As a personal injury attorney, I see the effects that auto accidents can have on people’s lives every day. I see the physical scars that are left on their bodies but even worse is the mental and emotional scarring that I see left on their souls.
It is estimated that approximately 3,000,000 people in the United States will fall victim to a negligent driver and be involved in a life altering auto accident this year. Out of this horrendous number, there is an untold number of people who will never even realize that they have been emotionally injured until they begin to have problems with sleeping, anxiety attacks or changes in their personality that affect their personal relationships. In fact, many times it is a victim’s family and friends that notice the changes, before the person themselves.
As an attorney, these are the hardest forms of injury for me to prove and seek compensation for, but more importantly, my constant exposure to these issues have helped me to appreciate just how devastating these unseen injuries can be to my client’s lives.
In the hope of helping some few of you out there that might be suffering in silence, I would like to offer this short list of suggested strategies to help you cope and overcome the trauma and anxiety that an auto accident can cause.
Psychotherapy
Especially in extreme cases of trauma, the best course of action may be to seek professional help. From the reports, I’ve seen, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) appears to be the leading therapy for this type of issue. Look for CBT therapist in your area.
Medication
While I don’t personally believe, it is the best choice, in extreme cases, there may not be any alternative to having to resort to pharmaceuticals in order to remain in control of your emotions. If this is your case DO NOT SELF-MEDICATE.
Any medications you take should only be taken on the advice of medical professionals qualified to recommend their use and as an added word of caution, you should always make any doctors you are seeing aware of the medicines that other physicians have prescribed for you. Psychoactive drugs can be very dangerous if improperly mixed.
Defensive Driving Courses
Many times, taking a defensive driving course, from a professional instructor, can help you regain the feelings of control that you once had under the wheel or in the saddle. It can also, in some cases, help you discover how what happened came about and simply being able to see the cause and effect can go a long way towards helping you overcome your fears.
Let me state very plainly here, I am not a medical professional, nor am I a therapist. I am a personal injury attorney who sees the issues that arise from accidents every day and is just trying to offer some completely unqualified advice. As you will note, in every case I stress that you should seek professional’s help. Just as I am the best person to assist you in the courtroom, only a person specializing in the stress and anxiety issues you may be experiencing can determine what type of therapy may work best for your particular case.