It’s easy to get discouraged when recovering from a critical injury. You may feel like the recovery process will never end and that you may never get any better. While this is certainly understandable, it shouldn’t prevent you from moving forward and recovering.
What is Recovery Management?
Recovery management is a set of techniques and methods adopted to deal with critical injury issues that require intervention beyond basic first aid.
In cases where life is in danger, recovery management needs to begin as early as possible. The goal of recovery management is that it should be simple, safe, and effective. It should not have any negative impact on the patient’s cognitive abilities.
6 Recovery Management Tips to Consider
Recovery management or the period of adjustment after trauma may require creative problem-solving skills to help the survivor attain a new state of balance.
Instead of focusing on how much you dislike your recovery process, use these recovery tips to improve your health and increase your confidence.
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Take Time to Grieve
Critical injury victims must grieve over the loss of their pre-injury life. It is not uncommon for victims of severe injuries to experience depression due to their inability to return to work right away. This is especially true if they earned more than minimum wage. Victims may also suffer from anxiety over their uncertain financial futures.
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Start exercising
You also want to start exercising if possible. Depending on the severity of your injuries, your doctor may tell you which exercises are safe and which routines to take without supervision. Either way, you must exercise regularly.
Exercising helps build muscle mass, which prevents further injury because muscle tissue acts as an extra layer of protection between bones and joints. It also speeds up your rehabilitation process by improving blood flow around affected areas. This process delivers more oxygenated blood cells throughout your body, thus speeding up healing.
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Reach out
It’s also important to reach out. Find the people who want to help you and create a list of contacts you can call upon during recovery. Keep this list handy and refer to it whenever you need guidance or assistance. These are the people who will help you move forward through your recovery process.
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Seek counseling
Be sure to seek professional help if necessary. When dealing with a traumatic experience like a critical injury, seek counseling to maintain a healthy mind. It is not weak to ask for help; in fact, it is courageous! A therapist can provide valuable insight and perspective on your situation and how best to cope moving forward.
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Stay positive
Keep a positive mindset moving forward! This may be hard at times, but try your best to stay optimistic. Positivity will make the entire recovery process easier and more enjoyable for all parties. Focus on looking at how far you’ve come instead of dwelling on the things that are holding you back.
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Get your medical finances in order
In the event of a severe injury, the last thing you need to worry about is how to pay for your medical expenses. If you have been prescribed physical therapy after a car accident or some other critical injury, many health insurance companies will only cover a limited amount of sessions.
Such cases may leave you with a hefty bill for your PT care. But this might not be a problem if you have good health insurance benefits and personal funds to pay for the remainder of your treatment.
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Keep learning
Recovery is a complex process, and knowledge gaps can make the difference between slow and fast healing. When recovering from critical injuries, always be open to suggestions and new ideas on coping with your condition.
Final Words on Recovery Management
The US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health has a wealth of information on the recovery process after injury. Still, it’s important to remember that recovery takes time and everyone heals differently. Communication and determination are vital factors in recovery, but so is rest and taking time off when necessary.