Psychology lesson for middle and high school students.

Target: introduce students to the causes of road accidents (traffic accidents); give a psychological description of the post-traumatic state and introduce the basic ways of dealing with stress.

Modern man constantly lives on the edge of stress – no one doubts this. Just think: bad ecology, the harsh rhythm of city life, an aggressive social environment, political instability, financial crises, etc. Everyone suffers from this - adults and children, beggars and oligarchs, politicians and ordinary workers. Who among us has not said in our hearts at least once in our lives: “Oh, it was such stress for me!” The term “stress” has become familiar in our everyday vocabulary. In this short and succinct word we put ideas about changes in our behavior and a whole range of feelings and experiences that arise in difficult situations or in situations of increased danger, which have become an integral part of the modern way of life.

Getting behind the wheel of a car for the first time. You probably think that driving is impossible to learn. Then, time will pass, and you will learn to hold the steering wheel with one hand while listening to the radio and chat with your neighbor sitting next to you. It is indisputable that most people, as a rule, do not get into accidents either as pedestrians or drivers. But there are times when an accident becomes inevitable and then it is a difficult physical, moral and psychological test for a person.

A road accident is certainly accompanied by mental trauma, leading to negative consequences. No matter how intense it is, the sense of security is impaired and a painful condition may develop - a state of stress or post-traumatic syndrome.

There are several criteria for assessing the presence of trauma: denial of what happened, suppression of vital activity, disorganization of activities, pronounced fear, anxiety, crying, blame. Gradually, emotions are replaced by a reaction of self-criticism, a painful awareness of the inevitability of what happened and self-flagellation. This condition is sometimes called "Black hole" and this is a heavy burden that a person carries in his heart and thoughts.

Stress is life that allows a person to fully function and develop. However, depending on what results and at what cost a person achieves in overcoming difficulties, stress can be productive or destructive.

If you or your loved ones are in a stressful situation, first of all, go to a medical facility for examination.
And most importantly! Be attentive and sensitive. If trouble happens to your loved one, be there and support him in difficult times.
You can evaluate what the person was like before the incident and what he is like now. Don't ignore the changes that are happening. For a person in a stressful state, it is very difficult to be critical of his condition. Your care and attention will help you resort to professional help in time. After all, the sooner help is provided, the less time it will take for psychological rehabilitation.

Road transport is the most dangerous transport. It accounts for the lion's share of transport losses. The death of the driver or passengers as a result of a traffic accident is most likely, and to a lesser extent when the car is hijacked by intruders and there is a fire.

1st STUDENT: Traffic police statistics say that the main causes of road accidents are:

1. Violation of traffic rules. This is understandable: no one gives way to anyone in our country, does not stand in front of signs when there is no policeman nearby, but, on the contrary, passes as quickly as possible, interprets the yellow color of the traffic light as almost green, etc.

With such road discipline, how can you protect yourself from accidents?
And what original advice can we give to drivers?

– I advise you not to violate it. At least, at least when you are not traveling alone. The son is not responsible for his father’s recklessness. Just like a daughter, wife, relatives or just acquaintances. Even the hard-hearted Generalissimo formally agreed with this. Don't take sin on your soul.

Example: What if you survive, and then you will have to attend a funeral for which you were the direct culprit. I knew the story of one such father who, having broken a trifling rule, ruined his entire family. Did you survive? But he died immediately after the funeral. Voluntarily.

2. Speeding.

And what Russian doesn’t like driving fast? Only those who personally own a 1960 Moskvich.

– How can you fight this? Exhortations? Appeals? Will not help.

Unless it’s just like in Europe – by the inevitability of punishment. Let's say you are rushing in the early morning along a highway as empty as the lunar surface at a speed five kilometers per hour higher than the speed limit. No police around, no other cars. There is no one at all! Peace and quiet. You arrive where you need to go, and a week later you receive a receipt with a fine issued in accordance with all the rules. It turns out that the speed limit sign had a speed meter with a camera attached to it, which records the license plates of the cars at fault. And, please, to the cashier! And the law-abiding Germans go and carry their blood stamps. So as not to lose your rights.

- Really? That’s why our western neighbors drive strictly at the speed limit, even on a sterile empty highway. Because they don’t know at which roadside pole that automatic informer is hiding.

There MAY be examples of children:

Among other ways to curb the driver's speed, at least inside city blocks, our authorities could borrow roads with artificially constructed slides on which you cannot accelerate faster than 60 km/h, "Christmas trees" painted on the asphalt, which make drivers see rippling, cardboard mannequins, however, very similar to the originals, and similar Western inventions.
For residents of houses who are concerned about cars speeding in the area where their children are crossing the road, I would recommend not to shout bad words at passing cars, but to write a collective “cart” to the district traffic police with a request to install restrictive signs in this place. Or even a traffic light. And write down a couple of license plates of cars that these signs ignore.
I would advise the wives of reckless drivers sitting in the passenger seat to limit their sporting fervor. So as not to expose yourself and, first of all, your children to blows. Because if both husband and wife die at the same time, the children will go to live in an orphanage!
I have nothing to say to reckless drivers. Except for one thing: it’s better to drive slowly than to lie motionless in a coffin. Or “soar on a bunk” by hitting a pedestrian.

3 . The next cause of an accident – driving while intoxicated. No comments here. Our people have not learned to fight this evil. This is not a car problem.

4. Bad roads. No comments here either. We will not get rid of bad roads until we resolve the second, purely Russian problem. I'm talking about those who allocate funds for repairs and maintenance of these roads.

5. Machine malfunctions. In detail, most accidents occur due to faulty brakes, followed by steering, and the third leaders are wheels and tires. Whether or not to release a faulty car on the road depends on the technical commissions of the traffic police, on the car owner himself and on his close relatives. It is up to them to decide this question depending on how dear they are to their lives and the lives of others.

