Experiencing a traumatic injury can turn your world upside down. In the wake of an accident, there are many steps you have to take to get back to normalcy, but if you don’t know where to start, it can be hard to know what to do. Read below for a guide on what you should know about trauma recovery after you have experienced an injury.
Physical Trauma Recovery
Every body is different when it comes to the physical recovery of an injury. All injuries can be life-altering, so it is important to take the proper steps to try to regain your independence and your life back. Follow these steps so that you can achieve your physical recovery goals.
Seek Medical Attention
If you have been injured on the job or in a car accident, sometimes the injury does not seem serious enough to call an ambulance. Even so, you should always make an appointment with a doctor as soon as you can so that they can check you out. You never know what kinds of injuries could be lying beneath. A good rule of thumb is if you are in pain, tell someone about it, because it could be something very serious.
If you are injured bad enough to need to be taken away in an ambulance, then the best thing you can do is sit back and let the doctors do their work. The medical attention you receive in the first few hours after a traumatic injury can change the trajectory of your recovery.
Follow a Rehabilitation Plan
Whether it’s broken bones or surgery, your recovery journey doesn’t end when you leave the hospital. Your medical team should set you up with a rehabilitation plan so that you can regain full function in the body parts that were injured in your accident. Following this plan and putting in your best effort is something you have to take seriously if you want to have a full recovery. Rehab can be a difficult and painful process, but it is worth it if you want to regain your quality of life.
Use Pain Management Techniques
Pain is something that you will experience during recovery, but there are many techniques you can use through physical therapy, medication, and holistic practices that will help get you through this difficult time. Talk to your doctor about the best pain management technique for you.
Prioritize Rest and Nutrition
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your recovery is take the time to rest. This means taking it easy, staying at home, and not being afraid to ask friends or family members to pick up the slack for you while you are getting better. Eating vitamin-rich foods will also help speed up your recovery and keep your body going as it heals.
Achieve Peace of Mind Through Legal Resolution
Physical recovery is not the only form of recovery you may need as you heal from an injury. If you were injured on the job or in an accident that was not your fault, you won’t feel like the issue is fully resolved until you are compensated. These are the things you should do to achieve that peace of mind.
Seek Legal Advice Early
From the very first day, you or a trusted family member should contact an attorney to lay out the situation and ask for advice. The best thing you can do is find a caring personal injury lawyer who will walk you through the legal process from the beginning. They can be one of your pillars of support as you recover from your injury and will take a lot of the burden off your shoulders so you can focus on healing.
Pursue Fair Compensation
Discuss your options with your lawyer and see how you can get fair compensation for your injury. Compensation can cover lost wages, medical bills, and other damages.
Document Everything
No matter the cause of your injury, be it a workplace mishap or a bad car accident, if you can do everything in your power to document what happened, that will help you a lot in building your case. If you were in a car accident, for example, and you were injured but able to walk around in the aftermath, it doesn’t hurt to grab your phone and take photos of the scene. You can also ask friends, family, or coworkers who were with you during the accident to give witness statements. The more evidence you have to prove you were not at fault, the better compensation you will receive.
Finding Support Systems for Recovery
An important thing to remember when recovering from a big trauma is that you are not alone in your battle. There are many ways to find support systems both in your community and beyond.
Join Support Groups
Look for local support groups in your town or city that you can join. These will be full of people who have shared experiences and they are great places to tell your story and maybe even encourage others who are in different phases of recovery.
Lean on Family and Friends
Do not be afraid to reach out to family members who live close by, and ask for a helping hand every once in a while. If you have a good network around you, you will be surprised to see how many people will reach out to bring you meals, tidy up your home for you, and take you to doctor’s appointments.
Engage with Online Communities
If you are feeling isolated in your house or even the town you live in and you want to connect with people who have been through a similar traumatic experience, online communities are a great way to meet people. You can find Facebook groups, dedicated websites, and even Reddit threads full of people who have been through traumatic injuries and are willing to share their experiences with others far and wide. These spaces can offer a great platform for you to vent to others who understand what you are going through when no one else around you does.