When people think of spinal cord injuries, they often focus on the physical changes that occur. Emotional effects can also occur when a person suffers this type of injury. In some cases, those can be more difficult to deal with than the physical changes.
One thing that makes it difficult for people who have a spinal cord injury to deal with the emotional challenges is that there are often multiple issues, and they sometimes conflict with each other.
Emotional roller coaster
A person who suffers this type of injury may go back and forth between being thankful they survived the accident and feeling depressed that their way of life has changed. It’s normal to have a range of emotions, but the negative emotions shouldn’t overwhelm or intensify to the point that they’re hard to overcome.
There are several signs that indicate the need to seek help from a mental health professional. These include major mood swings, being unable to enjoy activities or having thoughts of self-harm. In some cases, the victim may not believe they need assistance, but it may be critical for their well-being.
Victims who have spinal cord injuries will likely need medical care, as well as mental health care. This can be a costly aspect of a spinal cord injury. If the injury was the result of another person’s negligence, the victim may decide to seek compensation to help cover those financial impacts. Working with a legal professional who can get the case together and keep it moving through the court system is beneficial for these individuals.