Managing the Emotional Stress of a Car Accident

Motor vehicle accidents, especially those where one or more parties are injured, are extremely stressful. Even if no one suffers any injuries, the long-term effects of an accident can weigh heavily on your mental wellbeing. These stressors can effect your home and work life, or even hinder your confidence each time you get behind the wheel.

Dealing with the aftermath of a wreck, whether it was in a car, on a motorcycle, or involved an 18-wheeler, includes stressors beyond the actual trauma of the accident itself. When an accident occurs, you’re going to have to deal with the police, as well as the insurance company. You should never go at this alone. You need an experienced personal injury attorney to assist you with your claim and ensure you get fairly compensated. You need the Law Office of Brian Brunson.

We suggest taking the following steps when dealing with the emotional stress of  a car accident:

• Accept that it’s okay to feel bad
• Talk to professionals about the accident
• Remain or become physically active
• Focus on what you CAN control
• Get back behind the wheel or ride with someone

Accept that it’s okay to feel bad

When bad things happen, some people will simply tell you to “get over it and move on”. That’s often easier said than done. While addressing a stressful situation and accepting that what has happened is in the past, it’s okay to feel bad. This is especially true if someone was seriously injured in the accident.

Talk to professionals about the accident

As mentioned above, you should immediately contact an experienced car wreck lawyer like Brian Brunson. You may also find it helpful to talk about the accident with friends or family. However, when you’re having trouble dealing with the trauma of a serious injury-related accident, we suggest speaking with a mental health professional. These professionals are highly trained in helping you manage your anxiety and will help you find coping mechanisms for dealing with various stressors.

Remain or become physically active

If you haven’t suffered physical injuries and you’re able to go about your daily activities, you should keep yourself active. Oftentimes, one way people deal with stress is to simply lay around and dwell on the problem. This is one of the worst things you can do. Not only does this increase mental stress, it effects your physical well-being too. Exercise increases blood flow and produces endorphins that reduce the feelings of depression.

Focus on what you CAN control

When you’re involved in a motor vehicle accident, a lot of things are out of your control. Most importantly, understand that while the circumstances surrounding the accident may be out of your control, how you choose to deal with the situation is entirely up to you. Part of that control is choosing a professional personal injury attorney to help you with your claim. When you hire the Law Office of Brian Brunson, we keep you in the loop at all times, because we understand the uncertainty of not knowing what’s going on with your claim can make a stressful ordeal that much worse.

Get back behind the wheel or ride with someone

Some people who are involved in car accidents are reluctant to drive again. That’s okay. Understandably, a car wreck can have an negative effect on your confidence behind the wheel. If you’re physically capable, you should go for short drives. Realize that the chances of being involved in an accident are slim and that driving is a necessary part of daily life. If you find yourself too reluctant to get back behind the wheel right away, ride with a friend or family member while you build back up your own comfort level in a vehicle.

Everyone have their own way of dealing with traumatic experiences. In the days and weeks following a motor vehicle accident, it’s normal to feel anxious or stressed. Understanding and accepting what happened, what steps you need to take at this point, and how to move on from the accident will make managing your emotions easier and the healing process faster.

The Law Office of Brian Brunson focuses on serious personal injury, auto, truck and motorcycle accident cases throughout the state of Texas. We have been named “Best Car Accident Lawyers in Dallas” and have a 5-star, A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau.