Victims of personal injuries suffer from not only physical injuries but often mental ones as well. It can have a lasting effect on every aspect of an individual’s life. Confidence can be undermined. Relationships may suffer, and stress, depression, and anxiety disorders may also be prevalent.
If you or someone you love has suffered a personal injury, it is essential to pursue assistance with physical and psychological injuries. Traumatic experiences naturally significantly impact mental health. Coping with physical and emotional anguish is a challenge, but there are some ways to mitigate it that will promote recovery.
Physical Pain and Its Affect on Mental Health
Personal injuries often bring physical pain. Chronic pain can intensify feelings of anxiety and depression, as well as other mental health matters. Dealing with the physical pain of an injury can negatively impact the injured person’s mental health.
Finding ways to manage the physical pain that accompanies an injury is critical. The following may be good ideas for pain management techniques:
- Physical therapy strengthens muscles and enhances flexibility and range of motion by re-engaging parts of the body that have been harmed.
- Medication can be helpful when necessary, but because of the potential for addiction should be used as sparingly as possible.
- Massage therapy can reduce muscle tension, release trigger points to alleviate pain, promotes endorphin production, reduces stress, and encourages relaxation.
- Mind-body exercises like yoga and tai chi help individuals release stress and anxiety and relax more, causing the person to be able to cope with pain more easily.
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, also known as TENS therapy, can offer pain relief using a small device to deliver electrical impulses to the area experiencing the pain.
- Hypnosis can help shift the focus away from the pain and cause relaxation within the body, which can cause significant pain relief.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) may be helpful for personal injury patients who suffer from chronic pain. The technique teaches coping strategies, thought modification, relaxation methods, and other thought and behavior-related adjustments that can help to alleviate pain and discomfort.
Emotional Anguish and Mental Distress Following a Personal Injury Accident
Physical pain and emotional distress can be detrimental to an individual’s mental state. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression are common following a personal injury.
It is imperative that the person who has survived a personal injury seek mental health support the way they would support their physical well-being. Counseling or therapy can help people deal with the emotions impacting their mental health.
Financial Problems Cause Further Mental Health Issues
Money problems are among the most stressful issues people face with or without an injury. But, a personal injury often adds medical bills and lost wages to the ordinary financial burdens. This can create an even more challenging situation due to the need for financial support.
Speaking to a personal injury attorney about ways to seek financial relief may help you have peace of mind regarding money matters. Having all the information and knowing your options can be a tremendous relief.
Mental Health Suffers When Socially Isolated
When a person is injured in a personal injury accident, it sometimes limits what they can physically do. This can mean decreased time with friends and family, which can lead to a feeling of loneliness and isolation. The impact of social isolation on mental well-being is a large one.
Staying connected with friends and family while recovering from an accident can alleviate many of those negative feelings. Seek out social support by reaching out to friends and family and letting them know what you need.
People often give injured people space to recover, thinking their presence might be burdensome. By letting them know you want to see and spend time with them, you are doing yourself and them a favor.
Five Tips To Help Personal Injury Victims Cope and Recover
The shock, the pain, the isolation, the bills, and the anxiety that comes with suffering a personal injury can be overwhelming at times. But there are some ways to make it less complicated. Listed below are a few strategies for making the best of a personal injury situation:
- Get medical attention and mental health care as soon as possible. Mental health care early on can give the victim tools to head off a serious mental health crisis. If the physical pain can be handled early on, a lot of its impact on the injured party’s mental health can be mitigated as well.
- Remain connected with loved ones. Spending time with family and friends lends a social connection that is critical to avoid feelings of loneliness and isolation.
- Participate in activities that drive emotional well-being. These activities could be creative, artistic pursuits, exercise, meditation, reading, writing, gardening, cooking, or many others, and the important part is staying mentally and physically engaged.
- Pursue financial assistance by speaking to a legal representative or financial counselor about how to relieve the financial burdens and, in turn, alleviate its effect on mental health.
- Be realistic about recovery. It will take time, effort, and patience, and there will be setbacks. Celebrate small victories and allow grace for the setbacks. By celebrating the improvements, the focus is shifted from the negatives.
Promoting Healing Through a Positive Mindset
The shock of going through an unexpected injury and experiencing life-altering pain can be a heavy burden. Managing pain, finances, and emotional anguish can be difficult and challenging in a number of ways. But, by seeking out physical, mental, social, and legal help, an injured person can acquire the support they need to cope with all the impacts of the injury.
Though you may not be up to it to be proactive, it is important that you do it for your mental health and your recovery. Ask someone close to you for help providing what you need to cope if you are unable to advocate for yourself. Speak to a medical professional about resources that are available to you.