Managing PTSD Following a Serious Motor Vehicle Accident

Motor vehicle accidents that cause personal injuries or the loss of a loved one can inflict deep psychological wounds. As with the use of medicine, surgery, and physical therapy to treat physical wounds, the application of counseling, exercise, rest, and other forms of treatment can help heal the emotional wounds of a devastating car accident. As you start the recovery journey, it is important to secure psychological care that can help you recover.

Start by building a support network of friends, family, and licensed counselors. You may also want to join support groups. The National Alliance on Mental Illness in Boulder offers helplines, resources, and support groups for trauma survivors. They can provide invaluable assistance and help you secure the professional counseling services you need to heal.

It is also important to get active and stay active. Going for a walk, jog, run, or bike ride in Boulder is a great way to “clear the head” and regain your focus. You can hike the Flatirons, throw a fishing line into the river, or simply work on the landscaping around your home. Getting active will help your brain find other things to focus on and will help you gradually process the physical and emotional trauma you have endured.

Many car accident survivors also choose to maintain a recovery diary. This is a fabulous way to record your emotions in a private forum that only you will see. Writing everything down makes it possible for you to see thought patterns, habits, triggers, and more.

Finally, when you are ready, you will need to get back behind the wheel. Re-establishing your ability to drive is empowering and can do help facilitate a full recovery. Start with short trips to the end of the street, then to the store, then around Boulder, etc. The more you drive, the more confident you will become.

At Sloat, Nicholson & Hoover, P.C. we know the difficulties our clients face on the road to recovery following a motor vehicle accident. We encourage you to contact us at (303) 447-1144 to learn more about the steps we take to help our clients recover the financial resources that can pay for the counseling, physical therapy, medications, and more that can help you heal following a traumatic motor vehicle accident.