#identity-loss

#identity-loss

When my D1 college football career ended, I didn't just lose the game. I lost my identity. Football had structured my entire life: my schedule, my body, my purpose. When that structure disappeared, I didn't know who I was anymore. I had been living what I now recognize as a lukewarm lifestyle, doing just enough to get by, but not anchored in anything solid. Without football, there was nothing left to lean on.

The loss of ability, relationships, and identity due to mental illness can create a profound layer of grief that is often overlooked.