When you are dealing with emotional trauma and mental anguish following an accident, dealing with a difficult insurance company can exacerbate your symptoms and have a severe impact on your mental health and wellbeing. Though you deserve compensation for your injuries, your health should be your number one priority. Never put yourself in a position where you are overextending and exhausting yourself.
Dealing with insurance companies while suffering from an injury or disability is stressful, but it doesn’t have to make you feel worse than you already do. There are steps you can take to protect your mental health and wellbeing to make the situation less stressful, including seeking legal counsel. It’s up to you to set boundaries and do what you need to manage your emotional trauma and avoid feeling overwhelmed, but working with a legal expert can take some of the weight off your shoulders when dealing with difficult insurance companies.
Treat Your Mental Health Like a Priority
Mental health issues are debilitating enough on their own, let alone dealing with them while also struggling with a severe injury or disability. People who suffer injuries that leave them fully or even partially disabled are more likely to struggle with their mental health. And it can be especially challenging to deal with emotional trauma after suffering a debilitating injury when you live in a world that doesn’t often consider the needs of those who are disabled.
Even if you aren’t disabled due to your injury, you may still feel that it is difficult to do the things you once did while you are recovering. This is why getting the compensation you need from insurance companies is so important following an accident. Still, you should never let the stress of dealing with a personal injury claim get to you and damage your mental health even further. You should always prioritize your emotional and physical wellbeing.
Healthy ways to cope with stress and emotional trauma after sustaining an injury or disability include:
- Seeking professional help: If you are having an especially hard time, you can seek help from a counselor or therapist that specializes in treating mental health issues for those who are injured or disabled.
- Getting outdoors: While it might seem challenging to get outside depending on the extent of your injury, spending time outdoors in the fresh air can go a long way towards boosting your mood. Even simply sitting outside on a patio for a short period of time can help.
- Taking breaks from digital media: Spending too much time watching TV, working on a computer, or browsing social media can negatively impact your mood and mental health. Try limiting your screen time while you are recovering and take breaks as often as possible.
- Taking care of your body: When you are recovering from an injury or dealing with a disability, your physical should also, of course, be a priority. Following your prescribed treatment plan, eating healthy meals, and moving your body as much as possible will speed your physical recovery and improve your mental health.
- Getting enough sleep: Fatigue and depression are common in those dealing with a severe injury or disability, and lack of sleep will only exacerbate the issue. Getting enough sleep is crucial for both your physical and your emotional well-being.
- Connecting with others: People struggling with an injury or disability may avoid socializing due to a lack of interest or out of fear of shame or embarrassment, but human connection is essential for our mental health. Even if you can’t physically go anywhere, you can stay connected through phone calls or video chats.
- Taking time to relax: Most important, taking time to rest and unwind is key to recovering from an injury and prioritizing your mental health. Take time to focus on simple activities that you enjoy, or you can even try meditation.
Know Your Rights When Dealing With Insurance Companies
When you are dealing with the aftermath of an accident that has left you injured or disabled, there are ways to deal with insurance companies that can make the situation less stressful. The last thing you need when trying to focus on your mental and physical health is a complex personal injury case that leaves you even more exhausted. People with disabilities especially can face even more barriers when fighting for their rights.
When you are injured or disabled due to an accident, you have a right to claim compensation to help pay for things like medical expenses, emotional pain and suffering, and loss of income if you are unable to work. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for insurance companies to fight against claims to make it challenging to get the compensation you need.
Dealing with an insurer that gives you the runaround can add even more stress to your situation, further damaging your mental health. However, there are steps you can take to make battling a difficult insurer a lot easier:
- Get medical help: Having proof of your injuries from a doctor and medical records is crucial to getting the compensation you need in a personal injury case. Be sure to at least visit an urgent care center, even if you are afraid, you can’t afford it. If your injury is pretty straightforward, urgent care should be able to attend to it. And when your compensation comes through, you can use it to pay off your medical bills.
- Stay calm and use the right words: When battling an insurer, it’s important to breathe and keep a level head. Avoiding an argument and tension can help you reduce stress and anxiety over the situation. It’s often best to say as little as possible and keep it simple to avoid saying something that they can use against you.
- Hire a lawyer: A lawyer can take the stress of handling a problematic claim off your shoulders and guide you through the process. Though a lawyer might seem expensive, many personal injury attorneys do not get paid until they win your case, and their fees will then come out of the money that is awarded to you.
Wrapping Up
No matter your situation, your mental and physical health should always come first. Many injured and disabled victims suffer emotional trauma following an accident. You are not alone in your struggles, and there is always someone that can help. When dealing with a difficult insurance company, it is best to set boundaries, focus on your emotional wellbeing, and seek legal counsel to help you manage the stress of the situation.
Author Info: Noah Rue is a writer, a digital nomad, and a graduate of the lessons of life (primary) and also the University of Idaho. These days, Noah teaches English as a second language in lovely Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and moonlights as a content strategist for an American-based marketing company.
