| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 44.1 | delayed reactions | ACESMK::HIGGINS | | Thu Sep 09 1993 22:26 | 12 |
| Wow - that's really difficult. I was in a car accident back in college
and can relate a bit. For years after the accident - whenever I would
get cut off or have cars in front of me slam on their brakes - I would
react to the situation. Then, I would find it almost impossible to
apply any type of pressure to the gas pedal because my foot would be
shaking too much. It was awful at first - and started just after the
accident. It got a lot easier with time. I was warned by the doctor
in emergency (after the accident) that the emotional reaction would
probably come weeks later - when I least expected it (depression,
anxiety, etc) - after the physical wounds had healed.
Kelly
|
| 44.2 | | ELESYS::JASNIEWSKI | Why not ask why? | Fri Sep 10 1993 17:28 | 26 |
|
Re .0 -
Has she completed the "emotional reaction", that is, allowed herself
to feel the horror, terror and later grief that appropriately accompanies
a *traumatic* event such as a car accident?
Sometimes people "bury" their emotions, because they are trained
in this society to do so. (example: men who cry are "wimps") An
unexpressed emotion can turn "inappropriate" as the energy tries
to find a different way out - the nervousness and paranoia you
described might be the result of this process.
If I may, I'd suggest counseling, with a therapist who's practice
is focused on encouraging people toward the legitimate feelings they
have, yet for some reason cannot get to, all on their own. I suspect
that once she's able to feel as "bad" (after all, 'terror' and 'grief'
certainly are not pleasant experiences...) as she really feels about
her car accident - and that feeling is validated and/or legitimized
by another person - her problems with driving will eventually
dissappear.
I expect some to say they'd just dissappear in time anyway.
Perhaps...
Joe
|
| 44.3 | Been there - sort of | CSOA1::HOLLAND | The happiness of pursuit | Mon Sep 13 1993 23:45 | 19 |
| I know of someone who was rear ended and suffered physical discomfort
months after the accident. She is still in thearpy to this day and the
accident happened in October of '91. She *still* reacts to cars doing
the fast brake routine - that is to come up behind her very fast not
seeming to stop until the last moment.
She will not "seek help" of any kind yet she hates the feeling of
being helpless. I believe that with time, she may overcome this
feeling but I also believe that she could do better if she could get
assistance in working through that feeling.
I really don't know. I was involved in an accident that totaled my car
but I don't remember if I had problems with driving after that.
Although I do remember that corner very well.....
Any supoort groups that could deal with this? It's gotta be a real
pain..
dlh
|
| 44.4 | My Experience | ICS::CORLISS | | Thu Sep 16 1993 13:24 | 28 |
|
This same thing happened to me when I was in a severe car accident
in college. The accident happened in the snow when I hit a 3/4 ton
pickup carrying a trailed full of wood, broadside with my Toyota
Celica. Luckily I was wearing my seatbelt and wasn't severly injured.
For about 3-4 years afterwards I got really nervous about driving in the
snow and used to avoid it if at all possible. I used to bum rides to
work from friends when the bad weather struck.
Eventually the fear gradually subsided, and I was able to get behind the
wheel in the snow again. Although I do get somewhat apprehensive when the
weather is bad, I think it's pretty much the same reaction that anyone
else would have during inclimate weather.
I think the reaction your friend is experiencing is normal. It's a
tramatic experience when you're so out of control and just see the
inevitable about to occur. Not to mention the pain of recovery and the
fear of ever having that experience again. For me, I eventually
realized that it was a problem that I was avoiding driving in the snow
and the only way to conquer this fear was to face it head on. I began by
driving in the snow, very slowly and only on back roads so I didn't have
to contend with the highway traffic. Eventually, with time, it was not
a problem any longer.
I would suggest that your friend take it just one step at a time.
Maybe if it's something your friend can't conquer alone then some
counseling would be helpful. One needs all the support they can get
when confronting such fears.
|
| 44.5 | Wait for the snowstorm to end, or bum a ride | LEDS::BRAUN | Rich Braun | Thu Sep 16 1993 14:04 | 24 |
| Re: Snow
I think it's probably wise to be paranoid about driving in snow.
About five winters ago, I was driving home from Lowell to Somerville in
a snowstorm. After creeping along slowly on backroads for nearly an
hour and a half, I was about 1/4 mile from home when I lost control on
Winter Hill at about 10 mph.
Winter Hill is a very gradual (3%?) long grade. It felt like slow
motion, sliding about 500 feet into the back of a parked car.
My car hit at an angle and earned a dented fender/bumper against the
other car's undamaged bumper. Though the damage was cosmetic, it
would've cost me $1800 to have it fixed, according to the body-shop
estimate I got. (Naturally I elected to leave the dent in place.)
Insurance companies and police departments don't care whether you were
driving in a raging blizzard. It's points against your license if you
have (and report) an accident like this, period.
-rich
Mass Storage Engineering OEM D&SG SHR3-1/W7 DTN: 237-2124
braun@leds.enet.dec.com 508-841-2124
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