Accidents are inevitable. Even if it feels like one is in a safe place, accidents can still happen.
Most people spend the majority of their time in their workplace and an accident at work can happen at any time.
Once this kind of incident occurs, it would be difficult for the person who got into an accident to recover right away.
People who suffered and recovered after an accident may look fine physically. However, there can be other serious side effects, especially for those who were involved in a serious accident at work.
Workplace Accidents: Aftermath
After an accident, the victim may notice several side effects that may manifest physically as well as emotionally.
1. Physical Side Effects
No matter the gravity of the accident, those who suffer from it will experience physical evidence of what happened. Bruising, skin discoloration, joint or muscle pains may still be present once the accident is over. It may take a while to recover from physical pain, especially if the accident was a major one.
2. Emotional Side Effects
Aside from the physical damages, accidents also cause side effects in a person’s emotional health.
Having emotional problems due to a work-related accident can make it even harder for a person to recover. They may seem fine on the outside; however, there are still problems that bother them.
Some emotional problems include:
- Fear
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.
These emotional problems need to be properly addressed in order to help one wholly recover.
The physical body may look completely healed, but it may still have problems on the inside.
Addressing what bothers the person who is recovering from an accident is the best way to full recovery.
Recovering After an Accident at Work
The key to starting a recovery journey from a workplace accident is acceptance.
It is normal to feel fear once you go return to work but accepting the outcomes of the accident can make it easier for you to bounce back. Accepting what happened to you will help you start adjusting the way you do your job.
Other ways to help make one’s road to recovery easier include:
Rest.
One of the most common mistakes that people who experienced an accident is not taking ample amount of rest.
Some may be in denial and choose to work immediately instead of dwelling on what bothers them.
Take advantage of your recovery period.
It is important to heal the body physically in order to get back to its previous state, which is why rest is helpful in fully recovering from what happened.
Hypnotherapy.
This alternative medicine uses the mind in order to address the main problem or problems including fears, stress and anxiety.
This method is done when the patient is in a sleeping state, which creates a more relaxed environment. This process is also referred to as hypnosis. During hypnotherapy, the main problem is located and further addressed.
Psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy is the method of treating the mind using talk therapy. This method can help the person recovering from a workplace accident understand his or her problem. Most sessions last from 30 up to 50 minutes, depending on the complexity of the problem.
Tapping or Emotional Freedom Technique.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) enables one to properly address a problem by “tapping” into the body’s energy points. These points are present in the eyebrows, forehead, chin, collarbone, underarm and other parts of the body.
This method applies theories from Chinese medicine as well as acupuncture. However, the “tapping” involved does not involve any type of needles.
Medication.
One of the quickest ways to address work accident-related stress or anxiety is through medicine. It helps reduce the occurrence of anxiety with the help of prescription medications.
However, one must seek the help of a medical professional before starting their medication.
Self-love.
Practicing self-love involves accepting what happened and still loving yourself.
Despite what happened, it is important to take care of one’s overall health in order to be able to recover. Do not push yourself too hard. Give yourself time to heal physically as well as emotionally.
Closure.
Lastly, those involved in an accident may feel restless because there was no closure. There is still an issue that needs to be addressed. One may feel like what happened to them was unfair. Some of them may feel like certain actions were not done.
If this is the case, and you feel that you haven’t been adequately compensated following the workplace accident, it is best to seek the help of a personal injury attorney.
It is normal for people to feel anxious or experience post-traumatic stress disorder after an accident. These things happen to many people, whether they are in the workplace or not. Many forms of help and therapy are available to help address accident-related trauma or anxiety. Your successful recovery will depend on how you commit yourself to the process.
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This is a guest post by Jean Clark, a professional writer.