Let’s face it. When you think about recovering from an accident, you immediately think of injuries that show on the outside.
You think about broken bones setting and heals. Bruises fading away. And stitches being removed. But what happens to all the stress and anxiety that’s going on inside your mind?
If you answered that it impedes your recovery, you’d be correct. Stress and anxiety take a huge influence on how quickly your body recovers after an accident.
Here’s the thing…
Many accident victims don’t realize it’s even happening. While your body is trying to heal your physical injuries, it’s simultaneously affected by the mental trauma that comes from being in an accident. And that’s a combination that can significantly slow you down.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Stress Can Literally Slow Down Healing
- Anxiety May Cause Recovery to Take Longer
- How PTSD Can Impact Your Accident Recovery
- Tips to Recover From Your Accident As Quickly As Possible
Stress Can Literally Slow Down Healing
Did you know that stress can actually cause physical damage to your body?
When you’re stressed out, you don’t feel very good. But stress also changes the way your body heals itself. When you’re stressed, your body produces a hormone known as cortisol.
Typically, cortisol is good for you. It helps to manage inflammation and keep your body powered up. However…
When stress becomes chronic, that’s when things start to go downhill
Constant stress causes your body to crop excess cortisol. Not only does this hormone suppress your immune system, but it also causes additional inflammation and makes it difficult for your body to heal injuries.
According to studies by the APA, approximately 76% of adults said that stress had an impact on their physical health.
That’s a lot of people. But can you imagine how that number skyrockets for someone who has just hurt an injury from an accident? Long-term stress from an accident causes cortisol to reduce blood flow to injured parts of your body. Not only that, but it slows your body’s natural healing abilities.
If you have been in an accident and are feeling stressed out, consider speaking with a qualified injury lawyer. Hiring a Virginia personal injury attorney can help ease the financial stress you’re under. With a no fee injury lawyer, you don’t have to worry about paying for legal help while you recover.
Anxiety May Cause Recovery to Take Longer
Feeling anxious after an accident is normal. In fact, pretty much anyone who has been in an accident would feel that way. But did you know that anxiety can actually delay your recovery?
Here’s how anxiety affects your body:
Once you’re anxious, your body goes into fight or flight mode. Your heart starts racing, your muscles tense up, and you have difficulty sleeping. All of these things are terrible for your body’s ability to heal.
Your body has an easier time healing when you’re resting, sleeping, or simply chilling out on the couch. Anxiety takes away your ability to do all of those things.
And it doesn’t stop there…
Anxiousness can lead you to avoid things that you know you should be doing. Maybe you start skipping physical therapy because you don’t want to feel the pain. You might avoid driving or even leaving your house.
Not only are you not helping your body heal, but you’re likely going to experience a slower recovery due to lack of movement.
Your mental health theatres a huge role in your physical recovery after an accident. If you ignore one to focus on another, you’re not going to heal as quickly as you should.
How PTSD Can Impact Your Accident Recovery
Alright, let’s talk about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Post-traumatic stress disorder, also recognized as PTSD, is very common after a serious accident. After experiencing trauma, many people tend to feel “shook up” for a little bit. But PTSD is much more than that.
People with PTSD experience flashbacks, nightmares, and serious anxiety that can last for months – even years – after their accident.
The National Institute of Mental Health has found that over 39% of accident survivors suffer from PTSD.
Think about that…
Almost half of every person that gets into a serious accident will experience PTSD.
Now think about how that can affect your physical recovery.
PTSD stomps on your body’s ability to handle stress. If you’re constantly dealing with flashbacks and making sure that you escape your accident safely, you’re not going to sleep well. You won’t feel motivated to heal and may even stop following your treatment plan.
Studies have shown that people who experience PTSD after an accident take longer to recover and have far-worse long-term injuries.
PTSD often comes with other detrimental factors as well:
- Sadness and hopelessness can make you not want to get better.
- Chronic pain. PTSD can make it feel like your pain is 10 times worse than it should be.
- Sleep deprivation. Poor sleep due to anxiety means your body won’t heal without proper rest.
- Substance abuse. Some people turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with their emotional trauma.
If you think you may be experiencing PTSD, it’s important to talk to someone about how you’re feeling. A therapist can help you to better cope with the trauma you’ve been through.
Tips to Recover From Your Accident As Quickly As Possible
Thankfully, there are ways to help reduce your stress and anxiety while you recover from your accident. Here are some of the best tips to implement into your daily life:
- Seek mental health assistance. Speaking to a mental health professional can drastically reduce your recovery time. There are therapists that specialise in trauma and can help you better control your anxiety.
- Get your sleep on. Your body heals while you sleep. Take the time to establish a nightly routine and try going to bed at the same time every night.
- Keep moving. It might hurt, but try to stay active. Walk around your house or stretch if you can. Movement helps lower your stress levels and promote blood flow to injured areas.
- Hire a lawyer. Stressing about how you’re going to pay all of your medical bills isn’t going to help you heal any faster. By hiring a personal injury lawyer, you can set your mind at ease about your finances.
One of the best ways to recover from your accident is to seek support.
When you allow people to help you, you’re dipping your stress levels and allowing your body to heal faster. Whether it be through family members, close friends, or even a support group. Don’t be afraid to lean on others during your time of need.
Bringing It All Together
Stress and anxiety may not be visible to the eye, but they have serious impacts on your body’s ability to heal.
Stress increases cortisol levels, inflames your body, and causes you to lose sleep. All things that prevent your body from recovering after an accident.
Here are a few things to remember:
- Stress produces cortisol which slows down healing.
- Anxiety forces your body to stay in fight or flight mode.
- 4 out of every 10 people experience PTSD after their accident.
- Mental health is impartial as important as your physical health.
- The less stressed you are, the faster you’ll recover.
Remember, healing from an accident takes care of you physically and mentally. Accident victims that recover the fastest focus on both aspects. You wouldn’t skip taking your medication to help your body heal. Don’t neglect your mind either.
