The Adventure Reignition Podcast

The War After War: Why Men Are Struggling and How the Wilderness Rebuilt Lex Reilly’s Soul

Blaise Depallens Season 1 Episode 73

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Hey Adventurers,

In this deeply moving episode of The Adventure Reignition Podcast, I sit down with Lex Reilly, a former Australian soldier turned wilderness guide for one of the deepest and intense conversations ever recorded on this show.

Lex opens up about the trauma of war, the silent battle that began once he returned home, and how his path to healing led him to the wild, to God, and back to himself.

Together, we explore:

  • The emotional and spiritual collapse that followed his return from Afghanistan
  • The dark spiral of suicidal ideation, intrusive thoughts, and the moment he checked himself into a hospital
  • How emotional suppression, loneliness, and fixing culture are silently destroying men
  • The raw truth about supporting someone in crisis (and why advice isn’t what they need)
  • The power of wilderness, stillness, and surrender in rebuilding a man’s sense of self
  • What it really means to be a man and why we’re missing the initiation into manhood
  • How Lex is now guiding men back to their power through survival skills, spiritual depth, and ancient wilderness rites

💬 Favorite Quote:

“Suicide is a community event. You don’t carry the pain alone. You pass it on.”

What You’ll Learn:

  • Why performance-based masculinity and isolation are deeply harmful
  • How to truly support someone experiencing a mental health crisis
  • The difference between fixing vs witnessing emotions
  • Why trust, not toughness, is the core of true strength
  • How wilderness experiences can reawaken a lost sense of purpose, identity, and connection

🔥 This Episode Is For You If:

  • You’ve felt emotionally numb or disconnected from your purpose
  • You or someone you love has faced depression, PTSD, or thoughts of suicide
  • You want to explore what it means to be a man in today’s world
  • You crave a deeper relationship with nature, God, and your own voice
  • You’re ready to embrace uncomfortable truths in order to reclaim your life

📍 Where to Find Lex:

Want to Go Deeper?

If you’re a multi-passionate creator, visionary, or adventurer feeling stuck in your voice, I’m opening spots for my 1:1 coaching program where we co-create a magnetic personal brand rooted in truth, not trends.

DM me “POD” on Instagram to start the journey.

🙌 Subscribe & Review

If this episode stirred something in you, subscribe and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps us reach more purpose-driven creators and truth-seekers.

🎧 Final Note:

You don’t come back from war the same. But healing is possible. This episode is a testament to the human spirit, to trust, and to the wilderness within. It’s a reminder that no matter how far you've fallen, there is a path back home.

Thanks for listening. 

Where to find your host online :

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaisedepallens/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blaisedepallens/
Website: blaisedepallens.com