Car crashes are deeply traumatic and can leave you with long-lasting injuries that persist for weeks or months. It can feel like you’ll never get back to the way you were before: healthy, optimistic, and ready to take on the world. However, there are numerous ways you can help yourself get back to normal sooner rather than later.
Lean on the support of your family and friends.
Community is vital when recovering from a car crash: having a supportive network of people who can listen to your concerns and encourage you is an incredible resource. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need from your loved ones, whether that’s some extra help around the house or a shoulder to cry on as you work through your feelings about the accident. Consider asking them to provide specific, concrete support; you might ask one loved one to bring you groceries, another to drive you to a doctor’s appointment. Being clear with your requests will ensure that your support system can offer you exactly what you need.
Work with your primary care provider to develop a care team.
After an accident, you may have visited the emergency room and come away with a treatment plan or prescription. While this is certainly helpful, you will likely need long-term treatment for both your physical and mental stress, which is why you need to get in touch with your primary care provider as soon as possible. Sometimes known as a general practitioner, your primary care provider can serve as the main point of contact for all your accident-related treatments, which can include everything from physical therapy to mental health services.
Streamlining contact through your primary care provider will ensure that your entire care team is kept abreast of your treatments in different medical fields, and that they can harmonize their own services with those of their colleagues in other departments.
If you don’t yet have a primary care provider, this is the perfect opportunity to develop that relationship, which can serve you well for many years to come. Choose a professional who makes you feel comfortable and who takes your concerns seriously. By discussing your treatments with a primary care provider, you can be sure that no option goes unexplored to help you get back to normal.
Consider over-the-counter treatment options.
While medical advancements are truly amazing, and there are many treatment options to ease your pain, they may not help in every circumstance, or you may have your trepidations about using certain prescriptions. However, this doesn’t mean you simply have to suffer in pain; non-prescription options can also help. These can include supplements like turmeric and fish oil for muscle pain and lotions and creams that can reduce joint soreness and inflammation. You may also pursue complementary treatments like acupuncture or massage to release muscle tension and reduce your pain.
Any treatment should be discussed with your primary care physician before you try it, so that they can ensure that there will be no negative interactions between a supplement and any prescriptions you may be using. You’ll also want to discuss these alternative therapies with any other providers you may use, including physical therapists and psychiatrists.
Sometimes the first treatment option you try won’t work, but don’t give up: not everything is helpful for every person, and that doesn’t mean that nothing will work for you. Stay positive and keep searching for options that provide you the relief that you need.
Know you have options for redress
You might feel helpless as you face weeks of recovery and increasing medical bills, and this can add to the mental strain of healing from a car crash. This stress can be just as painful as physical injuries, but knowing that you have options to get justice for your accident can provide invaluable peace of mind.
If you were not at fault for the accident, the other party’s insurance will be liable for some of the costs associated with recovery, including medical bills and car repairs. After the accident, you will need to contact your insurance company with all the information you have, including police reports and the contact information of the other party, and they will guide you through the process of filing a claim. They can also provide you with more information about any other steps you may need to take, such as submitting your hospital bills and vehicle repair invoices.
However, this may not recoup all your losses from the accident, as the insurance company will not pay for lost wages or emotional damage. In this case, you can consult with a personal injury lawyer, who can take a look at your case and determine how to settle with the other party’s insurance agency. Being aware of these options can reduce some of your anxiety about hospital costs and lost wages as you recover from the accident.
Final thoughts
Getting into a car crash is a painful and disorienting experience, but with the support of medical professionals, legal experts, and your loved ones, you can heal and move forward with your life. It may take time, but stay optimistic and lean on your support network to get you through this difficult time. With these tools, you can move past this difficult time in your life and get back to doing what you love.