Psychological trauma after an accident. Adaptation of drivers after an accident
Three heroes from Vladivostok talk about how they got into an accident and survived
Text: Maria Volodina
Photo: from the heroes’ archive
On October 17, 2016, three young athletes drove a rented car from Vladivostok towards the Krasnoarmeysky district. At the Arsenyev-Khabarovsk fork at 05:30 in the morning, the driver lost control and the car flew into a ditch. She made three side flips and crashed into a tree. “Vl3000” asked the participants in the accident to talk about their experience, and the rescuer and psychologist to comment on it.
On the night of October 17, the driver of a Toyota Voxy minibus was driving with three passengers to the north of Primorsky Krai. It was necessary to arrive at the destination by noon (the children were expected with an educational program), so we left Vladivostok at 03:00 at night.
Alexey* was sitting in the passenger seat next to the driver, Konstantin was lying in the back, Maxim was located in the second row of rear seats. At 05:30 in the morning the driver was distracted by the navigator, lost vigilance and lost control.
Having thrown back the seat, Alexey dozed off, but woke up when he heard the driver’s alarmed voice. At high speed, the car spun and drifted sideways into a ditch; the car managed to make three full turns before crashing into a tree.
Alexey:“The car was skidding along the gravel road and turning sideways; there was no more than three seconds to think about it. I grabbed the handrail with both hands, tucked my head, tensed my whole body in anticipation of the blow. The first impact occurred when the car flew into a ditch filled with water. The car overturned on its side and began to spin. Deafening blows rained down from all sides, broken glass, dirt and water flew throughout the cabin.
The seat belt allowed me to keep my body tucked together, not fly out the window, and avoid serious injury. How did I figure out to group? So I braced myself for impact. I think the experience and reactions I developed while playing sports helped me.”
After the first blows, several windows were broken, and during one of the revolutions, Konstantin flew out of the window.
Konstantin:“I remember absolutely everything, from beginning to end. As clear as if it were today. Before takeoff, I felt a sharp approach to the turn, pressure to the side, a hard blow. The car started to spin, and literally on the second turn I was thrown out of the side window. Having flown about six meters, I landed in the bushes. During the flight itself there was nothing that is usually shown in films. Thoughts were calm and clear, and time lasted slower than it might seem from the outside - a hit on the ground... and silence.
After the first blow there was not a single thought to group or grab onto something. On the contrary, I relaxed and let go of everything that was happening at that moment. I felt glass and things turning over and hitting me. The instinct of self-preservation worked so that the body was completely relaxed - apparently that’s why I escaped with minor injuries.”
Another passenger was lying unbelted in the back seat; he immediately received several blows to the head.
Maxim:“I didn’t see what was happening, but I realized almost immediately when we hit the gravel that we were screwed now. I'm no stranger to spinning over my head, but this is a little different. My first thoughts were: “Holy shit, this can’t be happening, I’m probably still dreaming. I have to go to the Krasnoarmeysky district, how stupid it would be to die like that.”
I can’t remember how my body behaved in general, but then my abdominal muscles, back, shoulders and hips ached for a long time. Perhaps they were overstressed in a stressful situation. After stopping, I understood that I had to get out, but I couldn’t remember where we were going and why, who was nearby and why I wasn’t at home at all.”
After the car hit a tree, Alexey came to his senses and took a roll call: “Max, Sergey, Kostya, everyone is alive, there are fractures, can you move?” When he was convinced that everyone was safe, he called his colleague in Vladivostok and asked to pick them up from Spassk.
When the guys responded one by one, I was already getting out of the car and was wildly happy that everyone was safe. Light bruises of soft tissues, scratches on the face, abrasions - this is a miracle! This day is called the second birthday. For the first time in my life I was so close to an absurd death. These three revolutions, like slow motion, are imprinted in my head.”
Alexey and the driver began to pull out all the things from the overturned car. The car driving behind stopped and illuminated the scene with its headlights.
Konstantin:“When I landed and it became quiet, one of the guys asked: “Is everyone alive?” I immediately stood up. At first there was a slight veil in my eyes, but after a few seconds everything cleared, and I realized: we crashed! I stood barefoot, there was a slight pain in my side, and my head was covered in dirt. I was very concerned about whether anyone was hurt. Fortunately, everything worked out fine.
To be honest, leaving the city at three o’clock in the morning, I told myself that in the morning I would write and wish good morning to one charming girl. So that she might smile and her day would start with that smile. And so, after hitting, twisting, flying and falling, I got up, making sure that everyone was alive, found my phone in the bushes and sent her a message. This thought never left my head even then. After this, we began to search and collect all our things that were scattered on the ground.
Over time, I am more and more surprised that after everything that happened, our injuries were only minor cuts, scrapes and bruises, and no concussion.”
Several times passing cars stopped nearby and the drivers asked if everything was okay and if they needed help. One of them called the police and reported the accident.
Maxim:“When I got out of the car, I started shaking violently, the guys immediately gave me three jackets. We partially fell into the swamp, we were all wet, but it seemed that I was shaking not at all because of the cold. It became clear that any of us could have been injured or died. And although I remembered where we were going, I could not come to my senses for another half hour.
My head was a complete mess: I have so many plans for this week, now I have to reschedule everything, but among them there are several significant things. I also had to say something important, but I could have died and that’s it... Lord, I have a wife and child at home, how could she raise him without me? And a feeling of endless fatigue - why is everything so complicated, is it really impossible to live a simpler life for happiness, without such complex schemes?
Alexey called his friends in Spassk-Dalniy and they called a tow truck. Soon after the accident, a traffic police team arrived. Maxim limped slightly, but they did not call an ambulance. At about 9 am the guys were already on their way to the hospital. By that time the adrenaline had worn off, Maxim felt severe pain in his back and feared for his safety. internal organs. All the bones turned out to be intact, the tests were normal - he escaped with a concussion, bruises and sprains.
Alexey:“I imagined what would have happened if I had died. How upset my mother, father and brother would be, how I would let down the guys and girls who train with me. But what about those areas where we are just going to go? I recalled the most valuable moments of my life: who I helped, who I influenced, where I spent the time allotted to me, and once again I was clearly convinced that material things mean nothing when it comes to life and death. I either smiled, rejoicing at salvation, or felt sad, remembering my loved ones. I took a photo of myself smiling, I like myself better that way.”
What rescuers say
Any road accident is a difficult physical and psychological test. It is important to behave correctly in an emergency situation and be able to recover after an incident.
Sergey Udovik, rescuer of the Vladivostok City Search and Rescue Service (MKU “VGPSS”):“The first thing you need to do is turn off the car, if it is running, and call an ambulance.” Ambulance employees themselves will report an accident to rescuers, firefighters and police. Next is to check whether the passengers are conscious, to understand who has injuries. The most important thing is to listen to breathing and stop the bleeding. You need to listen to the pulse, but this is not as effective as breathing - you can mistake your own heartbeat for someone else.
If a person is pinned by something, under no circumstances should you try to get him out, as this will only cause more harm. The same applies to fixing broken body parts: you can only provide assistance if you know how to do it. Remember that you may be held accountable for any wrongdoing.
Check whether the car can catch fire (VL.ru recently wrote about fire prevention). If there is no threat, then it is better not to pull the person out and first bring him to consciousness, but if the car starts to smoke and burn, then the main thing here is to have time to get everyone out. If possible, you need to remove the terminals from the battery and put the car on the handbrake or put something under the wheels to prevent it from moving.”
Albina Yakovenko, clinical psychologist:“After an accident, give yourself time to recover: do not drive, use the transport in which you feel safe, walk.
When you learned to drive a car, the first thing you did was sit in the driver’s seat and get used to the dimensions and feel the car. Do the same. Sit in a chair, relax, close your eyes and remember the most pleasant moments in your life - a first date, receiving a desired gift, the day when you first drove out onto the road and realized that the car was listening to you. Try to relive your feelings again. Start the engine only when you feel there is no panic. This may take several days.
At first, do not rush to go far from home. Feel the car, try to negotiate with it, press the brake pedal, turn left, right. You must see and understand that the machine is not your enemy, it listens to you.
Once you feel comfortable, you can drive onto a busy road. Monitor your condition and feelings. If you feel afraid or unwell, don’t panic, pull over to the side of the road, and calm down. If everything goes well, go on about your business; if not, return to the parking lot.
Complete each stage without haste or violence against yourself. If you are unable to cope within two to three weeks, then consult a psychologist. He will select a program and exercises that will help you specifically, the main thing is not to leave everything as it is. The longer you don’t seek help, the more difficult it will be to get out of the state of traumatization.”
The head was intact and retained complete clarity of thought. When the glass cut the femoral artery, Lyudmila felt that life was flowing out of her along with the blood. She tried to squeeze the artery until her fingers became weak. Already on a stretcher, with tourniquets applied, she found the strength to emerge from oblivion and name her blood type.
The operation was successful. The doctor said that she was born in a shirt: no restrictions on mobility are expected, no crutches - perhaps even a slight limp will not remain. Of course, recovery will take time.
Lyudmila herself, like many after returning “from there,” felt euphoria: she dreamed of filling life with new meaning, enjoying every moment, not worrying about trifles...
The body healed for the first five months. Between procedures, she read a lot, including poetry, the existence of which she had already forgotten about twenty years ago. She remembers this time as very happy: a renewed, vibrant feeling of life. It seemed that after what she had experienced, there was nothing left to be afraid of.
But the first attempt to get behind the wheel again presented problems. Lyudmila returned from a short trip around the city in a cold sweat. All the dangers that await a driver on city streets seemed so vivid and real to her that she crossed every intersection as if under artillery fire. There was a sudden threat around every corner.
The next test was the sound of breaking glass. A bottle thrown into a trash container by the boys plunged her into a state of panic: her heart was pounding, her skin became damp... Then she noticed that all sharp and shiny objects scared her - not only broken glass, but also kitchen knives and tools... In stormy weather At night, with a strong gusty wind, she lay awake, expecting that the wind would push out the window panes and they would fly across the room.
Gradually her fear spread to a variety of things that had nothing to do with the misfortune she had experienced. Crowded conditions in the subway, a low-flying plane, Chinese fireworks, even just going up in an elevator...
Like many people who have experienced a disaster, attack, war or other terrible event, she has lost faith in a safe and predictable world. The normal carelessness that most of us wear like a protective vest has left her. It seemed to her that the barrier between life and death had become as thin as a spider's web.
She didn't think that all her countless fears were somehow connected. She didn't know it had a name: PTSD.
Where does fear come from?
According to statistics, three out of four experience a traumatic event at least once in their lives. And a quarter of those who have experienced trauma experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress: agitation, persistent flashbacks, nightmares, insomnia, detachment, and numbness.
For most people, symptoms go away within a week, month, or year. For some, they get worse over time. At the same time, the possibility of their treatment is reduced.
This phenomenon first began to be studied when American doctors working with Vietnam War veterans encountered the syndrome. However, it was known to doctors even in the last century; it was not without reason that the term “traumatic neurosis” appeared after two world wars.
Until two or three decades ago, most psychiatrists considered PTSD to be a purely emotional reaction to an event. Few have thought about whether there is a connection with the neurochemistry of the brain.
Since the mid-1980s, a new generation of specialists has emerged, trained in both psychiatry and neurobiology. They were the ones who discovered that moments of extreme terror change the chemistry and perhaps even the structure of the brain. It doesn’t matter whether it was momentary horror during an accident or prolonged stress during the war.
