ESTRA Seattle Official Car Accident Blog: Taking Care of yourself After a Car Accident

"Taking care of yourself is the best way to show self-love." - ESTRA

Seattle (ESTRA) - Is your world turned upside down after a car accident? Wounded, worried, with a lot of wandering thoughts. There is a lot of information to process and a lot of things to do on the road to recovery. How can you decipher all of this information? How can you take care of yourself while dealing with a personal life that continues regardless of personal injury?

One of the first concerns most people have after being involved in a serious car accident is what is going to happen now? Most people today don’t have enough savings for a single rainy day versus months and know right from the start this means trouble and hardships. Worry is one of the first things injured face. Will life change? How long will it take to recover? What if recovery means a life transition and not going back to a previous way of living, but a new way of life? Yet, with the levels of pain most people are feeling after a car wreck, some of life issues are put back in proper perspective. The thought, turn off this pain alert in my body first, so I can think better! Often comes to mind. But in order for this to take place lots of rest may be needed along with patience to take concerns one day at a time.

When injured, trying to solve all problems now faced is typically not possible, especially if you have few resources and little help. This is a time to develop a plan that will work for your personal circumstances, help get you through rough times, and keep you focused on the fact that you will get through this difficult time. There isn’t anything under the sun that hasn’t been faced by someone who has walked on this earth, and whatever life experiences come your way, believe me, you can make it to the other side of accomplishments and recovery.

When injured, don’t become overwhelmed. This only slows down the recovery process in most cases, and hinders ability to reach goals. Here are three survival ideas to help move through a car accident journey:

Taking Care of Yourself is priority one. Are you use to assisting everyone else first? Are you last on list? Congratulations! You’ve moved up to head of the line, and hopefully will remain here after recovered. The struggles in life often place individual goals on the back burner in order to get something needed for survival. One thing injury teaches us, from my perspective, is to slow down and release responsibilities that others can carry. We must first take care of ourselves, otherwise one is not operating at full capacity, and cannot give something one does not have, so fill up your own tank first, so to speak, and then extend a helping hand. This lesson also teaches that sharing with others is less burdensome on everyone involved, and each person can take pride in their role as part of a relationship.

Learn about your specific injuries. Often doctors will not tell you how long it takes for recovery, typically because everyone heals differently. But doing a little research on your own online will help provide a time frame for recovery, how others have transitions through this process, the troubles most have face, typically the concerns are the same for many, and learn what you can do to help facilitate this journey into a better place. Remember real love starts with you for you. Have compassion, concern, and care for yourself, it makes a difference. Don’t worry about your plight in life at this time, there will be plenty of time to be concerned with this, along with the perspective of others. Remember, you are the most important person in this equation. Once healed physically, emotionally, and spiritually, you will be able to sprint to your next destination. The key is to make sure you’ve done all your homework first where you are so it’s not taken into the next stage of your life.

Mind, body, and soul. Often we don’t take time to evaluate the wounds of our souls. It’s more acceptable to talk about the outside physical pain. Rarely is there injury only on the outside. The hurt in our souls is very real. In my opinion Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which people in car accident or many different types of trauma encountered, is also an affliction within ones soul. When things outside our normal scope of life must be processed, sometimes it takes a while to adjust and determine where this information and coping mechanism will be placed along with how they will work for our betterment. Just as the outer injuries can be healed, those punctures in the soul must also be comforted. Therefore, do not ignore the hurt and pain inside, emotional and spiritual concerns must also be acknowledge. Being made whole again is a process for the entire you, not just specific areas. Take time see where you are today, and what you must do in order to feel and become completely comfortable with yourself again. It will be worth the time and effort.

Car Collisions Claim Process. The emotional impact of having to repeat this experience over and over again does nothing for helping healing. Therefore, make sure to write down what happen as soon as possible after the collision, keeping with the facts only, get a copy of my book Car Accident, Second Edition by ESTRA and use area in back to help with collision documentation and refer back to this information whenever questions arise about what happened. Don’t be dragged into an emotional discussion with anyone and only discuss this with individuals that must know about it for processing insurance, employer, or social security disability claim. The emotional toll to process your claim may take up more energy than imagined. By just stating the facts, it will keep claim on target, take less energy from you, and productivity can be used elsewhere. Don’t spend a lot of time worrying about this process. Most corporations already have decided how they will process claim. Don’t give them a hold on your life, just do the best you can and keep going, regardless of their actions. When you give them control over you there is no guarantee where you may end up. Some may treat you fair and just, while others may not. The key is to request benefits from them, watch how they respond, and if bad faith behaviors occurs, choose how you wish to deal with them. Also remember to you can always contact me, ESTRA at support@estraseattle.com. Whatever valleys may come during this journey, thousands of others have gone through it too! This is a good time to visit Youtube and watch my Car AccidentPlaylist at ESTRA Seattle. The greater understanding about what you may face when dealing with insurers of any sort, public or private, the better able to be your best advocate.

- ESTRA Seattle

“Car Accident Settlements from Insurance Companies, Employers, and SSDI Matter.”

Mission:

Seattle (ESTRA) – Each and everyday lives are changed due to a collision. Sometimes it’s their fault. Other times the other driver. Yet, what we all depend upon is our insurance companies being faithful to us. In order for this to be true, there can be no back doors, such as surveillance or clauses in their contracts that hurt policyholders. The only way to ensure the safety net for Policyholders is for Congress to enact Insured Civil Rights Legislation. What does this mean? It means if you pay premiums and are hurt, they pay, period. Help me to help all of us end the suffering of unfair practices in order to eliminate legitimate insurance claims by Insurance Companies, Employers, and Social Security Disability. Thank you! – ESTRA