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Car accident

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Kopykat

MyPTSD Pro
I was in a car accident in the beginning of August on my way to therapy actually. I was going through an intersection straight and someone turned into my car. It was chaotic, I tried to stop but couldn’t. It was an older lady and a child and their airbags went off and pinned my door. The middle of an extremely busy intersection in Chicago. I actually had to move my car out of the way bc people weren’t stopping for the police or firemen and were swearing and honking at them to move.
Anyways, I haven’t been back to my therapist’s office in Chicago since the accident. She has an office in the suburbs that she goes to once a week that I’ve been trying to go to but I was seeing her a few times a week in Chicago. I am supposed to go back on Tuesday but I am extremely anxious. Since the accident I’ve had to have surgery again on my shoulder and arm and that was the side already injured in my work accident. It took me over a month to start driving down the street and I really have stopped going out in general. It’s messed up bc you’re supposed to get help for your anxiety but my anxiety is associated w my therapist now even though she didn’t do anything. I really don’t know what to do. We have done a few video chats but it’s not the same and I feel like she’s getting frustrated bc I’m still having a lot of anxiety. That could be my perception. I’m frustrated. I don’t need another random thing for PTSD or phobia. I just don’t know how to move past this.
 
You connect the car accident to therapy rather than driving? Or is it just that you must drive to get to therapy?

Obviously your confidence has been knocked around in regards to driving. So have you considered public transport? Idk if that is an option but would that assist until you have done some smaller trips in your car and regained some confidence?

If not could you do a couple of dry runs to the therapists office at times of the day that suit you... and when the traffic is not in full peak?

If that will not or doesn't work. How about starting out much earlier than you need to, stopping on the way for a drink and a small meal and breaking the trip up on the way home again.
 
You connect the car accident to therapy rather than driving? Or is it just that you must drive to get to therapy?

Obviously your confidence has been knocked around in regards to driving. So have you considered public transport? Idk if that is an option but would that assist until you have done some smaller trips in your car and regained some confidence?

If not could you do a couple of dry runs to the therapists office at times of the day that suit you... and when the traffic is not in full peak?

If that will not or doesn't work. How about starting out much earlier than you need to, stopping on the way for a drink and a small meal and breaking the trip up on the way home again.

It’s that I must drive to get to therapy I guess. It takes about an hour to get to Chicago so I always leave super early so I’m there almost 45-60 mins early or less sometimes if there’s super bad traffic. I’m usually early to everything or I get weird anxiety. I’m weird. If I lived in Chicago or even a closer suburb I could do public transportation but I’m too far out.

I really loved to drive, especially that drive, because it was the few times I had to myself and could just think, not think, listen to music, whatever. Now it freaks me out. I haven’t been in an accident in 17 years and that one was really bad and totally my fault. This one wasn’t but I still feel I could’ve did something more.

I guess I’m frustrated too bc I thought if I had time I would be able to eventually get back to my routine and it seems like I am just as nervous to drive as I was almost 2 months ago. I don’t really even like being in the car w other people now when they’re driving. The more I type the more I feel like a mess lol.
 
Well you know you would benefit from actually sitting in front of your T. What strategies are you working on to deal with the driving issue so you can get there?

I can see that you feel responsible for being in the latest accident. But is it true? What do you think you could have done differently aside from simply not being there at all? You do realise you are trying to alter reality here and maybe we can all bend it a little in our own minds but we definitely cannot do it for real :cautious:.

If you think you contributed to the accident can you identify how and what you could have done differently? Keeping in mind that it is all now done and dusted and you cannot change a thing. Is there anything you can bring forward to help you improve your driving in the future?

I know I got T-boned once and it was a huge accident. My baby was in the rear and but for one of the most primitive and early models of child safety seats he would have been critically injured or died. But for my seat-belt I would have been the same. The other driver was completely at fault and fled the accident and never located. My vehicle rolled four times, three side-ways and once end on end. My vehicle rolled over two sets of railway tracks in a busy city. We were so lucky. Beyond lucky really. It was a miracle that we both survived.

Even so, for years afterwards I hesitated just a little at T intersection's and probably still even now give them a second look. I used to ride a motorcycle so it probably saved my life a few times. Idk. I understand your concern and anxiety but blaming yourself for someone turning into your path doesn't sound reasonable to me.

Can you take away anything good from the accident? Can you feel lucky that you survived and that you did not die. I know you were injured but you did survive and that is a miracle isn't it? If you had hit your head on the door pillar or something else just as random had happened you might not be alive now. Can you see this? :hug:
 
Your car accident sounds really scary. When I was 17 I rolled my car over 4 times and hit a telephone poll before landing upside down in a ditch. Somehow my friend and I didn’t get hurt although the police said they had no idea how we walked away from that car. When it was righted over it was completely crushed down and the back axel was off.

With this accident I was sore and had whiplash. I was scared bc I just had a disc replaced in my neck a little over a year ago and there was another disc that was already protruding.

Coping has been basically avoidance of driving. I finally let my therapist know how bad the anxiety is. I see my psychiatrist tomorrow.

I liked your idea of leaving even earlier to try and go to my appointments. I may try that next week. I feel I already talked myself out of tomorrow w that and we are supposed to have severe weather at the time of my appt which is another big trigger. I used to think I was just depressed but I have a lot of anxiety.

I don’t think I could have avoided the accident, the light turned yellow when I was already in the middle of the intersection. The cop was kinda a jerk and asked where I was going, I told him the truth and he said why don’t I pick a therapist closer to me.

I just got my car back Friday from the accident so that’s also part of it. Trusting myself again. I am sure exposure will start to help, I’m just nervous to start and I’m usually not a nervous person to the point it stops me from doing things. I appreciate you listening and responding.
 
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