5 Indicators That You Should Seek Counseling After an Accident

Have you or a family member been involved in an accident? The first priority for most people who have suffered a personal injury is usually - and correctly - to make sure everyone receives the medical attention they need. But in addition to physical needs, have you ensured that victims' emotional and mental health is cared for?

If you're not sure if you should add counseling to your or a family member's recovery process, here are a few indicators that it could be a great benefit.

Do you find yourself unable to continue doing the activity that you were involved in when the accident occurred? Those in a car accident, for instance, may find that they avoid driving or avoid driving in the same area where the accident occurred. If you were injured at work, have you been able to continue working in the same manner, or are you avoiding a certain task or location?

Avoiding the source of a trauma can be a very common way to react. But if you are unable to do certain necessary and normal activities, like driving a car, your daily life could be seriously impacted. 

Children process trauma differently from adults, and it may be harder to detect. Some children have nightmares that may or may not seem related to an accident. Other kids could become fixated on the accident, obsessing over it. And children involved in a car accident may develop a fear of being in a car. 

If your little one was in any kind of accident, you do well to ask for professional assistance helping them deal with it. Children's reactions and process for recovery depend on their ages, their emotional development, their resilience, and their personality. It can be a big challenge even for the most involved parent, so a counselor can help avoid any permanent emotional scars from forming.

Some workers' compensation or insurance cases may call for an evaluation of your mental and emotional well-being before any settlement. After all, your compensation may not be complete if you haven't had all your wounds - both physical and emotional - treated properly. And a professional may recognize signs for things like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) even if you haven't. 

If a lawyer or medical professional has suggested this to you, consider it an unexpected opportunity to be certain that you aren't carrying around any unnecessary trauma. 

The signs of emotional or mental injuries are not always easy to spot. They could range from sleeplessness to memory loss to depression. Some sufferers even have a change in their personal relationships after a serious injury or accident. If you have experienced any change in your daily feelings, moods, and activities - even if it doesn't seem connected to physical injuries - you may want to seek out a counselor. 

Some injuries - like broken bones or strained muscles - are relatively easy to fix and may not affect your normal enjoyment of life after the initial recovery. Other injuries, though, cause a long-lasting change to your life. If you will likely have ongoing mobility issues, chronic pain, traumatic brain injury, or loss of use of any body part, for instance, seeing a counselor can help you adjust successfully to new circumstances. 

Even if you feel that you can handle it, such changes could cause stress or emotional reactions long after the damage was done. For this reason, it is never too late to decide to seek professional counseling after an injury. 

Have you or another person in your life experienced any of these common symptoms after an accident? If so, start the healing process today by making an appointment with the mental health professionals at Heritage Mental Health Clinic. Together, we can get you on the road to permanent recovery.