Combating Physical Injuries

Physical injuries differ from infectious illnesses in the abruptness of their occurrence. There is usually little warning before an injury strikes. The transition from health to injury is sudden, and traumatic. There are only four stages in the injury-recovery scenario. These are:
    1. your prior level of health
    2. the seriousness of the injury
    3. your period of recovery
    4. your resulting level of health
    On a graph, the injury-recovery scenario looks like this:
WHEN AN INJURY OCCURS, MAKE A JUDGEMENT CALL

There may be little that you can do to prevent an injury. As soon as an injury occurs, to yourself or someone else, you must make a judgement call: is this injury serious enough to require medical assistance? Immediate medical assistance?

After calling for help, and while waiting for help to arrive, use FIRST AID, page 141, then PHYSICAL INJURY, page 205.

If your injury is not serious enough to require medical assistance, apply the appropriate and necessary antiseptic and bandages, then use the most appropriate remedy from this list:

BEE STING, page 89
FEARFULNESS, page 133
FIRST AID, page 141
INNER STRENGTH, page 165
INSECT BITES, page 169
PAIN, page 197
PHYSICAL INJURY, page 205
SPORTS INJURIES, page 249
STIMULATING YOUR HEALING RESPONSE, page 253
TRAUMATIC EVENTS, page 297
 If you have an auto accident, or sustain a fall, blow or sports injury, try this sequence of remedies: MANAGING A SERIOUS INJURY
If you suspect one or more broken bones or a severe sprain, get emergency help immediately. In U.S., call 911. Along with any medication give you to reduce infection and promote healing you can use FIRST AID, page 141, PHYSICAL INJURY, page 205, or STIMULATING YOUR HEALING RESPONSE, page 253.
The important thing about your period of recovery is to attain a full recovery, back to your former level of health. STIMULATING YOUR HEALING RESPONSE, page 253, can help.
 
 
a complete recovery 
 
a partial recovery 
 
Physical injuries are always accompanied by an emotional component. Since it is not visible in your body, this important aspect of your injury often remains untreated. Signs of emotional trauma include: non-specific anxiety, nightmares, uncontrollable trembling, insomnia, irritability, unexpected fearfulness, easy exhaustion, apathy, sudden tearfulness, or other unexplained actions.
When you are injured, always assume there is an emotional component. Begin to relieve it at once by using FIRST AID, page 141, PHYSICAL INJURY, page 205, or TRAUMATIC EVENTS, page 297, along with any other treatment you are given. If you feel afraid, use FEARFULNESS, page 133, or PANIC ATTACKS, page 201. If you feel tearful, try MOODINESS, page 185. If you feel anxious, try HURRYING, page 157.
AFTER THE EMERGENCY ROOM

The ability of emergency medicine to save lives and repair serious physical damage after an accident is the one great achievement of contemporary medicine. Even so, many people discover that their level of health is lower after a serious accident is repaired than it was before.

To raise your level of health use TRAUMATIC EVENTS, page 297, or STIMULATING YOUR HEALING RESPONSE, page 253.

Be sure to read about post-traumatic stress syndrome, page 297.

For Combating Stress, see next page(315). (index).