Being involved in a car accident in California or elsewhere is always traumatic. When you are left with injuries so severe that your life changes forever, it’s extremely hard to cope.
Spinal cord damage that leads to paralysis, loss of hearing or sight, disfigurement from burns and the amputation of one or more limbs are just some examples of life-altering injuries from a car collision. The people closest to you may not know how to help ease your transition to a very different way of life.
There seem to be distinct stages people go through when they are coming to grips with what befell them. Those stages closely resemble the ones described by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her book, “On Death and Dying.”
In a way, you are grieving for the loss of the life you knew and the person you were before the accident. Each of us deals with this kind of huge, painful upheaval in their own fashion. The following stages represent milestones on your path to emotional healing.
Stages of dealing with a major physical injury
You may find that all these stages don’t necessarily apply to your particular situation. However, they do indicate that people can eventually adjust to some degree to their new reality.
- Shock, disbelief and denial occur first. Your entire world has been rocked to its core. You can’t even comprehend the enormity of your situation.
- Fury can set in next. You may be mad at the person behind the wheel who is responsible for the collision.
- The “bargaining” phase involves being willing to trade almost anything to be the way you were before the crash.
- Being morose or downcast because you can’t imagine living a purposeful, valuable life anymore happens frequently. Support from your loved ones is vital.
- Finally, acceptance of your circumstances becomes possible.
The process of recovering from a massive injury may seem overwhelming. Although medical options may be not be available to restore you to complete health, there may at least be legal avenues you can pursue.