6. Other reasons accidents, such as collisions with animals, lightning, meteorites and spent rocket stages hitting the car, are extremely unlikely and are not reflected in the official statistics of the State Traffic Inspectorate.

But there are also very telling figures obtained by dividing the total number of accidents by their cause. So, the condition of roads and bad weather are “to blame” for 4% of accidents. Bad cars in 11%. And the remaining 85% is on the conscience of the drivers!

That is, it follows from this that the most dangerous phenomenon on the road is the person behind the wheel.

2nd STUDENT: Forewarned is forearmed. If I had known where to fall, I would have laid out straws.

These well-known truths apply perfectly to driving a car. The main causes of accidents are always the same and the statistics on them are known. Although knowing these reasons does not guarantee you safe driving, it will allow you to be prepared for similar situations and make the right decision if they arise.

The bulk of road accidents occur during rush hours, on holidays, and at the end of the week, when everyone is heading out of town. Accordingly, if it is possible to refrain from going on the highway at this time, it is better to do so, since the likelihood of getting into a traffic accident increases.

85% of all road accidents occur due to the driver and his physical and psychological condition, so it is recommended to have a good rest before the trip. Of the remaining 15%, only 11 are accidents due to vehicle malfunction, and only 4% of accidents are caused by weather or road conditions.

3rd STUDENT: In traumatic stress, there are three groups of manifestations of psychological trauma. This:

Repeated experiences. The past does not let go, images of the accident relentlessly return, constant thoughts about “what happened.” Recurring nightmares. These “unbidden” memories can last from a few seconds or minutes to several hours.
Avoidance. A person tries to avoid thoughts and memories of what he has experienced, tries not to get into situations that could remind or evoke these memories. He stubbornly avoids thinking and talking about the accident. Alienation from friends and relatives grows - “they don’t understand me.” Depression occurs. The person begins to feel worthless and rejected. He develops self-doubt. Despair, lack of meaning in life, apathy - this is what a person experiences. A feeling of guilt often appears, “I am to blame for what I didn’t do: I didn’t save, I didn’t help, I didn’t predict.” Aggression often increases, often directed at oneself.
Increased activity. It manifests itself in difficulties falling asleep, increased irritability, and explosive reactions. Unreasonable and increased control over what is happening around. The feelings experienced in such situations (anxiety, helplessness, shame, sadness, anger) negatively affect a person, making him vulnerable.

PSYCHOLOGIST: Stress in itself is not an evil or a disease (although in its extreme manifestations it can lead to them), just as a high temperature is only a consequence of some inflammatory process and a signal that the body is fighting it. Stress should be regarded as the most important adaptation mechanism, allowing a living creature that finds itself in unfavorable conditions to concentrate, exert all its strength and find the optimal way out of a difficult situation. Without it, the first obstacle would be disastrous for the body. Moreover, not a single creature, be it an ant, a bird or an elephant, can do without stress. It is experienced by a tree growing in a crevice of a rock, a doe running from a predator, a child who momentarily lost sight of his mother, and an entire country in difficult times. Every day we are exposed to minor stresses that force us to constantly solve everyday problems. I was late for work, my boss snapped at me, my son snatched his deuce, my heel broke, even unexpected rain can turn into stress in the absence of an umbrella. And so, day after day, the steel of our character is “tempered”, we learn to react calmer to little things, soberly assess emerging problems and systematically solve them, build relationships with people and, ultimately, preserve our inner space.

Often people not only do not try to avoid stress, but they themselves rush towards it in search of new impressions and sensations, they live on the edge, drunk with adrenaline in their blood - they storm mountains and descend into the depths of the sea, embark on dangerous adventures and gamble . By the way, the addiction of many to horror and action films is nothing more than a craving for safe stress: passions run high, but only on the screen. Thus, stress often turns into need.

If you think about it, every day we live is a series of small stressful situations; some of them are not devoid of pleasantness, others pass almost unnoticed, others leave an unpleasant aftertaste. The experience of overcoming troubles allows us to draw a simple but important conclusion: there are practically no hopeless situations, life always leaves the opportunity to cope with troubles - you just need to find it. Be that as it may, our existence consists of small and large difficulties. And strength accumulates as we find ways to overcome them. And if suddenly you don’t have stress, it means you’re dead.

Basic ways to deal with stress

If you suddenly find yourself in a stressful situation, you first need to gather all your willpower and command yourself to stop in order to sharply slow down the development of acute stress. To be able to get out of a state of acute stress and calm down, you need to find an effective method of self-help in order to quickly navigate a critical situation by resorting to this method of help with acute stress:

There are several ways in which you can significantly influence your state of mind for the better:

