5 Effective Methods to Help You Recover
From PTSD After a Car Accident
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2016 alone, there were an estimated 7,277,000 police-reported traffic accidents in the United States. After an accident, it is only natural that most people tend to focus on the physical injuries that have occurred.
After a while, when that initial shock has subsided, you may fail to recognize how the accident has affected your emotional and mental health.
Robin, a nurse at a local hospital, was involved in a tragic car accident. Even though he managed to settle all his claims with the help of his Charlotte car accident lawyer, he admits that he is far from recovery. From a recent visit to his therapist, Robin learned that he had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Here are some of the most effective ways to cope with PTSD he discovered that might help you too.
1. Practicing Self-Care
To have an effective healing process, taking care of yourself is crucial. In instances where you are unable to, ensure you get all the help that you need.
In moments of great distress and anxiety, it’s easy to neglect your basic needs, such as getting enough sleep, exercising more often, eating balanced meals, and staying social. Therefore, if you are working towards your healing, ensure that self-care is a priority.
2. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
This is a type of psychotherapeutic treatment that helps patients understand the thoughts and feelings that influence their behaviors.
Cognitive behavior therapy aims to teach patients that while they cannot control every aspect of the world around them, they can take control of how they interpret and deal with what is in their environment.
This kind of treatment usually involves efforts to change behavioral and thinking patterns. It is essential to understand that patients and cognitive behavioral therapists work hand in hand to understand the problem and develop a treatment strategy with this type of therapy. The treatment is specially made for you.
3. Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is a psychological treatment that is designed to help you confront your fears. It is normal to develop a fear of driving or being driven after being involved in a car accident. Most people resort to avoidance but little do they know that that’s a short-term solution, or it could even make the fear worse.
With this form of therapy, your therapists will create a safe environment for them to expose you to the things you fear. Exposure to the feared objects, activities, or situations in a secure environment helps reduce fear and decrease avoidance.
4. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
This is an interactive psychotherapy technique used to relieve psychological stress caused by disturbing life experiences such as car accidents. Research shows that it is an effective treatment for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder through its different elements.
During EMDR therapy sessions, you relive traumatic or triggering experiences in brief doses as the therapist directs your eye movements. Recalling distressing events is often less emotionally upsetting when your attention is diverted. In the long run, it allows you to be exposed to the memories or thoughts without having a strong psychological response.
5. Medication
Some cases of PTSD may be hard to solve using therapy alone. Although taking medication after a traumatic experience isn’t recommended, this might be the only method that works for you. It would be best to have a therapist who will look into your condition and administer the proper medication.
Embrace Your Healing
After such a traumatic experience, your only wish will be for life to go back to normal. This can be a challenging goal to achieve, but life might go back to normal through the proper treatment methods for you. PTSD doesn’t have to be a lifelong condition.