, these are two separate phenomena, but both have an impact.
To Learn more about Andrew: http://aimpsychotherapy.com/andrewmerrell