How are you holding up? As we all face these uncertain times, I have found it extremely difficult to focus and my anxiety has been in constant overdrive. I will start off by saying that we need to remember that we all process things differently. As a survivor of a horrific motor vehicle crash, I am constantly trying to process what is going on in our world and feel like I am in a bad dream which coincidentally is quite similar to how I felt after I survived my crash.
As I was recovering, there were numerous days that lead into months that I would find myself thinking that it was all just a bad dream. Struggling financially, physically, psychologically and emotionally had instantly become my new way of life. Today, the entire world has joined many crash survivors to face these same unsettling times. We too have been faced with tremendous financial hardships and many of us have been struggling for quite some time. Many of us have been waiting anxiously for our legal battles to come to an end and mediations to take place. Many of us have had all of our medical treatments halted. Many of us have had our surgeries post-phoned. Many of us have already lost our jobs and are not sure how we will get our essentials. Many of us had to wait months if not years to see any form of compensation while we were not able to work. Full stop – we understand. You too, will become warriors.
We Are Living in Real Time
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog entitled “It’s Time To Talk About Coronavirus” where I explain how important it is to de-plug. We need to remember that we are now living in real time and obtaining so many updates and information can be extremely overwhelming and at times, very hard to process. Most recently I had to leave a group that I follow on social media as people were becoming just too toxic and even though I understand that anxiety levels are running high, I noticed that no matter what you say to someone on social media, the majority of people instantly take offence. On that note, I now allow myself to de-plug for hours at a time whether by limiting my time on social media or by simply watching Netflix or a movie as I had no choice. Triggers from past trauma I endured from my motor vehicle crash have been coming at me in full force for numerous days as I am so worried that people are not taking this seriously. I have huge concerns that people are not social distancing themselves and I am petrified that I will lose someone close to me due to this pandemic. I am shocked that on numerous occasions I have seen people making light of the situation at hand and I have to constantly remind myself that everyone processes things differently.
We all need to be reminded that we are not only vulnerable to the possibility of contracting this virus but we are also in a very fragile state. We need to do our best to keep our anxiety levels down as we do not want any unnecessary and unexpected medical issues. Staying home is critical for everyone right now and it can be done with patience and determination. Trust me, if crash survivors can do it …. so can you!
We Need To Stay Postive
As a creator of an Online Support Group for crash survivors, I decided that instead of reaching out to the members to discuss the uncertainly of these troubling times we are facing, I chose to reach out to them by posting humour and inspiration. It was a hard decision to make but it was the right decision. We are already facing so much turmoil in our lives as well as post-traumatic disorder and at this time, we need all the inspiration we can possibly get. “The less triggers the better is what I say”….
If you are doing your part and staying home, thank you! Reach out to friends and family and ask them “How are you holding up?”
If you are at home right now in self-isolation or quarantine and need essentials, reach out to a family member, friend or neighbour and ask for help. Please do not attempt to go out! Personally, I am on Day 10 of self-isolation since we arrived back from being out of the country and our community has been wonderful. Neighbours have stepped up as well as volunteers who offered to pick up groceries for us and dropped it on our doorstep. Thank you!
As we navigate a challenging time filled with uncertainty, it’s important to keep a healthy perspective. Uncertainty, fear and anxiety will be present but we can temper them with kindness, compassion, hope and positivity. Take care of yourself and lets take care of each other. Please remain healthy, safe and stay home.
How are you holding up? We would love to hear from you.
S. Dawne McKay is a survivor of a horrific crash that changed her life forever. Dawne shares her personal journey as a Crash Survivor Blogger and also collaborates with crash survivors as Guest Bloggers allowing them an opportunity to share their stories. Dawne is also the author of the book, “Talk Crash to Me – What to Expect After Surviving a Collision and How to Manage Your Recovery” which is available for purchase on Amazon.
