Personal Injury Law

Coping with a Spinal Cord Injury in Florida

By Flaxman & Lopez

Any of the more than a quarter million patients in the US with spinal cord injuries have a difficult time adjusting to their injury. Arguably, though, Florida patients may suffer from being in a naturally pleasant environment that they no longer experience the same way. Before a spinal cord injury, Florida residents can enjoy staying active in the mild climate of Florida. After such an injury, however, sports and many other activities become challenging or not possible.

For many people, no matter where they live, a spinal cord injury (SCI) is simply traumatic. Often caused by a car accident, violence, or some other injury that is traumatic of its self, a SCI can hamper a person?s movement and sensation. Plus, many SCI patients also develop complications and other health problems as a result of their injury. Most patients also need to develop a great deal of strength just to perform daily activities after a SCI.

As a result of the trauma that most patients face, most victims of a SCI experience a great deal of emotional upheaval and stress. Many grieve for their lost mobility and movement. Many also react with denial and extreme sadness. A number of patients fall into a deep depression and require therapy or counselling in order to deal with their grief. Others react with anger, especially in cases where someone?s negligence or recklessness caused the injury. These emotional upheavals can contribute to high blood pressure ? already a concern for SCI patients -- and stress. The emotions that patients experience can also place a strain on the relationships that patients need for support after their injury.

Recovering from a brain injury takes both emotional and physical healing. It is important to give yourself time to recover and to give yourself realistic personal goals to achieve. If you have been injured for a year or more and have not yet recovered emotionally or started to cope with your injury, you may want to seek help. Many therapists use Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) as well as other therapies to help people with serious personal injury and permanent injury recover emotionally. REBT is based on the idea that it is not the events that we experience so much as our beliefs about these events that cause our emotional states. Therefore, if you are telling yourself that normal life is over for you because of your spinal cord injury, a therapist trained with REBT may help you find alternative ways of thinking about your injury and about the contributions you can still make.

It is especially important to keep an eye on possible unhealthy behaviour after a serious spinal cord injury. If it is taking you some time to recover, you may be tempted to isolate yourself, deny yourself healthy and fun activities, or even deny yourself proper medical care. Some patients with serious spinal cord injuries turn to substance abuse. In fact, the rate of alcoholism among SCI patients is twice as high as among the non-injured population. Some patients grow so depressed that they attempt to injure themselves or even commit suicide. If you suspect that you may be addicted to alcohol or drugs or if you think you are engaging in unhealthy behaviours, it is important to seek help immediately. Drugs, alcohol, and other forms of risk-taking can slow down your recovery progress and can even lead to new injuries.

If you have been injured as a result of someone?s negligence or recklessness, it can be especially hard for you to adjust to life with a spinal cord injury ? particularly if the person responsible for your injury is unharmed. You may wish to speak to a qualified Florida attorney about your situation. A good Florida lawyer can investigate the circumstances that led to your injury and can help you get closure as well as the help you are entitled to under the law. An attorney can ensure that you have the resources you need to recover as fully as possible. To speak to a qualified Florida attorney, call 1- 800-535-2962 (1 800 5 FLAXMAN). You can set up a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your situation.

Full post as published by Florida Injury Lawyer Blog on January 02, 2008 (boomark / email).