Following a bad injury, the road to recovery can sometimes be a long one. Whether you have been involved in a road accident, or an incident has occurred at work, there are various things that you may need to do to cope. Here are 3 things you should do when you have been badly injured.
Speak to an injury claims professional
If you were injured whilst at work, you must see a doctor or other specialist practitioners, to ensure your injuries are fully assessed. This will be needed, particularly if you intend making an injury claim against your employers. In states like New York, for example, there will be a plethora of doctors who can make an assessment, but you must do things in the correct order. An injury claims professional can help and will talk you through the New York State workers comp laws or state-specific laws for the region in which you reside. Similarly, if you have had a road traffic accident that wasn’t your fault, the same process is recommended. Knowing your case is being handled correctly will be a huge weight off your mind and one less thing for you to deal with.
Take your time
If your injuries were extensive, your doctor may have referred you to a physical therapist to agree a treatment program to ensure your body heals correctly, and within the expected timescales. It is important to do what is asked of you and not to push your body too much. Your body may take time to adjust, so whilst it’s very normal to get frustrated and want things to go back to normal immediately, that is not necessarily going to be feasible. Give your body the time it needs to recover.
If you work, speak to your employers and advise them that you may not be back for some time, but you will keep them informed of your progress. If you are doing things through a claims professional, they may do this for you.
Ask for help
Whilst your immediate reaction may be to handle things on your own, you have to remember that you have been through a traumatic experience. It may have affected your mindset as well as your body. If you are struggling or the event is recurrent in your mind, consider speaking to family and friends. Offloading can make a huge difference to your frame of mind. If you keep things bottled up, your overall progress could take even longer.
If you feel that loved ones are not the right choice, ask for a referral to a trained counselor who specializes in the field of post-trauma. They will have various methods of therapy that can help you to deal with what has happened and set you on the road to recovery. You have been through a very distressing time, and you may find talking about it does you the world of good.