Remember the good things.
Give your brain a rest. "Giving your head a little rest is a very good way to eliminate or cope with stress," says Dr. Ronald Nathan. "Imagine yourself lying on the warm sand of the beach, the cool wind blowing from the ocean, the waves gently lapping against the shore. It's amazing how relaxing this can be."
Self-hypnosis. "You should have a list of sentences ready that you can repeat when you feel overwhelmed. They don’t have to be complicated. Simply repeating to yourself: “I can handle this” or “I know more about this than anyone else” will help. here." This will take your mind off your animal stress response—fast breathing, cold hands—and into a rational response. The mind is the part of you that can actually cope with stress. The result? You calm down.
Count to ten. Simply not reacting immediately to a problem can help avoid stress." What this pause gives you is a sense of control. Being in control means being less stressed than if you were out of control. Make it a habit to quickly relax during this pause.
Take a break. If you look through the window into the distance for a minute - away from the problem that is causing stress, your eyes relax, and if your eyes relax, then you also tend to relax.
Take a few deep breaths. Belly breathing is an old and useful trick for calming anxiety and nervousness. "The main idea is to act calmly, to be calm. When you are stressed, your heart rate increases and you begin to breathe very quickly. Forcing yourself to breathe slowly is to convince the body that the stress is passing, whether it has passed or not You need to breathe with your stomach, feeling how it protrudes when you inhale and falls when you exhale.
Scream or cry. Screaming or crying can provide release from the emotions that cause stress.
Stretch. In essence, everything we feel has a physical expression. Many of us respond to stress with muscle tension. Ideally, we would like to address the cause of stress, but stretching muscles at least reduces the sensation of stress - the muscles relax and we feel less tense. And despite the fact that we often cannot do anything about the cause of stress, this is very important.
Massage the target muscles. Most of us have special muscles that harden under stress. These are usually the muscles at the back of the neck and upper back; massage them for a couple of minutes every time you feel tension.
Press down on your temples. By massaging the nerves in your temples, you relax certain muscles, mainly in the neck.
Open your mouth and rotate your jaw from left to right. People under stress usually clench their teeth. Open your mouth and rotate your lower jaw to relax these muscles, and if they relax, the feeling of tension will decrease.
Relax completely. A simple technique called progressive relaxation can cause an immediate and dramatic reduction in feelings of stress by reducing physical tension.
Starting at the top of your head or the tips of your toes, tense one muscle group in your body at a time, hold for a few seconds, then let it relax. Work in this manner consistently with all the main parts of the body - legs, chest and arms, head, neck - and then enjoy the feeling of relief that it gives.
Take a hot bath. Hot water relieves stress. When we are tense and restless, blood flow to the extremities decreases. Hot water restores circulation, letting the body know that it is safe and that it would be good to relax. Cold water has the opposite effect, drawing blood away from the extremities. Result: tension increases.
You can hold your hands under a stream of hot water running from a tap until you feel the tension go away.
Move around. Regular exercise certainly increases stamina, which will help anyone fight stress. But just a walk can help you relieve some of the stress after a difficult business meeting or family squabble.
Listen to a soothing tape recording. Relaxation is the opposite of tension, an antidote to stress. Tune in to the music. Relaxation tapes help, but they are not the only remedy.

Start relaxation:

The main conclusion can be formulated as follows. Stress is an inevitability that you need to be aware of and always remember. At the same time, stress can be anticipated, you can prepare for its arrival and try to cope with it effectively.

List of used literature:

V. Weber. "Important steps towards helping dialogue. A training program based on practical experience" / Under the general editorship of V. Kagan and E. Kreslavsky. – St. Petersburg, 1998.
"Telephone Counseling Guide." M, 1994.
“The stress of life” (collection) / (O. Gregor. “How to resist stress.” G. Selye. “Stress without illness”). St. Petersburg, 1994.
"Psychotherapeutic Encyclopedia". St. Petersburg, 1998.
J. O'Connor and J. Seymore. “Introduction to Neuro-Linguistic Programming (The Newest Psychology of Personal Mastery).”

Below I list some of the most typical and common consequences of psychological trauma.

The traumatic experience never leaves my mind. Restless thoughts and images haunt a person. For example, after an accident, a person complains that every time he closes his eyes, the moment of impact appears before him. It happens that a traumatic experience reminds itself of itself in a veiled form, when a person dreams of the same nightmare dream, which symbolically reflects the traumatic experience.
The person is afraid that the traumatic experience may repeat itself. This can be either conscious or unconscious fear. For example, the same person after an accident may be afraid to drive again - this is an example of conscious fear. Or, for example, a person experiences severe anxiety in crowded places, but he cannot consciously associate this anxiety with a traumatic experience. It happens that memories of a traumatic experience are blocked in the depths of memory, and a person does not have conscious access to it and only deals with its consequences. This is how specific phobias arise. For example, a person may be terrified of dogs, but he cannot remember a single traumatic incident involving them.
Feelings of helplessness, powerlessness, pessimism, and exaggerated expectations of a negative outcome in any situation are also characteristic consequences of trauma.
Loss of emotionality (emotional frozenness), inability to experience positive emotions, inability to enjoy life - usually this condition indicates chronic trauma, or developmental trauma.
Loss of physical sensations of the body, numbness, stupor or freezing in stressful situations, observation of the body from the outside, derealization, depersonalization - these are, as a rule, the consequences of shock trauma, trauma that is caused by a threat to life and is accompanied by severe fear.
Pronounced suspiciousness, sensitivity, vulnerability in character, high fatigue, low resistance to stress are also common consequences of trauma, often chronic.
And it is also a very important feature of injury. The effects of trauma do not go away with time; time does not heal trauma. If the pain from the loss of a loved one that occurred 15 years ago feels as if it happened yesterday, this is a sure sign of trauma.

The most important thing to know about trauma is that it can be overcome. It doesn't go away on its own. But if you work on it, you can completely restore your mental health and live life to the fullest again.

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I I work very hard with consequences of psychological trauma

Adaptation of drivers after an accident

and in the ‘password’ field - the code word received

from the administrator of the training center of the Central

driving schools and click ‘Login’.

and the password will be sent to you by email.

The problem of psychological rehabilitation of drivers after an accident stands apart from other issues related to road traffic. A person has an accident and after that he feels bad either psychologically or physically, or maybe in both senses. What should he do, what should he do so that every time he gets behind the wheel, his nerves don’t burst from tension? We are all different. Someone can be turned on by any trifle, a sidelong glance, a seemingly harsh word, not to mention a real emergency, which can include a traffic accident. And someone will look at this problem philosophically. Of course, we all guess about the existence of post-accident syndrome. But we are not one hundred percent sure of this.

Distraction;
Underestimation of danger;
Fearfulness and dangerous habits;
Errors in the forecast.

Based on this short but clear list, a good instructor builds his work on driver rehabilitation after an accident. Trying to understand from a conversation with the driver what reasons led to the accident, the instructor teaches and, one might even say, educates the driver. When, after a comprehensive analysis of a specific incident, the driver clearly understands the entire set of causes and consequences, then a conscious decision to work on himself, taking into account new, albeit sad, experience, allows him to quickly achieve psychological balance and return to driving again at a completely different level. Probably, the ideal in this regard can be considered a wise and socially adequate driver.

