Life altering accidents can happen in an instant, but their
effects can last months, years or a lifetime. Emergency medical
treatment is focused on diagnosis and treatment of acute physical
injuries, such as surgical intervention and pain management. The
emergent physical needs, out of necessity, take precedent over
psychological needs. However, as the accident victim makes her way
through the recovery process, she may struggle psychologically to
accept and adjust to the permanent impact her physical limitations
will have on her life. It is, therefore, important that treatment
providers and caregivers be attuned to the psychological response
of an accident victim.
In this blog post, I explore common psychological responses to
physical injury; offer some strategies to mitigate the emotional
pain that may follow; and, explain the importance of long-term
disability benefits to help accident victims work through these
issues.
