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You hope it never happens to you, but someday you may be involved in a traumatic accident. When it happens, you may be injured, disabled, or may even lose a loved one. Your entire life may change in that instant.
It’s not a pleasant thought, but it’s one you should be prepared for. And if it’s something you’ve already experienced, you should know that everyone grieves in a different way. You don’t have to hide or suppress how the accident is affecting you on an emotional level. At first, it may seem impossible to get back to “normal” living, but there are some strategies that can help you recover.
(1) Take things one day at a time.
According to Family Doctor, most people involved in a traumatic incident will start to feel better after six to eight weeks. However, the entire grieving process can last from six months to four years or even longer. That’s a long time, and you should be prepared for that duration. Don’t expect to recover instantaneously, or become overwhelmed at the thought of the road ahead. Instead, take things one day at a time. Focus on getting through today.
(2) Seek legal representation.
If the accident was caused by someone else—like if you were involved in a collision where someone else was clearly at fault—you should consider legal representation. According to Powers and Santola, depending on the circumstances, you could be awarded all necessary medical and rehabilitation costs, and compensation for lost wages up to 80 percent of your salary, as well as death benefits for anyone lost in the incident. Getting justice can help you tie up those loose ends, ease the burden of moving on, and help you get a sense of closure for the incident.
(3) Rely on a support network.
Grieving is much harder when you’re trying to do it by yourself. Learn to ask for help, and get comfortable relying on a support network. This should include your family, your friends, your neighbors, and even your coworkers. If you’re having a particularly tough day, talk to someone about it. If you need help with small tasks, like getting groceries, ask. Your loved ones will be more than happy to help.
(4) Be honest with yourself and others.
You may be tempted to force yourself to feel better by denying that you feel a certain way in the first place. For example, you may deny that you’re not able to go back to work, or pretend that you’re okay with the injuries you’ve sustained. However, burying your feelings like this—even if it’s internally—can be dangerous. It’s far more therapeutic to admit what you’re feeling, and be honest with yourself and with others who want to help you.
(5) Focus on small goals.
Don’t try to solve every problem at once, or recover overnight. Instead, focus on setting and achieving smaller goals, one at a time. For example, if you were injured in a way that limits your mobility, focus on taking just a few steps at a time before you try to walk completely on your own. If you’re grieving and are trying to go back to work, try going back for a half-day before fully immersing yourself in your routine again.
(6) Stay stimulated.
Don’t let yourself fall into an isolated routine. Seek stimulating events and activities, even if they’re different from what you’re used to. Start taking on new hobbies or engaging with new people. It will help you mitigate the risk of further mental health decline.
(7) Go at your own pace.
In her Psychology Today article, Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D says that some people are naturally equipped to deal with traumatic stress. Others are particularly susceptible to it. That leads to a broad range of different grieving and recovery scenarios, so don’t try to mimic the recovery paths of others. Instead, go at your own pace and keep taking steps forward, no matter how long it takes you to complete them.
(8) Find what works.
For some people, the best way to cope with grief and trauma is to immerse themselves in once-normal activities, like work or hobbies. For others, it’s best to engage with other people as often as possible. For still others, it’s better to remain alone and process their emotions by themselves.
Don’t let yourself think that your way isn’t right, or force yourself to do something that doesn’t feel right. While these strategies can help with the grieving process, not all of them will work for all people. You’ll need to find the right combination for yourself if you want to recover.
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