Gaining a significant injury may not only harm your body. For some people, facing potential surgery or recovery time, and constant pain can lead to further issues. This may especially be the case if you sustained these injuries in an accident that wasn’t your fault or one that could have been avoided. Situations like these can be incredibly debilitating to your mental well-being. Apart from the physicality of getting better, I wanted to make sure I focussed on how to improve my confidence, as well as to help yourself move forward from the incident.
It has been years since my car accident, which wasn’t my fault, and I still panic when cars get too close to the back of my vehicle. The accident was when I was stopped in traffic and a car, at speed, ploughed into the back of me. It has left me with back pain that I really struggle with on a daily basis. From vacuuming the house to sitting at my desk for long periods. It is really frustrating, especially as it wasn’t my fault.
Further Surgery
Some types of injury, such as those received through playing sports, a vehicular accident, or even a workplace incident, could leave you looking different to how you previously did. An example of this can be alterations to the nose after a sporting injury. When your face looks different, you may no longer feel confident when looking in the mirror or going out. This can be made worse by it being such a prominent, public-facing feature. Opting for a nose job once your initial injuries are healed may help you to recover some of your former identity, or at least to make you feel more comfortable in your own skin. Reconstructive surgery may take some time, and you might also need to factor in the additional healing and recovery periods, however, it may be worth it for your mental health.
Use Talking Therapies
Resources such as counselling and other talking therapies don’t just exist for those with pre-existing mental health conditions. They can also be a good way to move past traumatic events. When your confidence and general self-esteem is suffering after a significant injury, you may find it useful to discuss the occurrence, as well as any emotions resulting from it. These may be accessed through your healthcare provider, or you might be able to source them yourself at a cost. Sessions can vary both in time and overall duration. You may find that it takes you several attempts to find a therapist that you feel comfortable with.
Get Back Out There
It can be tempting, when you have been injured, to avoid situations similar to those where you got hurt. You may find that you are frightened about driving or working again or steer clear of the location where the incident occurred. However, one of the ways that you may be able to take back control, and rebuild your confidence, can be through putting yourself back into that situation. By making sure you are safe, and operating machinery or vehicles carefully, you may find that you lose some of that anxiety when nothing goes wrong again. This may take time, so patience can be key, however immersion into the situation could benefit you greatly.
An injury that changes your self-perception can be difficult to deal with. By finding ways to physically and mentally help yourself to move forward, you may be able to manage the traumas that occurred alongside your injury.
