Emotional Recovery After Catastrophic Injury, What you Need to Know

It’s natural to focus on the physical aspect of catastrophic injuries because we want to heal and get rid of the pain. But what about the emotional impacts of injury? These are also important to address as they are a big part of your recovery and outlook.

Before we dive into this topic, let’s be clear. We are personal injury lawyers, not medical doctors. Please do reach out to your doctor or therapist for clinical advice on your situation. And, if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to speak with a trained counselor.

How Catastrophic Injuries can Have Far-Reaching Impacts

Some injuries are so catastrophic that they significantly alter your lifestyle. In many cases, they are severe, long lasting, or even permanent. They might include spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, amputations, disfigurement, or loss of vision.

Injuries like these might mean:

• You can’t participate in activities you once loved
• You can’t return to work, or not in the same role
• You’re seeing struggles or shifts in your key relationships
• You’re not completely independent anymore
• You’re dealing with changes in your body image
• You find yourself struggling with depression or anxiety

It’s OK to take time to acknowledge and grieve these changes and losses.

Factors that can Contribute to Emotional Impact

If your injury was caused by someone else’s carelessness or wrongdoing, you may be struggling with painful memories of what happened.

For instance, many of our clients have struggled through PTSD after a car accident or dog attack. Anxiety, phobias, flashbacks, and nightmares are also signs that you might be processing a traumatic event.

In these situations, a therapist may be a valuable source of help to wor through the trauma of your injury.

Caring for Yourself During this Time

The National Institute of Mental Health offers some helpful tips for how to cope following trauma:

• Avoid drugs or alcohol
• Spend time with supportive friends or family members
• Look for ways to keep with normal routines
• Stay active (we understand this may look different, depending on your injury)

Above all, do not be afraid to ask for help.

How a Personal Injury Lawyer can Help

We’d like to encourage you to reach out to one of our personal injury attorneys if you’ve not taken that step as part of your process. Our compassionate team offers free case evaluations, and we only charge a fee if we win you a settlement. We can take the legal stress off your shoulders so you can focus on your healing.

We recognize that a settlement won’t make everything better and undo the trauma. However, a settlement can help you recoup your medical costs, including therapy, as well as acknowledge the pain and suffering you’ve experienced. You can reach us by phone or by filling out the “Get Free Consultation” form on our contact page.