Biochemistry
Transformation begins immediately at the moment a threat to life arises. Our nervous system, knocked out of normal mode and into survival mode, releases a powerful dose of adrenaline and other substances that prepare the body for fight or flight. Anyone who has experienced at least once an “adrenaline attack” knows this feeling of clarity of consciousness, quick reaction, an unexpected surge of strength, thanks to which people with the most modest physical capabilities literally set speed records, jump over two-meter fences, and climb tall trees along a smooth trunk. ..
When there is a prolonged threat to life, the body releases other hormones, including cortisol and endogenous opiates. They suppress inflammatory processes and dampen pain.
But these biological mechanisms that save lives in extreme situations can have a negative impact on the brain. Excessive doses of adrenaline can impair memory and learning ability, and in some cases they can cause amnesia.
The state of biochemical “anxiety” persists in people who fought in “hot spots” many years later. Doctors discovered elevated levels of adrenaline in the urine of traumatized Vietnam veterans twenty years after the end of the war.
What to do?
● Do not hide your problems either from yourself or from others. It is necessary to talk about them with loved ones or with a psychotherapist. You can keep records of your feelings. The last option is good because you can do this at any time of the day. For example, waking up in the middle of the night from bad dream. Few people decide at this moment to wake up loved ones or, especially, to call the doctor.
● Don’t be shy to contact specialists. After major accidents or terrorist attacks, the authorities usually inform the population which telephone numbers can be used to find professional support.
What techniques do psychologists and psychotherapists use?
For example, using the “flooding” technique, when the patient again and again revives a traumatic event in his memory, visits a place that reminds him of it, and talks again and again about how it happened. For most people, the severity of the experience dulls after this.
Another technique is processing using eye movements. Within an hour or an hour and a half, the patient reconstructs the circumstances of the traumatic event, while simultaneously moving his eyes from side to side following the doctor’s finger. When this technique was proposed in the late 80s, no one believed it worked. However, today many famous experts admit that they are amazed by the results obtained. Veterans who suffered from nightmares for decades were relieved of them in one session.
Fears, worries, fear... Feelings familiar to everyone who has ever been in a car accident - drivers and passengers of a car
Fears, worries, fear... Feelings familiar to everyone who has ever been in a car accident - drivers and passengers of a car. Scientifically, these conditions are called post-accident syndrome. How to live with this, how to fight? The doctor agreed to consult on this issue medical sciences, Head of the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Medical Psychology, Ural State Medical Academy additional education Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation Vladimir Sergeev.
— The listed conditions are quite treatable. Therefore, to begin with, it would be a good idea for a driver who has survived an accident to visit a psychotherapist, putting aside the fear associated with the traditional idea of such specialists in our country.
So, post-accident syndrome. This is a stress disorder, mental trauma. It happens that the person himself was not injured, only his car was damaged, but the driver still constantly experiences anxiety and fear. He is afraid of oncoming and passing cars, everything irritates him, the very process of driving stresses him out...
Treatment is required here medicines, psychotherapy and a complete cessation of driving for some time.
Why can't you drive? The driver's tension, inevitable in such a situation, reduces the speed of reaction. Moreover, the reaction may be inadequate. Let me give you an example. One of my friends went at speed to take a risky overtake. He made slight contact with the car he was overtaking, was “struck”, spun around, and then carried out onto oncoming lane. There's a car coming towards you.
But, thank God, the friend’s car continued to be carried away by an unknown force. He ended up in a snowdrift (it was winter). Only the car was damaged.
It seems that he escaped with a slight fright. But! A mental disorder developed. His sleep has worsened. Then he said: as soon as I close my eyes, this picture appears in the smallest detail, it’s just an obsession...
