The Stages of Chaos: Overcoming (The Final Stage)

And here we are. We’ve reach the final stage of my theory regarding chaos. I want to be clear. These stages are very similar to the stages of grief, but they are also very different. It’s true that some of them almost mirror the stages of grief. However, the entire series came from an event in my life.

When I suffer loss, I research. I dive into a world where I can feel safe and comfortable. That world happens to be learning and discovery. During my trauma in 2014, I decided to go back for my license in nursing assisting. This was for two reasons. The first was that I knew if I ever expected to work again, I was going to have to find a marketable career. After all, no one wants a washed up child welfare supervisor who had to sue a state agency. The second reason was because studying took my mind off of things and it also proved that I was still capable of learning. Furthermore, it helped me realized I could not only learn, but I could take tests and pass.

In saying this, I discovered during my first night of clinical that being a nurse’s assistant was absolutely NOT for me. So, you can imagine how I felt. It was a good thing that I invented those stages, because it seemed that chaos was going to continue with is overstayed welcome. Now what? I can’t hack being an STNA?

The truth is that during that time in my life, I worked three jobs at once trying to keep from losing everything I’d worked for while I fought the “G-man,” so to speak. It was tough, but I lived through it. Honestly, if it hadn’t been for this little research project, I’m not sure if I could have channeled that emotion constructively, especially when everything around me seemed to be raining down destruction.

So, this is it. When you can reach this stage of chaos, it doesn’t mean that the situation is over. It simply means you have learned to cope with the cards that you’ve been dealt. Truly, I hope the series has touched you. Thanks so much for hanging in there!

https://youtu.be/JSSeNbgKtM8

Specific subject areas: This episode discusses sexual abuse survivors, terminal illness, loss

Tracee

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