Director of the Central Driving School "Safety",

Chairman of the Board of the NP "Guild of Driving Schools"

The Central Driving School of Moscow was awarded in Skolkovo for its active work in the field of safety

Certificate of honor from the NP "Guild of Driving Schools" of Russia

Well-deserved award from the Federation of Motorists of Russia

The training centers of the educational holding "Central Driving School of Moscow" are the key to high-quality and safe driving training!

If the cost of training in a Moscow driving school is below 19 thousand rubles, it is possible that this driving school does not have a traffic police certificate, works according to old programs, does not fully provide training, and you may have difficulties passing the traffic police exams.

Psychology lesson "Life after an accident!"

Psychology lesson for middle and high school students.

Purpose: to acquaint students with the causes of road accidents (traffic accidents); give a psychological description of the post-traumatic state and introduce the basic ways of dealing with stress.

There are several criteria for assessing the presence of trauma: denial of what happened, suppression of vital activity, disorganization of activities, pronounced fear, anxiety, crying, blame. Gradually, emotions are replaced by a reaction of self-criticism, a painful awareness of the inevitability of what happened and self-flagellation. This condition is sometimes called the “Black Hole” and is a heavy burden that a person carries in his heart and thoughts.

If you or your loved ones are in a stressful situation, first of all, go to a medical facility for examination.
And most importantly! Be attentive and sensitive. If trouble happens to your loved one, be there and support him in difficult times.
You can evaluate what the person was like before the incident and what he is like now. Don't ignore the changes that are happening. For a person in a stressful state, it is very difficult to be critical of his condition. Your care and attention will help you resort to professional help in time. After all, the sooner help is provided, the less time it will take for psychological rehabilitation.

1st STUDENT: Traffic police statistics say that the main causes of accidents on the roads are:

1. Violation of traffic rules. This is understandable: no one gives way to anyone in our country, does not stand in front of signs when there is no policeman nearby, but, on the contrary, passes as quickly as possible, interprets the yellow color of the traffic light as almost green, etc.

With such road discipline, how can you protect yourself from accidents?
And what original advice can we give to drivers?

- I advise you not to violate it. At least, at least when you are not traveling alone. The son is not responsible for his father’s recklessness. Just like a daughter, wife, relatives or just acquaintances. Even the hard-hearted Generalissimo formally agreed with this. Don't take sin on your soul.

And what Russian doesn’t like driving fast? Only those who personally own a 1960 Moskvich.

– How can you fight this? Exhortations? Appeals? Will not help.

- Really? That’s why our western neighbors drive strictly at the speed limit, even on a sterile empty highway. Because they don’t know at which roadside pole that automatic informer is hiding.

There MAY be examples of children:

Among other ways to curb the driver's speed, at least inside city blocks, our authorities could borrow roads with artificially constructed slides on which you cannot accelerate faster than 60 km/h, "Christmas trees" painted on the asphalt, which make drivers see rippling, cardboard mannequins, however, very similar to the originals, and similar Western inventions.
For residents of houses who are concerned about cars speeding in the area where their children are crossing the road, I would recommend not to shout bad words at passing cars, but to write a collective “cart” to the district traffic police with a request to install restrictive signs in this place. Or even a traffic light. And write down a couple of license plates of cars that these signs ignore.
I would advise the wives of reckless drivers sitting in the passenger seat to limit their sporting fervor. So as not to expose yourself and, first of all, your children to blows. Because if both husband and wife die at the same time, the children will go to live in an orphanage!
I have nothing to say to reckless drivers. Except for one thing: it’s better to drive slowly than to lie motionless in a coffin. Or “soar on a bunk” by hitting a pedestrian.

3. The next cause of an accident is driving while intoxicated. No comments here. Our people have not learned to fight this evil. This is not a car problem.

4. Bad roads. No comments here either. We will not get rid of bad roads until we resolve the second, purely Russian problem. I'm talking about those who allocate funds for repairs and maintenance of these roads.

5. Machine malfunctions. In detail, most accidents occur due to faulty brakes, followed by steering, and the third leaders are wheels and tires. Whether or not to release a faulty car on the road depends on the technical commissions of the traffic police, on the car owner himself and on his close relatives. It is up to them to decide this question depending on how dear they are to their lives and the lives of others.

6. Other causes of accidents, such as collisions with animals, lightning, meteorites and spent rocket stages hitting the car, are extremely unlikely and are not reflected in the official statistics of the State Traffic Inspectorate.

That is, it follows from this that the most dangerous phenomenon on the road is the person behind the wheel.

2nd STUDENT: Forewarned is forearmed. If I had known where to fall, I would have laid out straws.

3rd STUDENT: In traumatic stress, there are three groups of manifestations of psychological trauma. This:

Repeated experiences. The past does not let go, images of the accident relentlessly return, constant thoughts about “what happened.” Recurring nightmares. These “unbidden” memories can last from a few seconds or minutes to several hours.
Avoidance. A person tries to avoid thoughts and memories of what he has experienced, tries not to get into situations that could remind or evoke these memories. He stubbornly avoids thinking and talking about the accident. Alienation from friends and relatives grows - “they don’t understand me.” Depression occurs. The person begins to feel worthless and rejected. He develops self-doubt. Despair, lack of meaning in life, apathy - this is what a person experiences. A feeling of guilt often appears, “I am to blame for what I didn’t do: I didn’t save, I didn’t help, I didn’t predict.” Aggression often increases, often directed at oneself.
Increased activity. It manifests itself in difficulties falling asleep, increased irritability, and explosive reactions. Unreasonable and increased control over what is happening around. The feelings experienced in such situations (anxiety, helplessness, shame, sadness, anger) negatively affect a person, making him vulnerable.

