Around 6% of the US population suffer from PTSD at some point, with many cases triggered by a traumatic accident – 70% of adults have experienced at least one traumatic event.
Suffering a personal injury, from a car accident or medical negligence, for example, can hurt both physically and emotionally.
Even after the physical wounds have healed, the emotional trauma can linger and negatively impact your mental health and well-being.
Here are some tips on coping with the emotional aftermath of a personal injury:
Seek Professional Help
One of the most important steps is to seek professional help from a psychologist or one of the 351k counselors in the US. They can provide support and teach techniques to process the emotions and memories associated with the traumatic event.
Cognitive behavioral therapy in particular can be very effective at identifying and modifying unhelpful thought patterns. Medication may also help relieve symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
Depression is more common than many people realize, with 29% of adults diagnosed in their lifetime.
It’s also important that you talk to an experienced personal injury lawyer if accident-related trauma has impacted your life, as you may be able to claim compensation for your pain and suffering from the responsible party.
Join a Support Group
The Minneapolis personal injury lawyers at Hall Law stated that “connecting with others who are going through similar experiences can provide validation and comfort, support groups for specific injuries or traumas allow you to share your story and strategies, and provide each other with understanding”.
Online forums are also available if in-person meetings are difficult to access. Knowing you are not alone makes a huge difference.
Practice Relaxation Techniques
Anxiety, panic attacks, and flashbacks are common emotional responses to trauma. Practicing techniques such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation can lower stress hormones and activate the body’s relaxation response.
This can alleviate some of the emotional suffering associated with the trauma on a physiological level.
Regular practice is key for managing symptoms long-term.
Maintain a Routine
Having structure and a predictable routine provides a sense of control and normalcy after experiencing chaos and uncertainty from an accident or injury.
Get adequate sleep, eat healthy meals, partake in regular exercise if possible, and avoid alcohol and drugs as coping mechanisms. Routine self-care activities are stabilizing.
Express Your Feelings
Keep a journal, write poetry or songs, or create art to process the wide range of emotions – grief, anger, fear, sadness, etc. Externalizing the emotions and thoughts can help work through trauma.
Sharing with trusted loved ones can also be cathartic. Suppressing inner turmoil often backfires.
Be Patient with Your Recovery
Healing from emotional trauma takes time.
There may be good days and bad days. Take things one step at a time and celebrate small wins and milestones. Don’t blame yourself for what you “should” feel or do at a certain time frame.
Accept that recovering from a personal injury and related trauma is a journey unique to each person. With the right help and support, emotional wounds do mend. Suffering a traumatic personal injury affects every domain of life.
Seeking professional treatment, connecting with others, maintaining healthy routines, processing emotions, and being patient all help restore well-being and emotional resilience.
With time and effort, it is possible to cope and reclaim meaning and purpose in life.