People often ignore treating emotional injuries or trauma after a car accident. They think that it will go away with time. It does, but only when you treat it. It is very traumatic to suffer just because of the negligence of someone else even if it is a minor one. Never neglect your emotional and mental health after the accident.
We have listed down some tips which will help you in managing your anxiety by assessing your emotional loss, and therefore you will start feeling better.
Learn to Manage Your Anxiety
It is common to have PTSD, ASD, or heightened anxiety. First, you need to understand that having anxiety after an accident is normal and manageable. When feeling anxious, try these exercises:
- Focus on the things around you: Instead of reliving the accident moments mentally, notice the physical objects around you.
- Try mindful breathing by taking slow and deep breaths.
- Learn and practice muscle relaxation exercises.
- You can also contact a mental health professional or therapist to learn techniques on how to control anxiety specific to your situation.
Take Care of Yourself
Yes, very cliché advice but very important. It is very important to give extra care to yourself as you experienced a very scary incident. Be patient, as emotional scars and physical injuries will take time to heal.
Meanwhile, focus on a healthy lifestyle. Drink plenty of water, eat healthy food, and try some light exercise as per your therapists’ advice. Involve yourself in an activity that you enjoy like book reading or cooking.
Share your Feelings with Someone
Your mental distress and anguish will only increase if you suffer the trauma silently. Talk about your experience with some family member or friend you trust. For that, you can also try a qualified therapist. They can give you the best advice on how to cope up with the trauma and manage stress.
Sometimes, victims take a lot of stress of the financial loss after the accident like property damage and medical bills due to physical injuries. Do not worry about that. Contact a Houston car accident attorney who will help you in getting fair compensation.
Learn About PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often associated with people who went through extreme stress. However, PTSD can hit someone who even experienced a light stress situation. Not everyone suffers PTSD when they undergo something stressful. Here are some symptoms that will indicate that a person is suffering from PTSD:
- Recurring nightmares or frequent flashbacks that make you relive the trauma.
- Minimal emotional contact with others.
- Avoiding everything which relates to the accident such as hearing accident news or driving.
- Exaggerated reactions (Hyperarousal) in daily life situations not related to the accident. These include sleep deprivation or getting irritable easily.
PTSD symptoms in children are different than in adults. Some of the PTSD symptoms found in children are:
- Refuse or unable to speak
- Bedwetting (despite being trained)
- Exceptionally clingy
If the above symptoms lessen after about a few weeks, then you are going through ASD (Acute Stress Disorder) else you have PTSD if the signs last longer. There are a variety of treatments for PTSD that you should opt for instead of letting it untreated. You deserve a healthy living so do not suffer silently.
When You Need a Professional Help?
In many people, these painful feelings may reduce over time or sometimes within a month. However, if these feelings are heavy to cope with or go for too long then it is necessary to seek professional help. You should go for a professional therapist in case:
- You want someone to share your feelings with
- You are unable to handle painful feelings
- You are overwhelmed by anxiety, nervousness, or sadness
- Your mental health is affecting your work
- You cannot sleep because of nightmares
- You are unable to recover from trauma even after a normal recovery period
- Your behavior with your closed ones is not good
- You started drinking or smoking to cope up with the mental situation
- When people around you suggest seeking professional health
- You avoid people more and more
Keep in mind that it is important for you to focus on things that are in your control. It will help you to move forward and ignore the negative feelings. Try to practice good driving behaviors more and more like use indicators, wear a seatbelt, and avoid distractions as much as possible e.g., avoid eating, drinking, or using any gadget while driving and not driving with pet(s), or when feeling sleepy.
Author Bio
John Adams is a lifestyle blogger. He focuses on health, fitness, and self-development. John encourages readers to fight their fears and overcome obstacles holding them back. He believes that positive thinking and making better choices will help to improve the quality of life. He loves to share his insight on life experiences and his contribution to different online platforms on the same niche is appreciable.
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