Injury & Disability

• The Emotional Journey
• Rehabilitation Hospitals (in Michigan)
• Support Resources
• Support Organizations & Information
• Injuries Information
• Organizations for People with Disabilities
• Workplace Information
• Social Security Disability

The Emotional Journey

The emotional path is similar to the stages of grieving experienced with any loss. Common stages of are as follows:

• Outcry
• Denial
• Intrusiveness
• Working through
• Completion.

Outcry

Initially, there may be a state of shock or emotional outburst. This could last for days or weeks.

Denial

A person may deny how the injury occurred. They could also deny the severity of injury. It’s common to deny what the future holds. For example, are there going to be possible surgeries? What about temporary or permanent disabilities? An overall concern can be what to expect for their future quality of life.

Intrusiveness

Eventually, denial is no longer possible. At that point one may move into the intrusiveness phase.

This phase begins to deal with the permanence of the trauma. One way of doing this is by recalling or "flashing back" to the crash. Disruptive thoughts and/or nightmares of the accident may occur.

Feelings of helplessness, fear, or anxiety are common. These thoughts, though very stressful, may be critical to accepting the injury. They also mark the beginning the process of working though to change and a new sense of self.

For related information, go to The “Psychological Emergency” of New Onset Physical Disability and Deformity by Kamela K. Scott, Ph.D.

Rehabilitation Hospitals

Mary Free Bed Hospital & Rehabilitation Center  - Grand Rapids, MI

DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan - Detroit, MI

St. John North Shores Hospital - Harrison Township, Macomb Co., MI

South West Rehabilitation Hospital - Battle Creek, MI

Support Resources

Support Organizations and Information

• The Brain Injury Recovery Network providing excellent information on what to expect in emergency and critical care as well as long term recovery challenges, information on financial/legal, rehabilitation and a host of other useful topics
• PoinTIS Point of Care, Team based, Information System: a great resource for brain and spinal cord injury information especially related to health issues, research, and treatment
• Spinal Cord and Brain Injury resources from Mary Free Bed Hospital's website
• H.O.P.E. Helping Others Peacefully Evolve trauma support group serving trauma victims and their loved ones, every 3rd Wednesday of the month, 7-9pm, Blodgett Hosp, Grand Rapids, for more information call 616-308-9951 or email hope.heathmer@yahoo.com
• Trauma Survivors Network
  A resource on the American Trauma Society webpage.  It can link survivors with other survivors in some regions.  It provides information, activism, and emotional support to trauma victims.
• The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability
  A Federal program that brings together resource information for people with disabilities
• Mothers Against Drunk Drivers
  A great set of resources useful for ANYONE injured as from a crash
• Brain Injury Association of Michigan provides support groups throughout Michigan
• Spinal Cord Injury Brain Injury Association
  Information and support for those with traumatic head injuries
• Michigan Disability Resources

Injuries Information

For general information on injuries and conditions you or a loved one experienced following an accident:

• Check with your primary care doctor.
• Online resources include Health A-Z, WebMD, and National Institutes of Health.
• Health insurance companies

Organizations for People with Disabilities

• National Organization on Disability
• American Association of People with Disabilities
• For kids, teens and adults who battle chronic illness, mental, or physical challenges
• National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities a super listing of agencies and groups by State
• Arthritis Foundation
  Osteoarthritis can develop following a joint injury.

Workplace Information

• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Job Accommodation Network
• U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy

Social Security Disability

• American Bar Association
  Legal information on disability
• Social Security Administration
  Benefits information for people with disabilities.
• Social Security Facts
  Lawyer-sponsored social security information page.
• Mothers Against Drunk Driving
  Sources of financial assistance for those with disabilities. Note that some are specific to injuries caused by a drunk driver.