It’s hard enough to cope with the healing process after a car accident with injuries, but the pressure to return to normal adds an additional stress to your recovery. Your doctors say to give it time, but the rest of the world seems to think you need to get back in gear. Against all the medical advice, you may feel like you need to act better before you actually get better.
Pain is a body’s communication system. When we feel pain, it’s our body’s way of alerting us to a problem, and it is meant to stop us until the healing process finishes. For example, if you hold your finger over a candle, your body will register the pain, jerk your finger away, and continue to send pain signals so that you will stop using that finger until it heals. The sensation of pain is an indication that you should stop, rest, and recover. Injuries sustained during a car accident are not always immediately apparent and their severity may not be easily recognized.
Everybody has a different pace and experience when it comes to recovery – each person must let their body heal of its own accord and not base the recovery period against a stopwatch. When you are ready, then you should resume normal activity. Your body needs time to heal. While you focus on healing, you should hire an experienced car accident attorney to deal with the legal work related to your accident.
Outside Pressure To Return To Normal
Friends, family, and coworkers mean well, but they often can be a cruel source of pressure to get back to business as usual before you’re ready. The injury caused you to lose time with them, and they all want you back. While flattering, it’s unsupportive, and worse, may influence you to return to normal activity before you should.
When injuries are acute and people see your bandages, crutches, etc., it’s clear to others that you need to recover. However, as time goes by, your pain may persist even after the bandages come off. Now, there are no visual cues to see that you are recovering from an injury, and people might suggest or outright request that you return to normal. Don’t let this pressure you to return before you have completely healed.
Consequences Exist For Returning To Work Too Soon
If you head back to work despite feeling pain, you could worsen the situation by further delaying the healing process, relapsing, or creating a new injury. A return to work sends a signal that you are better. Therefore, your boss or coworkers will expect your full effort and may not accept performance impaired by your continuing pain or grant more time off for recovering.
Your ability to work may also be cited as evidence that you are fine, so returning to work too soon could lead to a misperception about the extent of your injury. It would be a tough case to sell that your injury caused extensive, long-term suffering because your actions suggest otherwise.
Put Yourself First And Heal Appropriately
No one but yourself can gauge the rate of your recovery because only you feel the pain. Own your healing process. Go at your pace. Protect yourself from further injury and pain. If you need help to push back against those who want you to return to work while still feeling pain, find protection from lawyers who know and understand the circumstances of a long, painful recovery.
You have been through much after the accident, and you deserve the chance to fully recover. You may need someone who’s on your side and who has the strength to help you meet the needs of a full recovery. While legal counsel can’t make the healing process faster, it will certainly make it easier. Call today to find out how our skilled car accident lawyers can assist you in making your case as painless as possible.
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