emotional trauma and ptsd after a personal injury

Coping With the Emotional Impact of a Personal Injury

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Trying to cope with the physical disability, pain and suffering, loss of income, and other physical and emotional consequences in the aftermath of a personal injury can be challenging. Whether you were injured in an auto accident, a slip and fall, or because of a dog bite, you and your family may be looking at a long road to healing depending on the severity of your injuries and the extent of support you have.

Based on this, you don’t have to be alone in this time of difficulty. Your first step after your urgent medical treatment should be to hire a trustworthy personal injury attorney that can provide you solid legal representation and fight for your rightful financial compensation while you focus on your physical and emotional healing.

Coping with the Physical Impact of a Personal Injury

Facing the effects of a personal injury may seem almost impossible and overwhelming when you are in the moment. Moreover, you should always remember that there are ways of coping with the physical toll of an injury. These are a few tips to cope with the physical aspects of your injury

  1. Trust your physician

It takes a lot to find a doctor you can completely confide in. You should understand that a doctor-patient relationship works as a two-way street. You should be able to tell the doctor your true feelings. Don’t hesitate to describe your symptoms regardless of what the medical condition looks like. You need treatment for your injuries and you deserve to be treated whether you blame yourself for the accident or not.

  1. Eat healthy

Physical and emotional recovery significantly depends on your nutrition intake. Reassess your diet. Have you been consuming a lot of carbs, alcohol, sugar, and caffeine? You may want to make changes to your intake and include more nuts, fresh vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins. Limit your intake of dairy and grains. You may want to completely avoid red meat while recovering.

  1. Chart an exercise course

Talk to your physician about devising a workout plan that won’t worsen your injury. Exercise will help strengthen your muscles and put you on the road to recovery. Make sure you give your body an ample amount of rest and downtime to heal. You should never overdo this. Exercising releases endorphins that are important for good overall health. An easy 15-minute walk a day will prevent muscle atrophy and deconditioning.

  1. Be honest with your doctor

You are making things worse by lying to your doctor about how you feel. Don’t be a martyr or think that pain is a friend. You should be absolutely forthright with the physician. This will help them prescribe the right treatment and medications.

 

Coping with the Emotional Impact of Personal Injury

Getting injured is tough and it is a common tendency to replay the events in one’s head and make things worse. Thinking about what you could have done differently to avoid the accident is natural, but it’s crucial that you stop dwelling on past events. You need to be emotionally healthy for attaining maximum medical improvement (MMI).

  1. Reduce stressors

Stress is an everyday part of life. Moreover, patients suffering from chronic pain may experience an exponential increase in pain if they stress. You may notice an increase in pain on “flare days”. Try identifying measures for limiting those stressors if you feel your home or work life is creating stress.

  1. Meditate

You don’t need to meditate for hours. It is alright if you can hold your mindfulness for even a few seconds. Think of meditation as flexing a muscle. You are on track if you can concentrate for even a little bit at a time. Mediation is helpful for chronic pain patients as it helps in relaxing the muscles.

  1. Join a support group

It can be immensely meaningful to identify like-minded individuals that are undergoing the same experiences. Friends and family may care about you a lot, but they won’t be able to comprehend what you are going through beyond a certain extent.

  1. Let your friends and family in

Many victims of personal injury withdraw from others. You should reach out to friends and relatives to find support and encouragement. People that are close to you will always be there to help. You can use them as an outlet for your frustration by talking about your concerns. You can also ask them to perform chores that you are unable to manage. Consider virtual meetings if you don’t have your loved ones near you.

  1. Don’t shy away from therapy

Traumatic events can cause PTSD symptoms along with depression, anxiety, and other disorders. You should not refrain from speaking to a therapist if you find your emotional health slipping. Millions of people face issues following an accident.

You may only be suffering from Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) if these symptoms lessen after a few weeks. You are more likely to be suffering from PTSD if the symptoms last longer. Chronic pain can be a major factor in developing PTSD. Lack of pain management and ongoing physical disability was linked to ongoing PTSD symptoms in auto accident victims as per a 2005 study.

Choose a Competent Personal Injury Attorney who will Fight for Your Rights

Perhaps the single most important person (after your doctor) in your journey after an accident and injury is your personal injury attorney. At Whibbs, Stone & Barnett, we understand this enormous responsibility and will do everything possible to live up to the trust that injured victims mean to us.

We are ready to pursue a robust legal strategy to maximize your damages from the at-fault parties. To request your free, no-obligation consultation with our personal injury attorneys, call us at 850-493-7819 or complete this online form.