What can I recommend here? First, the situation should be analyzed in detail. My friend and I sorted out all his mistakes and tried to understand the motivation of other drivers. He felt his share of guilt. I came to the conclusion: there was no need to rush. It was better to wait it out and not overtake. However, he hoped that it would pass, since he had committed similar violations before, and nothing happened.
He did not take into account that the road might be ice covered with snow, that in winter it is generally slippery, and that an unintended car might jump onto the road from the side. Plus he realized that he intentionally broke the rules traffic, and it started to enter his system. But sooner or later the reckoning had to happen.
My friend stopped driving for a while. Moreover, the car required repairs. After repairs, he sold the car. And he did the right thing! Because along with the loss of the “unlucky” car, his negative memories noticeably weakened. As a result, he started driving only six months after the accident. After careful work on consciousness, eliminating fear and all its consequences...
And already behind the wheel of a new car.
Of course, six months is an individual period. For some, post-accident syndrome lasts less. But you should get behind the wheel only when the fear has been overcome: the driver has dealt with it (not himself, but with the help of a doctor). After a break, you should first try driving somewhere in a vacant lot to completely restore all your driving skills.
If you drive, trying to overcome yourself: overcoming fear, experiencing tension, you will harm yourself, consistently destroying your body. The pressure may jump, fatigue will be felt more acutely, more often and to a greater extent, sleep disturbance may occur, as was the case with my friend. Therefore, you should really rest and take sedatives in order to fully recover.
After an accident, a mental disorder may occur - so-called emotional anesthesia. A person may look calm outwardly, but in reality he feels a loss of interest in previous activities, anxiety, feels a sense of distance from other people, and becomes lethargic, even stupor. Or, on the contrary, he is haunted by humiliation, anger, shame.
A person endlessly reproaches and blames himself, all the time replaying the experienced situation in his mind.
This is also wrong, there must be a limit. You must, I repeat, realize the degree of your guilt by analyzing the situation in detail: it may be that not only you were wrong, but also other participants in the movement. Admit your mistake and draw conclusions for the future. So that this does not happen again in the future!
Some people start drinking to calm down. This is a big illusion. Alcohol does not relieve stress. It turns off your emotional acuity for a while, but as soon as the effects of alcohol wear off, all your unpleasant sensations return and, most unpleasantly, with renewed vigor. A person drinks again and again, destroying his body, and drives questions deeper without solving them.
As a result, another problem is added to the existing ones - alcohol addiction. This is the wrong way.
What conclusion can be drawn from what has been said? Unpredictable situations are possible on the road. Do not break traffic rules and you will manage to save your nerves. But if you do have an accident, do not expect that psychological problems will go away on their own; solve them with the help of a specialist.
Tatyana, 35 years old, six years of driving experience:
— About two years ago I got into an accident: the right mirror on my car was demolished by a cargo Gazelle when it drove past too close. In principle, nothing. But six months later the situation repeated itself with an accuracy of one hundred percent! Also a right mirror, also a cargo gazelle...
Since then, I began to be terribly afraid of gazelles. As soon as I see them on the road in the immediate vicinity of my car, my hands immediately shake with small tremors...
Andrey, Toyota driver:
— After 17 accident-free years, I had one accident: I met my “godson” near an intersection. But there were no such “emotions”. I didn't even break a sweat! Just annoyance for the car.
And the “godson,” by the way, was also adequate, although I sent him the entire rear wheel arch on the “twelfth” to the salon, but only dented my own wing. But he himself was to blame; he had at least three opportunities to avoid this accident.
Katya, 25 years old:
— I crashed a friend’s car. The accident can’t get out of my head, I can’t sleep, I can’t get behind the wheel of my car... Fear and panic. And my sister always tells me not to drive, that I will die behind the wheel, that I am not allowed to drive!
My boyfriend, on the contrary, doesn’t blame me for the accident, doesn’t blame me for breaking his car, and insists that I don’t stop driving... They both put a lot of pressure on me. What to do, how to fight... I understand that I can’t cope with fears and problems on my own.
