Self-Awareness Case Study

Many of you know that I am returning to a graduate school in order to receive my second Master's degree. In the last few months, I have struggled much with symptoms, namely flashbacks and paranoia. In school, I studied a few Statistics courses.

Over the last two weeks, I started my own experiment on myself, technically called a case study with oneself.

I sat down and took notes on what I wanted to change in my life. I said to myself, "Something's gotta change. I can't just stay paranoid or have flashbacks for the rest of my life. I need to rethink how I live my life."

So I basically turned my life right-side-up. I majorly changed how I fall asleep, how I wake up in the morning, completed Orientation for graduate school, started reading books again (mainly self help), took my first injection of a medication and meditated over 3 times a day.

I slowed everything down.

This is where I tell you the success or failure of my "self-awareness case study." The only thing that I could have done better is not changed everything at the same time. Any good experimenter knows that you should only make one change at a time so you can see which of the things significantly increase quality of life. I was too excited to wait so I changed everything at once.

I have to share that all of these changes I have made my life so much easier, more meaningful, exciting, peaceful and beautiful. All of my goals and hypothesis came true in this experiment. I have found that my paranoia has nearly gone away, I am more happy and calm. In fact, I am so much calmer that I have handled difficult and triggering situations, feelings and emotions and without running away or becoming too emotional. I have remained calm in situations that used to make me cry or run away. I am able to concentrate and focus even in situations that used to make me dissociation.

Life is beautiful and I think this experiment just goes to show that you have the choice to stay stuck in the negative or move forward into the positive things that God has planned for you.

For me, I am working on maintaining this experiment and using the tricks I have learned to better my life.