Basic ways to deal with stress

There are several ways in which you can significantly influence your state of mind for the better:

Remember the good things.
Give your brain a rest. "Giving your head a little rest is a very good way to eliminate or cope with stress," says Dr. Ronald Nathan. "Imagine yourself lying on the warm sand of the beach, the cool wind blowing from the ocean, the waves gently lapping against the shore. It's amazing how relaxing this can be."
Self-hypnosis. "You should have a list of sentences ready that you can repeat when you feel overwhelmed. They don’t have to be complicated. Simply repeating to yourself: “I can handle this” or “I know more about this than anyone else” will help. here." This will take your mind off your animal stress response—fast breathing, cold hands—and into a rational response. The mind is the part of you that can actually cope with stress. The result? You calm down.
Count to ten. Simply not reacting immediately to a problem can help avoid stress." What this pause gives you is a sense of control. Being in control means being less stressed than if you were out of control. Make it a habit to quickly relax during this pause.
Take a break. If you look through the window into the distance for a minute - away from the problem that is causing stress, your eyes relax, and if your eyes relax, then you also tend to relax.
Take a few deep breaths. Belly breathing is an old and useful trick for calming anxiety and nervousness. "The main idea is to act calmly, to be calm. When you are stressed, your heart rate increases and you begin to breathe very quickly. Forcing yourself to breathe slowly is to convince the body that the stress is passing, whether it has passed or not You need to breathe with your stomach, feeling how it protrudes when you inhale and falls when you exhale.
Scream or cry. Screaming or crying can provide release from the emotions that cause stress.
Stretch. In essence, everything we feel has a physical expression. Many of us respond to stress with muscle tension. Ideally, we would like to address the cause of stress, but stretching muscles at least reduces the sensation of stress - the muscles relax and we feel less tense. And despite the fact that we often cannot do anything about the cause of stress, this is very important.
Massage the target muscles. Most of us have special muscles that harden under stress. These are usually the muscles at the back of the neck and upper back; massage them for a couple of minutes every time you feel tension.
Press down on your temples. By massaging the nerves in your temples, you relax certain muscles, mainly in the neck.
Open your mouth and rotate your jaw from left to right. People under stress usually clench their teeth. Open your mouth and rotate your lower jaw to relax these muscles, and if they relax, the feeling of tension will decrease.
Relax completely. A simple technique called progressive relaxation can cause an immediate and dramatic reduction in feelings of stress by reducing physical tension.
Starting at the top of your head or the tips of your toes, tense one muscle group in your body at a time, hold for a few seconds, then let it relax. Work in this manner consistently with all the main parts of the body - legs, chest and arms, head, neck - and then enjoy the feeling of relief that it gives.
Take a hot bath. Hot water relieves stress. When we are tense and restless, blood flow to the extremities decreases. Hot water restores circulation, letting the body know that it is safe and that it would be good to relax. Cold water has the opposite effect, drawing blood away from the extremities. Result: tension increases.
You can hold your hands under a stream of hot water running from a tap until you feel the tension go away.
Move around. Regular exercise certainly increases stamina, which will help anyone fight stress. But just a walk can help you relieve some of the stress after a difficult business meeting or family squabble.
Listen to a soothing tape recording. Relaxation is the opposite of tension, an antidote to stress. Tune in to the music. Relaxation tapes help, but they are not the only remedy.

List of used literature:

V. Weber. "Important steps towards helping dialogue. A training program based on practical experience" / Under the general editorship of V. Kagan and E. Kreslavsky. – St. Petersburg, 1998.
"Telephone Counseling Guide." M, 1994.
“The stress of life” (collection) / (O. Gregor. “How to resist stress.” G. Selye. “Stress without illness”). St. Petersburg, 1994.
"Psychotherapeutic Encyclopedia". St. Petersburg, 1998.
J. O'Connor and J. Seymour. “Introduction to Neuro-Linguistic Programming (The Newest Psychology of Personal Mastery).”

An accident can lead to psychological problems or even the development of serious mental disorders.

It is known that all victims of road accidents, with or without mechanical damage, experience symptoms of an acute reaction to stress. Those who refuse hospitalization, as a rule, “disappear” from the sight of doctors and psychologists, but for many of them, stress turns into a chronic form, which can “result” in long-term maladjustment, neurotic, neurosis-like reactions, severe depression up to suicidal attempts and even reactive psychoses.

The severity of the consequences depends on many factors: age, gender, level of initial social adaptation, individual personality characteristics; additional factors at the time of the disaster (loneliness, having children or sick relatives in their care, one’s own helplessness: pregnancy, illness, etc.).

The relationship between various post-stress disorders

during a critical incident and immediately after it – up to 2 days

Acute stress disorder

within 1 month after a critical incident – from 2 days to 4 weeks

Post-traumatic stress disorder

one month after the critical incident – more than 4 weeks

Post-traumatic personality disorder

throughout the subsequent life of the person who has experienced the trauma

Acute stress disorder develops within four weeks of the traumatic event and lasts for a minimum of two days and a maximum of four weeks. If symptoms persist longer, the outcome will be post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

PTSD is a specific, time-delayed form of mental disorder caused by single or repeated exposure to stress factors that go beyond the life experience of the individual, subjectively perceived as unusual and causing strong emotional reactions.

PTSD occurs when there are 2 factors:

a person has experienced or witnessed an event involving death or serious injury - a threat to the physical integrity of oneself or others;
the event was accompanied by an intense experience of fear, helplessness, and horror.

The main signs of PTSD are:

psychogenic amnesia, i.e. inability to remember important aspects of the injury;
sleep disorders (difficulty falling asleep);
irritability or angry outbursts;
difficulty concentrating;
intrusive memories;
repeated experiences of grief when exposed to situations associated with a stressor;
the desire to avoid situations that resemble a stressor;
increased level of alertness, hypervigilance, constant anticipation of a threat;
hypertrophied fear reaction;
a feeling of lack of prospects for the future;
feeling detached, or distant from other people.

