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Retirement and Identity Loss
Retirement can bring a grief no one warns you about: the loss of the role, the title, the daily purpose, and the person the world knew you as. For many, work was not just a job but an identity, and when it ends, you may grieve like you lost someone, because in a real sense you lost a version of yourself. This grief is quiet and often misunderstood, but it is legitimate. It is possible to mourn what you left behind and still build a meaningful next chapter.
National Resource
Grief & Support
Currently in crisis?
If your grief has become a crisis, you feel unsafe, or you are thinking about harming yourself, immediate support is available.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week anywhere in the United States, free, confidential, and ready for anyone experiencing emotional distress or grief.
If this is a life threatening emergency, call 911 immediately.