Over 45 million people get disabled every year because of injuries (according to WHO). This means that they have no choice but to go through the extreme struggle of adjusting to the fact that their life will never be the same. Depression is the most common mental consequence occurring as a result of a life-altering injury (according to Psychological Medicine Cambridge University Press) and the risk of suicide in these situations is very high. To have a chance of coping with this change, one will need help with both physiological and mental recovery. Support groups, physiotherapy, and research are all important elements of rehabilitation.
Dealing with a Life-Changing Injury: Top 3 Tips to Help You Cope
1. Get therapy (physiological and psychological)
Therapy is an essential part of recovery, because no one should deal with this kind of drastic life change alone. You need to accept that you do need help and it’s no weakness to admit it. Psychological therapy will help you come to terms with your new circumstances and work through the issues that occur in daily life. Most importantly, it will help you deal with depression and prevent it from consuming you entirely and thus hindering your progress.
Physiotherapy is just as important for your recovery. In fact, when faced with a life-changing injury, you will need to accept that your physical and mental health are closely connected. Physiotherapy today comes in a variety of different forms, you can learn more here. What you need is to find the option that will work best for your situation and make you feel most comfortable. Make sure that your program includes some types of physical exercises because they will also help against depression.
Simply put, therapy is the treatment that will help you get as well as you can be after the injury. And restoring your capabilities to the maximum is the crucial element of coping with your changed circumstances.
2. Join a support group
While professional help from therapists is vital, communicating with people who can emphasize and understand you is no less important. Joining a support group is the best way to do this, because they are literally made to bring people who are dealing with problems together.
Today you can find a support group even if your injury prevents you from participating in the meetings physically. You should look for such groups online and contact people through social media. In fact, connecting with others who suffer life-changing injuries in different countries can give you perspective, which will help deal with your own situation.
Sharing your stories will allow you to see what other challenges disabled people worldwide face. And you can band together to start a non-profit that will help change their lives for the better. Working on a project like this will give you purpose, which is another vitally important element for dealing with depression.
3. Research your condition and subscribe to relevant research
One of the main stressors that you face when suffering a life-changing injury is the loss of control. Your body will rebel against you, especially before you learn your new limits and recover as much as possible through physiotherapy.
Regaining that control is a key element of recovery. And at this point, the best way to achieve this is going on a research binge. Get your hands on all materials available about your condition. Be sure to look through online academic databases, like PubMed to see all the available research on the subject.
Then subscribe to relevant journals and portals as well as a few medical news websites. This will help you learn about any changes and new developments in the field. While there is no guarantee that researchers will be able to create a cure for your condition, you will be able to know about all the possibilities.
