One of the biggest fears for drivers is being in an accident. You can be the most careful driver in the world, but you don’t have any control over the other drivers behind the wheels of their vehicles. No one wants to think about getting into an accident or what it could mean for them, but the reality is that accidents DO happen, and they happen frequently enough to get the attention of all drivers and car manufacturers. Car safety is so important, and just like traffic jams, car accidents are one of the biggest realities of transportation today. There are hundreds of thousands of vehicles on the roads at any one time and accidents are a regular occurrence. Being part of a car accident can leave you with anxiety about being on the road at all, whether you are the one driving or not. It’s very common and very normal to have feelings of anxiety when you have been through the trauma of an accident, and it’s very common to want to stay away from vehicles until you feel confident.
If you are unfortunate enough to suffer from driving anxiety on top of the anxiety felt after an accident, you can expect the feelings of trauma to last a little longer than usual. For some, getting over the trauma of an accident is not an easy thing to do. The constant reliving the memories and replaying the accident on a loop in the mind is a big indicator that PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) has developed. It’s a well-known mental health condition that is triggered by a terrifying event, and a car accident – no matter how small – can be considered a terrifying event for those who suffer it. Dealing with stress, depression and anxiety after an event like a car accident may be common, but it doesn’t make it easy to deal with. Trying to start the recovery process to get back on the road can be difficult, but it can also be done.
A big part of the recovery process for an accident is thinking about managing your recovery. Are you finding that you need time off work? Is this going to cripple you financially? Finding the right advice for compensation from www.lane-lane.com is one way to start the healing process, as you can put in a claim that can make you feel like you are taking steps to feel like you can cope during healing. The first step is recognising that you may be owed by the person who hurt you, especially as the injuries that you sustain won’t just be physical ones; there will be mental scarring, too, which cannot be measured as easily. There are some other ways you can really help yourself to recover from your injuries, and we’ve put them together for you here:
Psychotherapy. Trauma-related anxieties are very difficult to move through. Flashbacks and physical symptoms that manifest themselves are very debilitating and even when you think you’ve gone past the point of worrying, it could all crash down at the sight of a car. CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) is very effective for trauma anxiety and finding the right therapist is important for your continued recovery.
Hypnotherapy. Self-hypnosis and guided meditation can really make a huge difference to your accident anxiety. Not only can it help you get through your trauma, it can help you get back on the horse and on the road. You may not need very many sessions, but it can really do wonders for you. Finding a skilled hypnotherapist is the key and you can look here to find it.
Reprocessing (EMDR). If you haven’t heard of it, you need to read more about it in more detail here. EMDR is a type of treatment that involves the stimulation of the eyes through the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Read some reviews about EMDR here and see if it would work for you.
Tapping. Also known as an ‘emotional freedom technique’, tapping is designed to quickly resolve your emotions, especially the painful ones. While it’s a treatment that is related to acupuncture, no needles are involved here.
Medication. Some people do not like to focus on popping pills to get better, but when anxiety and stress become too much to cope with, medication can be a temporary fix. It’s not the best choice for everyone, but there are natural solutions for anxiety if you prefer to get through it without relying on prescription drugs. Have a look here at natural solutions for resolving anxiety and don’t use any medication without the say so of a doctor or a registered physician.
Self-Care. Being good to yourself is a huge part of recovery. You have to be gentle with yourself and practice good healthy habits. Exercising where you can, eating well and spending time with friends and family are all ways to be good to yourself while you recover from the trauma of an accident. Self-love and care are two of the best healing forces that there is.
Driving Courses. A big part of getting through a driving trauma is to get back on the road and rebuild your confidence. You could have been driving for years, but you can be so crippled with anxiety and stress that you don’t actually feel capable of ever getting back on the road again. Defensive driving courses can make you feel more in control and more powerful behind the wheel of the car. Learning better driving skills – even if you aren’t the person at fault of the accident you have had – is never going to be a bad thing.
Trauma after an accident may be common, but it’s understandable that this isn’t always a consolation when you are at home and recovering from physical and mental scarring. You need to be able to stand up and say you recovered and you survived, but it’s going to take some time to get there. Be gentle with yourself and allow yourself to heal.