War, Anger, Sobriety, and Starting Again

Season 2 Episode 62

What happens when survival becomes your identity. Sean Young grew up inside violence, entered the Army at 17, deployed four times, lost his best friend overseas, and spiraled into addiction and rage after discharge. After a suicide attempt and a hard reset, he chose accountability, community, and five years of continuous sobriety. We talk about men’s mental health, veteran transitions, anger as armor, and the slow work of living again.

Childhood abuse, foster care, adoption, religious rigidity
Four deployments and the grief that never got a funeral
The “always angry” nervous system and why it isn’t character, it is chemistry
Veterans Treatment Court, 12-step work, and radical accountability
Sitting in pain without numbing and building a life that can hold it
Community, mentorship, and why isolation keeps the wound open

🎙️ What We Talk About:

Survival mode as “existing” instead of living
How chronic anger masks fear and grief
Trauma bonding in relationships and breaking the cycle
Tools that helped: AA, MRT, group work, anger skills, spiritual practices
The veteran cliff after discharge and why community saves lives
Parenting self after chaos and learning to regulate the body
Tiny proofs of life: roses in a garden, sober mornings, answering a 3 a.m. call

🔑 Key Takeaways:

“Survival mode is not living. It is just making it to the next day.”

“Anger isn’t the end. It is a sign that fear or sadness is underneath.”

“Accountability heals what shame keeps infected.”

“Don’t take it personal. Most of what hurt you wasn’t about you.”

🙌 Why This Episode Matters:

Men are bleeding out emotionally in plain sight. Veterans are trained to stay angry and stay ready, then sent home without a map back to peace. Sean’s story is a masterclass in choosing life when the body only knows war. If you love a man who is hurting, if you are that man, or if you are rebuilding after addiction, you will hear yourself here.

💬 Connect with Sean:

Podcast: Recover Out Loud
Instagram/TikTok: @the_sober_shaman_sean
Facebook: Sean Young
Mentorship and speaking: contact via socials

🔗 Resources & Links:

💣 Download the Survival Mode Exit Blueprint
👉🏾 Join the Survival Mode Exodus Membership
🎧 Subscribe to Survival Mode Disrupted: The Podcast on YouTube
✍🏾 Subscribe to Survival Mode Disrupted: The Newsletter on LinkedIn
💬 Book a 1:1 Session with Leticia
📖 Order Survival Mode Exit Plan Book
😉 Join the free FB Group Disrupting Survival Mode