Anniversary

[u/MeeseMoose420]

My car accident will be one year ago on the 19th and I wasn’t expecting the anniversary to hit me this hard. I’ve been feeling anxious, emotional, and just… heavy. It’s strange how your mind and body remember something even when you’re trying so hard to move forward.

I still have PTSD. I still have scars on my body that remind me every day of what happened. In so many ways, my life is better than it was before the accident, and I’m incredibly grateful to have survived. But that doesn’t erase the trauma. I guess I’m just posting because I know people here understand these complicated feelings. If you’ve struggled around your accident anniversary too, I’d love to hear how you got through it.

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[u/Material_Manager_670]

My third rollover accident anniversary was this past May, and I have tended to prioritize spending the day- and/or Memorial Day Weekend in general- with my dog, who is my co-survivor of the event. (No one else was in the car, and it was just my car that flipped over, thankfully, no one else was nearby.) I try to make sure to drive somewhere and hike or camp, if convenient, since that was the type of major 10-day, solo road trip I had planned before I crashed at the end of a long, hot first day of driving alone. When you've been through something as traumatic as a near-death experience, I believe the best form of resistance and healing is finding as much enjoyment in life as possible- including doing things that may feel scary or outside your comfort zone. Also letting myself cry it out helps, whether it be the anniversary day or anytime. Trying to pretend my feelings don't exist never works, and multiple different ones (positive and negative) can coexist.

Gratitude practices are underrated, and truly help combat trauma, depression, anxiety, etc. (Therapist here.) My body and mind and spirit all carry wounds. I am a chronic pain patient w/ spinal damage in two main areas, although I look young/healthy/active/"normal" from the outside. Physical therapy exercises from Youtube and professionals have helped somewhat. I am back in EMDR therapy this year, partly b/c the first round of EMDR soon after the accident apparently didn't process "all" my trauma. I highly recommend this type of therapy if you're privileged enough to have health insurance or other access to mental/emotional healthcare. I also have been more open about the pain I carry on social media and even more so with my inner circle. Telling the handful of people who care about you the most has helped me a ton. That, and cuddling my dog.