TIPS TO HELP YOU COPE WITH A CATASTROPHIC INJURY

A catastrophic injury, such as a spinal cord injury or brain injury, is difficult to deal with. Not only do you have to deal with the medical issues involved, you also have to deal with the lifestyle changes such traumas bring.

One of the things that you need to do is to take a few minutes to come up with a plan for dealing with all of these changes. Consider these points if you are dealing with a catastrophic injury.

Work through your emotions

Your emotions are likely going to range from one extreme to the next. You might feel thankful to be alive, but you might feel upset about what life is going to be like now. You have to try to work through the emotions that you feel because you probably don’t want to live your life as an angry person who can’t enjoy life. You do have some disabilities, but that doesn’t mean that you have to hide out until you die. Instead, find ways to cope with your emotions that help you to relax and enjoy life.

Find the help you need for physical disabilities

Physical disabilities are hard to deal with. You might need help with tasks like getting dressed or cooking meals. Find people who can help you with these tasks so that you aren’t trying unsafe methods to do these everyday tasks.

Get help for mental health issues

Mental health issues can sometimes occur after a catastrophic injury. Depression or anxiety is possible. Post-traumatic stress disorder might also occur. In all of these cases, you will likely need to get help from a mental health professional to work through the mental health problems. Behavioral issues are also possible, which might require you to get help from a behavioral therapist.

Think about your finances

Your finances are another area of life that is going to face some changes. You might not be able to work. Your life care costs are likely more than they were before. Trying to find ways to make your finances work is necessary. One thing that you can do is to seek compensation for the damages if the injury was due to an accident caused by negligence or recklessness.

Plan for necessary modifications

Some home and vehicle modifications might be necessary. Widening doorways or getting a wheelchair accessible vehicle are examples of this. If you need modifications done, you should be aware that many are costly. You should be sure that you prioritize the modifications so that you budget for the most crucial ones first.

On behalf of Devon DuPuy of Lloyd & DuPuy PLLC on Tuesday, May 23, 2017.