The outcome of traumatic stress and whether PTSD will develop depends not only on the physiological state of the person preceding the accident, but also on psychological factors (cognitive assessment of the accident situation, negative expectations and prediction of the consequences of the accident, the presence of psychological mechanisms for successfully coping with stress), social factors (degree of material damage, culpability and responsibility in an accident, emotional support from the immediate environment), and also, of course, whether the person was provided with professional psychological and psychotherapeutic assistance.

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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 the emotional experiences of an 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, the 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 danger of a vehicle collision is not to 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!

Get back behind the wheel as soon as possible and replay the accident in your head, as if on tape.

Road transport accounts for the lion's share of accidents - up to 80%, according to world statistics. It is customary for drivers to discuss the complexity of repairs, damage and legal aspects (who is to blame, how to behave in court) of the accident. And at the same time they forget about psychological trauma. But in vain. After all, even a minor accident can significantly affect the driver - after an accident, many are panicked not only about getting behind the wheel, but even about riding as a passenger. In addition, such trauma can lead to problems in family life and work.

“Today,” with the help of specialists from the Korda Profi emergency training center and the Imago center for practical psychology, found out how to survive stress with minimal losses.

In the literature on psychiatry, the phrase “Afghan syndrome” is often used (it first appeared after an examination of veterans of the war in Afghanistan). It means a constant feeling of threat to life, fear of death, pain, excessive suspicion, obsessions. The medical name is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite the fact that drivers involved in road accidents, in the vast majority of cases, have never been to war, very often they experience syndromes characteristic of war. “A year has passed since the accident, and when I get behind the wheel, I feel danger in my back and neck, even when the road is empty. I really feel like I’m about to get into an accident again,” driver Alexey M. from Kyiv shares his problem.

This kind of disorder, if you do not seek help from a psychologist, can lead to serious problems. Thus, psychotherapist Tatyana Nazarenko spoke about a patient who got to the point where he became afraid to get on public transport at all. At the same time, he became irritable and aggressive, which led to problems in the family. Another patient became overly superstitious and ruined relationships with loved ones - it seemed to him that envious people had jinxed him.

“They often try to treat stress with vodka or pills. Literally within a year of such “therapy” addiction and health problems will be added to PTRS,” says the expert.

Firstly, in no case should you blame yourself for a long time for the accident - you acted according to the knowledge and skills that you had at that time. Secondly, you need to realize that fear is a natural reaction of the body caused by the instinct of self-preservation. And if a person has already been in an accident, when the threat to his life and/or health (including mental health) was palpable, then the body seems to be trying to prevent it from happening again. And the driver is faced with the task of convincing himself that if the emergency situation repeats, you will be able to get out of it. To do this, you need to replay it in your head several times (looking at the situation from the outside as if you were watching a video), and then discuss it with an experienced driver or an instructor at one of the driver training centers. This will allow you to understand what car driving skills you lacked, study them in a closed area (where there is nothing to be afraid of) and practice them until they become automatic - so that when danger arises, a conditioned reflex will work.

Novice drivers (especially women) who are involved in an accident are very often instilled with complexes by their loved ones without realizing it - they say offensive words or demotivate with phrases like “I told you so”, “it’s too early for you”, “not yours” and the like (in including the use of profanity). This kind of information processing, even with the best intentions, can plunge a person into depression. In addition, it is dangerous if the driver nevertheless dares to get behind the wheel; the spoken phrases can set up a new accident. Therefore, it is better to immediately agree with relatives and friends not to discuss this topic. And if one of your loved ones has been in an accident, provide him with maximum psychological support. After all, according to the experts we interviewed, the sooner a person starts driving again after an accident, the easier it is for him to get rid of the fear of getting into an accident again.

HOW TO BEHALF AFTER AN ACCIDENT: 5 TIPS

1. Rest. Even if the accident is minor (minor scratches), it is better not to plan trips that day, but to take a break. Even in the event of a minor accident, a person releases adrenaline and the body must be given time to return to normal.

2. Attitude. Whatever is done is for the better. Perhaps your guardian angel allowed you to get into a small accident so that you would not get into a major accident on the same day. In addition, experience is always learned through trial and error.

3. A look from the outside. Analyze the accident, but imagine that it is not you, but someone else who is driving.

4. Help from specialists. If stress does not go away on its own, only a psychologist can help. And additional knowledge and correct driving skills can only be consolidated with the help of a professional instructor. A neighbor advisor can only make the situation worse.

5. Deadlines. Within a few days after the accident, it is advisable to get behind the wheel again. Let it even be an instructor's car. Otherwise, skills will quickly be lost, which will worsen fear.

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Psychological trauma after an accident

Quite recently there was an incident. After a working day in the evening, a young pregnant woman (teacher) ran 300 km away to get some documents, with the idea of returning back the same day. After 50 km of travel, I flew into an oncoming truck (I didn’t see it in time), because... I was in a hurry. As a result, the child was thrown out during the collision. Two corpses. If I'm not mistaken, the car is a Lexus. Its 5 stars. security didn't help.

Bottom line: our carelessness, confidence and brainlessness accelerates our earthly path. Who is to blame for this? God?!

The most important thing is to understand that the car is, albeit expensive, but iron. Which saved you from injury, damage and other sad consequences. All procedures with insurance, traffic police, etc. - forget.

I advise you to score. No cars, but there are plenty of opportunities. Take a walk with old friends. Go on foot to the park and feed the squirrels/swans. Finally start running in the morning. Just get up earlier, go outside and see the stars. Don't be upset about the car - you are safe, that's the most important thing. And the car is being repaired.

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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.

Alexei:“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.

Maksim:“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: “Oh 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, Sergei, 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 up, 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 worried 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.

Maksim:“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 simpler for happiness, without such complex schemes?

Alexey called his friends in Spassk-Dalniy, 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 internal organs. All the bones turned out to be intact, the tests were normal - he escaped with a concussion, bruises and sprains.

Alexei:“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, 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.”