Larisa Ponomarenko, pedestrian:
“I haven’t experienced anything like this, but my friends have had more than one accident, and their behavior after that was absolutely unpredictable. Often the realization of what has happened comes only after some time.
Prepared by TATIANA LOROVA
Psychological assistance after an accident
According to world statistics, the most common type of accidents are transport accidents - about 80% of the total. The main problems and consequences of an accident are questions about upcoming repairs, fair compensation for damage, and legal assistance. However, few people think about the need for help from a psychologist after experiencing emotional experiences. emergency situation. All people are different, for some, even a minor accident can result in serious psychological consequences and troubles, for example, the emergence of a fear of driving a car.
In psychiatry there is such a thing as “Afghan syndrome,” which talks about the condition of people who survived and participated in the events of Afghanistan. Veterans of the Afghan war constantly experience fear, a pronounced feeling of suspicion, obsession, etc. The same thing happens with drivers who have survived an accident. Former participants in an accident constantly experience fear when getting behind the wheel, fear that the events of the accident may repeat themselves. In medicine, this human condition is called post-traumatic stress disorder. If the above symptoms occur, you should not try to let everything take its course. Psychological help not received on time after an accident can result in serious consequences, including family problems, irritability, and aggressiveness.
How to restore your psychological state after a traffic accident?
So, you should never, under any circumstances, blame yourself for what happened. No one is insured against an accident, and you did everything you could to prevent the occurrence of an unpleasant event. In addition, a state of fear and fright is a completely natural phenomenon, a protective reaction of the body to external pathogens. A person who has once had an accident will subsequently try not to repeat the accident. You need to understand for yourself what reasons led to the accident, what could have been done to prevent the accident. The most important thing when there is a risk of collision vehicles, don’t get confused, because in such a state it is extremely difficult to react to the situation.
When criticism is not appropriate.
Very often, relatives and friends of a novice motorist who has been injured in an accident while driving, begin to convince him that it is too early for him to drive a car, and, if we are talking about a woman, then it is better not to get behind the wheel at all. This is a big mistake, because, thus, the newly-made driver has many complexes about his inadequacy as a driver added to his fear. In addition, especially emotional and sensitive people can fall into a depressive state, especially for female drivers.
A constant reminder of the accident in a condemning manner will help provoke the occurrence of the next emergency on the road. In this regard, you should immediately talk to your loved ones and ask them not to raise the topic of the events that happened. According to expert psychologists, the sooner a person can drive again after an accident, the faster he will be able to cope with his fears.
So, along with first medical aid, the victim should be provided with psychological assistance after an accident. It is not at all necessary to frantically search for a psychologist for this. All you have to do is call our Legal Aid company and get qualified emergency assistance. Our specialist will arrive at the scene of the incident and assess the situation and circumstances. In addition, our auto lawyer has psychological skills, so he will provide the victim with psychological and moral support.
What is psychological assistance after an accident? First of all, this is a procedure that includes a complex of influence on a person’s emotional state through the use of effective psychological methods. As a result of communication with the victim, there is a decrease in the person’s emotional arousal, a decrease in worries about what happened, and a clearer assessment of the situation in which he finds himself.
Why is psychological help after an accident so important and necessary?
A participant in an accident being in a state of deep psychological stress can lead to the following:
- Expressed emotions, in the form of hysteria, stupor, uncontrollable anger, nervous tremors, aggressive behavior and other manifestations of psychological disorder, requiring the immediate intervention of a psychologist;
- Falling into a state of panic directly at the scene of the emergency;
- Disorders of the general health of the victim in connection with the psychological trauma received at the time of the accident and after it.
The onset of these human reactions to external factors can be avoided if you receive appropriate help and support in a timely manner. When you contact the Legal Aid company, you will receive not only a wide range of legal services, but also high-quality and effective moral support!
