Every year, around 3 million people are injured in car accidents. And while not all of them develop trauma after the accident, people involved in car accidents are more likely to experience psychological problems, especially post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
If you’re feeling depressed after a car accident, the best way to gain closure is to give yourself the tools to recover. Here are three ways that you can gain closure after an accident.
Assemble a Great Team to Help
If you’re working to overcome the trauma of a car accident, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to assemble a great team to help you.
First and foremost, find yourself a therapist. Trying to heal your emotional wounds on your own isn’t a strong approach. You’re more likely to end up pushing down your problems than actually dealing with them.
A therapist can help you address certain issues head-on, like sleep disturbances, anxiety, irritability, social withdrawal, and obsessive or compulsive behaviors. They can also get you to think about things from a new angle, which may be just the shift you need to start feeling more like yourself again. As sleep is a most important thing in this situation, so you can look for some sleep hacks which will help you to get a deep sleep.
With a great car accident lawyer, you can get answers. Most people don’t understand the legal complexities attached to a car accident. Even if you think the case is pretty open and shut, an expert opinion can take legal issues off your plate so that you can focus on recovery without worry.
Finally, don’t forget about your loved ones. They care about you and want to see you happy and healthy, so don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
Try to Get Back into Routines
As much as possible, try to get back into your old routines after your accident.
Car accidents come out of the blue and shake us out of our sense of safety. They can make it feel like the whole world is dangerous and unfamiliar.
Getting back into your old routines –or establishing any sort of consistent routine – will help alleviate this. Routines are familiar, and when everything else feels uneasy, you can fall back on your routines for a sense of security.
Ease Back Into Driving (Be Patient!)
Finally, if you live in an area that demands you use a car, there’s no getting around the fact that you’ll have to drive eventually.
However, many people take the approach that the best thing to do is get back behind the wheel as soon as possible. As the theory goes, facing the fear head-on is the emotional equivalent of ripping the Band-Aid.
Don’t do this to yourself. If you try to just grit your teeth and force your way through it, you’re going to dread it every time you get behind the wheel. And you certainly won’t feel any safer on your usual routes.
Instead, ease yourself back into driving and cars. If you’re not comfortable driving right away, ride with others for a while to get comfortable being in a car again. Then, when you’re ready to start driving, take it easy.
Drive once around the block at first. Then slowly start to use quiet, safe roads – back streets in residential neighborhoods are perfect for this.
Eventually, you can work your way back up to public thoroughfares. Avoid busy intersections and definitely NO highways – at least for now.
And if you can, it’s best to avoid driving through the crash site until you’re comfortable with driving again.
Feeling Depressed After a Car Accident?
If you’re feeling depressed after a car accident, the most important thing to remember is that you’re not alone.
Depression, anxiety, and PTSD all thrive on isolation and loneliness, so don’t let yourself languish in solitude. Ask your loved ones for help. They care about you and will rise to the occasion.
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