(Traffic psychology, applied practices of psychological self-help after accidents)

Valery Egorov doctor, psychologist, your Doctor of Feelings, a general practitioner who combines psychotherapeutic & eso-vision of problems with medical.

___________________________________________________________________

Emergency incidents (ES): man-made disasters, floods, accidents large and small... in our difficult times, alas, they have become a real, constant topic of news.

Therefore, interest in the psychology of extreme situations, accidents... in the modern world is steadily growing, both among politicians, sociologists, philosophers, and among practical psychologists.

Road traffic accident (RTA) has long been at the top of the list of causes of death among young people in the world. According to the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, 200 thousand road accidents occur annually in Russia, in which 27 thousand people die and 250 thousand are injured.

Interesting facts from Wikipedia:

“In the United States, despite the prevalence of firearms and the very low mortality rate in road accidents, the likelihood of dying in a car accident is twenty times greater than the chance of being shot.
R. Nurgaliev, Army General and Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, said on September 23, 2009 that “as practice shows, more than 80 percent of all road accidents occur through the fault of the drivers themselves, as a result of which the “human factor” is considered as a key area”

World Health Organization(WHO) having studied the situation with road accidents in various countries of the world, came to a statement of fact: injuries and deaths on the roads have already has become a global epidemic.

Accidents are terrifying not only for their immediate destructive consequences, but also for the long-term effect they have on the psychophysical state of the injured, his acquaintances, both close and distant, his relatives... and on the entire human society.

Traumatic psychological infection experiences are like a special type of psychological flu that is transmitted from person to person even without direct personal contact. Means of electronic, paper communication, all means of mass media are a favorable environment for this infection and the development of this psycho-epidemic.

Many car accident victims have difficulty managing their thoughts, feelings, moods, and behaviors after a collision. And today, more than ever, the development of such areas of psychological assistance as transport psychology, or as it is designated in the West " TrafficPsychology"

"Traffic Psychology" aims to shed light on some of our natural behavioral tendencies during and after road accidents. It touches on the relationship between behavior in accidents, deals with helping to get rid of negative symptoms and scenarios after suffering psychological trauma in accidents, and this includes diagnosing the mental states of a person who is experiencing or has experienced psychological trauma in an accident, and this includes practical psychological correction, counseling and psychotherapy.

A little about the physiology of stress:

All living things experience some form of physical and psychological stress. Stress is vital to our development and evolution. Stressful experiences on the body during exercise give our body strength. By stressing the consciousness in the process of training the mind, our brain becomes sharper in perception and intuitive constructive response... And we become wiser, becoming psychologically and physically more stable. Normally, when we finish sports or mental exercise, the “normal stress” ends and we relax.

So why is stress considered “bad”?Not certainly in that way. Stress is harmful in situations where the natural desire to curl up, shut down, run away, or resist the aggressive action of the environment causes transcendental states excitement or inhibition, it is these conditions that give rise to anxiety, fears, phobias, and panic attacks.

For most, these symptoms are short-lived. They may last for several days or even weeks, but their intensity gradually decreases and finally disappears completely. — This can be described with full responsibility as: “a normal reaction to abnormal events.”

But if you have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the painful symptoms do not decrease. Day by day... they increase: You may begin to feel worse and worse every day.

What is the difference between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and normal trauma response:

After a traumatic event, almost all of us experience some of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. When a person’s feelings of security and trust are in a state of disarray, it is, in general, even normal to feel a little crazy, disconnected, numb... And we see nightmares, a seemingly unmotivated feeling of fear arises about familiar events and actions. It is very difficult or even impossible for us to stop thinking about what happened. There is a fear of getting behind the wheel or even into a vehicle.

A normal reaction to trauma becomes PTSD, when you are stuck in the above.

After any traumatic experience, our mind and body are in shock. How is PTSD different from normal trauma experience? — Days go by, but the intensity of the experiences does not decrease, the experiences “freeze” or increase.

Signs and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Although each person is an individual, we all have a lot in common in our experiences: There are three main types of symptoms PTSD:

Re-experiencing a traumatic event
Obsessive thoughts about how to get rid of these experiences, how to forget everything that reminds you of the trauma
A state of increased anxiety, emotional arousal, or insensibility, in the style of Varvara the Beauty - a long braid: “whether it’s will or not… it’s all the same”

What are the symptoms of PTSD after a car accident?

After any traumatic experience, a person may periodically experience nightmares, intrusive memories, a desire not to talk about the traumatic event, and also a desire to avoid situations, places, people... that remind of this traumatic event. If the event that occurred directly threatened life in a traffic accident, a person can avoid driving and any travel, even if he was just a passenger in a car, or was at the scene where the accident occurred and was shocked by it.

My name is Andrey, I am 20 years old, I was in a car accident with my friend. We were hit by a car driven by a woman, we were at a pedestrian crossing, and it was not our fault. My friend was almost unharmed, but I had a concussion, I was in neurosurgery for three weeks, but after the woman hit us, her car hit a pole and she died. I feel very bad, I can’t drive, tell me, is this normal? My parents don’t understand why I can’t get behind the wheel, I can’t drive, although I’ve been able to do it since I was 16, they try to help me somehow and this upsets me even more. How can I overcome my stupid fear and improve my life?

Good hour, Andrey! As paradoxical as it may sound, your state of reaction to an accident is “normal.” And your fear is not stupid, today you learned from your bitter living experience that life is quite fragile and if before this incident the danger of driving and walking on the road was a kind of abstraction for you, now you feel from your own experience how we do, people are all dependent on each other. This means that compliance with traffic rules and living rules is the key to our common safety, both those who drive and those who walk.

You have temporarily lost your natural ability to turn off the awareness of danger, which a person must do every time he travels in a car, train, plane... because this is movement, and many other things we are not always able to control we simply trust ourselves, our lives, to the car, our ability to drive or the driver, pilot, train driver...

One more aspect: It’s quite likely that you are also experiencing an irrational sense of guilt as a survivor in front of that woman’s loved ones. Yes, she was to blame for the accident, but you still may feel some injustice from the fact that you and your friend survived, but she did not.

