After injury: Coping and carrying on

There is no remedy out there to make the accident you or a loved one has endured go away. There are, however, things you can do so that you may cope and move on from this traumatic incident in a positive way so that the car accident doesn’t take hold over the rest of your life.

GIVE YOURSELF SOME SLACK

A car accident can be frightening, painful, and traumatic. Your usual daily car journey to work or your routine dropping your kids off to school in the blink of an eye turned into an event anyone would wish they could go back in time to prevent. And so, naturally, you may play this scenario over in your mind, and in some cases beat yourself up in the process. This is harmful to you and your glimmer of hope to cope and move on.  Therefore, it’s crucial more than ever to be kind to you, to give yourself a mental and physical break and a chance to approach getting back to your normal healthy, happy life.

SPEAK TO A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL

Perhaps you don’t believe you have any physical injuries, and so you feel it’s not necessary to talk to a doctor at all. But the truth is, there could be underlying injuries or trauma that you are not currently aware of or suppressed issues. Your doctor will ask you a series of questions to gauge if and what type of medical help you need. For instance, they may ask if you are experiencing symptoms of whiplash, or whether you’ve been suffering headaches following the accident. Speaking to a medical professional, be it a doctor or therapist means you can get some advice to help you cope with the accident you’ve endured.

SUPPORT NETWORK

Speaking of reaching out, talking to those who care for and love you is a healthy way to get what you are feeling off your chest and to talk through what happened. Prevent becoming lost in your own pain and suffering and gain perspective from your closest, in the hope to move forward with support and reassurance from your loved ones.

LEARN FROM WHAT HAPPENED

Depending on whether you are fit and well enough to drive, you may be thinking about getting back behind and the wheel to enjoy the perks of summer driving, and good on you for having the confidence to do so! But, this should be based on using the lesson from your accident and taking this on board to keep you and others safe when you’re back on the road. For instance, learning to drive defensively, revisiting the rules of the road and being extra cautious on your journeys. Also, if driving in peak hours seems overwhelming, you could try driving in a quiet street, to begin with, to build up your confidence again. Baby steps are vital for coping.

When the accident is over, you are dealing with the repercussions of what happened in more ways than one. To cope and carry on following a car accident, we must listen to what our mind and our body need to help us move back towards normality.


Photo Credit: Pixabay

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