A major accident can be a turning point in anyone’s life, and it can affect you in a lot of aspects in your life. Tackling the accident itself, completing paperwork for your treatment, spending time in the hospital, and perhaps undergoing therapy can be traumatizing and stressful for anyone. These are natural parts of the recovery process, and these are parts we should take to heart in order to fully help us turn this major accident into a major growing experience for us.
Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Thankfully, discovering effective ways to deal with trauma and emotional stress after a major incident is not impossible either. Our tips below could help give you a headstart when it comes to finding the most efficient ways of dealing with trauma and emotional stress after a major incident.
If you think you may need the extra push and more professional assistance, you may want to consider undergoing therapy or seeking the help of a psychiatrist. If you want to undergo a more independent approach and consider finding your own methods of self-reflection, do consult your physician first in order to know the extent of activities you could do while undertaking your journey of self rediscovery. If you think finances are becoming hassling due to your bills, consider asking the advice of your lawyer if you think filing for injuries could help you get just compensation, especially if your major accident has been caused by someone else.
Understand the Signs
One of the most efficient methods of understanding how to deal with trauma and emotional stress after a major accident is to identify and check if you have signs of stress and trauma. There are physical and emotional reactions that you might be experiencing or doing in order to primarily cope with the issue. If you do these or experience these, it might be time to take a step back and reassess the situation.
Physical Signs 
- You might experience physical trauma if you have lingering aches and pains like backaches, stomach aches, headaches, or sudden sweating and palpitation, or constipation or diarrhea.
- If you have changes in appetite, interest in sex, sleeping patterns, or are easily startled, then you might be experiencing physical trauma.
- Lastly, if you’re starting to rely on drugs, alcohol, or overeating as a coping mechanism, then you might be having a physical reaction to the accident as well.
Emotional Signs
- If you are still in shock, disbelief, fear, grief, denial, or are experiencing anxiety or disorientation about the accident, then this is a normal sign of an emotional reaction to the incident .
- If you’re hyperalert, hypervigilant, irritable, restless, or have outbursts of anger, rage, crying, and/or laughter, then you may also be experiencing emotional stress.
- If you’re trying to minimise the experience because you’re experiencing nightmares, flashbacks and feelings of helplessness, then you might be experiencing emotional trauma.
- The above are just signs you have to watch out for, and if you think these signs are becoming increasingly hard to bear, then you may want to consider seeking professional help.
Get To Know Yourself
Perhaps the more specific tips in this article can be condensed into one section, and that is to get to know yourself. In the end, being able to deal with trauma and emotional stress after a major accident lies in how well we know ourselves and what we can and are willing to do depending on our knowledge in the situation. For instance:
- We can reach out to a support system where we can easily connect to other people that can listen and sympathise with our situation. We can talk with them and share our experiences with them, because they can relate to us. If reaching out isn’t your cup of tea, you can always write about all your experiences for yourself or to share with others in a journal or through other means.
- Another method to cope with emotional stress is to find ways to relax and meditate on the accident and its effects on us. Yoga, massages, stretching, and listening to relaxing music can greatly help us understand the full extent of the accident’s effects on our emotional state. You may also want to consider taking up a hobby, such as painting or learning an instrument, as these can lessen the stress you’re feeling about the incident. These can greatly help us condition ourselves and ground ourselves to the path we want for ourselves in the future.
- Another method you could use is to take care of your body is exercise. Being active and taking on exercises such as walking, running, bicycling, and other forms of physical activity can give our body the right kind of care it needs so we can heal physically and mentally. Exercise can give us a lot of control over a particular situation, something which we weren’t able to get in the accident. If you sometimes feel frustrated or helpless, exercise can help get you some control back and help you realise you are still in control of your life.
Trauma Pages also explains some more signs and coping mechanisms in detail on their website, which you can also refer to when reviewing with a medical professional.
Conclusion
If there’s anything the above items have stated, it’s that there are a lot of effective ways to deal with trauma and emotional stress after a major accident. Sometimes, all it takes is a dash of creative spirit and a willingness to recover that starts with one small step that can help push ourselves to the path of recovery. The journey won’t be easy, and it’s not a walk in the park, but the results from this endeavor can be extremely fruitful in the long run.
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Vicki Haskett
Vicki is a law writing enthusiast who’s had over 25 years of experience in her field. She enjoys sharing her experiences with those who want to learn more about the legal world. In her spare time she spends quality time with her family and friends.