How to be, how to live, how to improve? Step-by-step algorithm:

To access this important material, click the button and a block with an effective algorithm will open:

1. The first thing you need to do for yourself is give yourself time. If the incident happened a couple of weeks ago, then you should give yourself a temporary break to recover and simply banish yourself from driving altogether for two weeks.

2. The next step: start accustoming yourself to the driver's seat. Is your car parked or in a garage? And you just get behind the wheel and stay there for a while. Don't start the engine! At the same time, do not hold your breath, but try to breathe in a meditative rhythm: inhale and exhale, feeling how the air passes into the nostrils and how cool it is... exhaling, feel that it is already warm. Stay with these sensations. It may be necessary to do this approach to the driver's seat several times before you feel comfortable.

3 . The third step is to start the engine. If you panic and want to run far away from all this, then do not rush with the starter, perhaps today is not the day when the time to start the engine has come. But still, sit in the driver’s seat and breathe again in a meditative rhythm; it will be nice and quite psychologically therapeutic to turn on your favorite melody and breathe to its sounds. As soon as the panic attacks stop bothering you, start the engine!

4. Time passes today It's your time to get moving. Don’t rush to your favorite store or country house just yet. Limit yourself to moving up and down, back and forth... along the road closest to the parking lot and the road you know.

5. As soon as you feel that you are no longer uncomfortable driving, drive onto a busier road.

Complete each stage slowly, without fuss and violence against yourself, without scolding yourself, your fear, without calling your fear stupid. In time everything will be great, with one IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE: You will be a much more alert and careful driver.

Can’t go through this experience on your own, and panic attacks in the car continue after two weeks of approaches? – Then consult a psychologist, dealing with psychological trauma and anxiety disorders. You will be provided with the help and support you need for your condition and will select an individual program based on your immediate needs and condition.

The depth, duration and severity of the experience that occurred in In most cases, it is due to the fact that we temporarily lose the opportunity to step into our tomorrow. The longer in time and debilitating intensity this period of experience is, the more difficult it will be to live after... And, on the contrary, a person who has just experienced even a very strong shock, but knows exactly what he will do next: tomorrow, the day after tomorrow... - the easier it is for him copes with the problem. The reflection of the rising of even one ray of the sun of the future means your imminent liberation from painful experiences.

On P.S. From my lyrics on a medical topic:

Intro: Poetic experience of anesthesiologist-resuscitator, practical psychologist Valery Egorov on the topic of accidents:

A nasty, black Mercedes.

Today... night... is my punishment...
The evil spirits of black forces have broken through,
A car flying... To the slaughter
The boy... pleased him...
The child is only fifteen years old...
Mother has one... we love...
But the Merc is already turning its gears,
There are “gaskets” in it: “We’re flying...
Let's go guys, give me some beer...
- Grab girls by the nipples...
Eh, let's go for a ride... It's beautiful...
- Everything’s….ugh… great, guys...”

Broken country... Russia...
There are no laws in it, since there is money...
We pull souls like rubber...
But is there something still wrong with us?!

It flies, it flies... the filthy Mercer,
But the Merc is just a steering wheel...
Drove across the chest... aggressor,
And he ran away into the night... 6...9...zero...
I have to mend someone’s grief again...
A needle under the heart... life is blood...
I've been at odds with death for two hours,
But I lost today... again...

The gloves are thrown at our feet...
There is longing in the eyes... There is pain in the heart...
And in the corridor... mom walks...
- Oh my God…
Again…
fire me...

But no... away from weakness... You need to go out...
Help me say goodbye...
Grieve...
She: “He’s still knocking here...
It’s warm... Grief..." - the mother moans...

Now it's time to heal my souls...
If it was not possible to sew the body...
Yes, it happened... At night... in the cold
COLD SPRING... couldn't sleep...
…
What can I say... I wish I could howl in the morning...
To fall on the chest of your beloved... But...
And here I feel cold... Frozen... fierce...
The hail is knocking on my window...
I’m writing... stringing together lines,
There is a hungry wolf in my soul...
Love is my lonely choice...
I'll go... sleep...
fell…
fell silent... 2005 Sochi. © Valery Egorov. ____

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School of Feelings by Dr. Valery Egorov- this is the Psychology of COMFORT, “Psychology on the Sofa.” What do you need for your communication with a psychologist? - computer, laptop... a quiet place for thinking and talking about important, exciting, worrying things...

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Intimately about the secret...

With best wishes to you, Doctor of Feelings Valery Egorov - your personal consultant on the most intimate, doctor of the highest category, psychologist, trainer, group leader.

Straightening the distortions of fate, characters, relationships, returning feelings. Help in solving sensory, bodily, emotional problems.
Psychological assistance, support, individual online programs, trainings. Our communication takes place via correspondence (e-mail) and/or Skype chat.

Specialization:
Difficulties in relationships between women and men.
Psychological correction of body weight (determination of etiological factors of body problems (causal and pathogenetic approach) author's method of losing weight.
Self-doubt, self-esteem
Searches for the meaning of life, searches for a partner and other searches
Friendship, love, relationships, the dark sides of love (jealousy, how to get rid of rivals, experiencing separation, help in returning feelings and lovers)
Psychosomatics, burnout syndrome, emotional fatigue.

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? Vladimir Sergeev, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Head of the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Medical Psychology at the Ural State Medical Academy of Continuing Education of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation, agreed to advise on this issue.

— 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 process of driving itself stresses him out...

This requires treatment with medications, 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 high speed to take a risky overtake. He made slight contact with the car he was overtaking, was “struck”, spun around, and then carried into the 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 there might be ice covered with snow on the road, 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 had deliberately violated traffic rules, and it began 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 to drive somewhere in a vacant lot to fully 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, what’s most unpleasant, 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 terrified 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

Psychology lesson "Life after an accident!" How to get out of stress after an accident