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Road Traffic Accidents occur on a daily basis in their thousands. Many people are lucky and they are just minor accidents resulting in minor injuries such as whiplash. They very often proceed to make very simple and quick no win no fee personal injury claims as a result of the accident.
Notwithstanding the large number of minor accidents and personal injury claims there are also major accidents, which cause significant and sometimes catastrophic injuries. What about these accidents?They often produce associated psychological injuries also related to both the impact of the accident on the accident victim’s life and their emotions accordingly. The physical injuries are more easily managed with the continuing advances in medical techniques. However the mental scars of the accident and the resultant low moods and anxieties are harder to treat and live with.
There are however not many options for those suffering psychologically in the aftermath of the accident and serious physical injuries that can sometimes occur. The most recent development in psychological treatments, that do not involve taking medication, is that of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. In the 1960’s Aaron Temkin Beck described his new and revolutionary breakthrough in psychological treatments as “turning on the intercom”. Having used the conventional methods of Freudian Psychoanalysis, prior to developing his own theories and treatment methods, Beck had become increasingly frustrated in the lack of progress made by his patients. He became convinced that the most underlying problems causing the psychological upset was more in the patients mindset at the time as opposed to the issue that triggered the mindset in the past.
To see how this treatment could be beneficial to victims of Road Traffic Accidents who have suffered psychologically as a result of the accident we need to establish the basics behind Beck’s then new therapy.
Beck discovered his theory during one of his sessions when it became very apparent to him that the patient’s presenting problems were not really the cause of the issue the patient came to see him about, but more the current mindset the patient was in. To use an example that is relevant, if we have a young man involved in a serious road traffic accident which has caused significant physical injury, we will see how a psychological injury could occur. However in most cases the victim goes onto suffer depression due to not the accident however the circumstances around him and his emotions. He could have not been able to work since the accident causing his wife to have to take on another job, it is this that then causes a negative emotion and thoughts like “I am inadequate to be her husband” or “look what I have made her have to do” thus creating a negative emotion of sadness and then deeper depression. In 1979, having developed his theories and tested them, Beck wrote a book “Therapy for Depression” which was a landmark text in its time and indeed field. It described both the hallmarks of depressive thinking styles as well as offering a new approach to treating the symptoms of depression.
So having established the basics it is then easier to see how his therapy can help victims of Road Traffic Accidents. The treatment runs through 5 major principles.
1. There is always another point of view!
The wife of the man above who thinks he is a bad husband does not think that at all, she is happy he is alive and is caring for him and helping him on his road to recovery. She has not once thought a bad thought of him since the accident.
2. Events Don’t Cause our Feelings!
It’s the way YOU deal with the events and your thought processes thereafter. Another person in the same accident could be absolutely fine and be concentrating more on getting physically fit than what his wife thought at the time.
3. We all evolve characteristic ways of seeing the world!
People think automatically this is how our moods are regulated. Beck coined the term “Negative Automatic Thoughts” these are thoughts that are unwanted emotions and are often involuntary. However it does not mean it is not possible to train your mind to think differently and not allow the negative thoughts to affect our daily living styles.
4. It’s a Two Way Street!
It is clear that certain thoughts appear to be able to create certain emotions. If the person involved in the Road Traffic Accident feels he is incapable of lifting a heavy shopping bag due to his personal injury as a result of the accident, this will trigger the thought that “I am inadequate” then therefore there is a good chance that he will feel guilt and shame along with the thought. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy points out that the effect works BOTH WAYS. In other words if I am already feeling sad or depressed I am also much more likely to allow the thought associated with those emotions, in this case the thoughts of guilt, shame and inadequacies.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy proposes that because our thoughts, behavior and feelings are interconnected that changes in one will inevitably change one of the others. A change in Behaviour will change your thought process which in turn will change your feelings and so on.
5. We are all Scientists at Heart!
People create and solve their own hypotheses on a daily basis and are constantly doing so without even knowing it. Science has a very good practice and theory or hypotheses. To make something work it must have two criteria
i)It has to be consistent with all available data
ii)It can be tested so we can find out whether it is trusted or not.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy works in exactly this way by demonstrating to the same to the patient. The victim of the Road Traffic Accident has the theory that because he can’t lift that heavy bag for his wife he is inadequate due to the personal injury he sustained in the Road Traffic Accident and his wife agrees with you. This in turn then provokes Negative Automatic Thoughts and makes the person depressive.
If however he tested the hypothesis he has just put to himself which triggered the thoughts he would soon quickly come to find that in fact his wife has no such feelings and was thinking to herself “I’ll get this as I don’t want his back to get bad again which will make him unhappy and in pain”
So this is it. Yes CBT is a great breakthrough and unfortunately all too often people go untreated for their condition when with a small amount of simple treatment their suffering could be helped. Many Personal Injury Practitioners that deal with claims for personal injury now recognise the benefits more and more and are utilizing the available rehabilitation sources during the course of the claim available to them from insurers to aid their clients in the recovery process. Long may it continue and those suffering in silence can move on with their lives albeit physically injured but mentally happy.
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