Dealing with motorcycle accident

[TheCustomer]

After a lovely morning with my kids on Father’s Day this year my children went back to their mothers and I decided it was a beautiful day for a ride so I geared up and off I went.

After about an hour of riding I found myself on a nice isolated stretch of windy road when my rear breaks failed and I was forced to make a decision of extremes, lay my bike down and crash on the road or continue off the road and into a bushy ravine off the side of the road I chose to lay my bike down and crash.

after sliding along the road for a short while myself and the bike came to a halt it was at this stage I became aware I’d caused myself some major damage destroying my knee and breaking my shoulder, however it quickly became apparent that I was still In a dangerous predicament laying in the middle of the road on a blind corner.

Running purely on adrenaline, panic and fear I managed to drag myself to the edge of the road and after laying there crying for a minute or 2 I found my phone and called 000, it was 15-20 terrifying and hopelessly lonely minutes before a passer by found me and helped the ambulance locate me but not before another 15-20 minutes had passed.

now since the accident physically I have been repaired and my body is slowly on the mend with patience, hard work and a lot of physio I should get back to almost 100%.

however mentally and emotionally I have been struggling when talking to acquaintances I give the broad strokes and try not to go into to much detail to avoid bringing up the emotions that i’m struggling with so much, I have tried talking about it with those close to me reflecting on the fear and the hopelessness I faced as I laid there on the side of the road crying out for help knowing nobody could hear me.

But it hasn’t helped and I’m regularly brought to tears when I randomly think about it or something jolts it back into my mind and I just don’t know what to do or who to seek help from as I’ve never dealt with something like this before.

any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Sophie_M]

Hey TheCustomer,

Welcome to the Beyond Blue forums,

Thank you so much for sharing your story here with us. It's not often that people discuss the psychological impact of such a distressing accident, but we can imagine how terrifying it must have felt. It sounds like you've worked really hard to get your body back to where you want it to be and we know you'll be able to do the same for your mental health too. It's great that you are seeking support here and please know that you've come to safe, non-judgemental space to talk things through. Our community is here to offer as much support, advice and conversation as you need.

If you feel up to it, we'd recommend getting in touch with our Support Service which is available 24/7 on 1300 22 4636 or you can visit on our website www.beyondblue.org.au/getsupport for online chat. One of our friendly counsellors will be able to give you some information and advice to help you work through this. 

You might also like to learn more about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. From what you've mentioned, it could be something you're experiencing. We'd encourage you to look at the resources below:

• https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/resources-support/post-traumatic-stress-order/help-support/
• https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

We hope that you keep checking back in with us to let us know how you are going, whenever you feel up to it.

[Petal22]

Hi TheCustomer,

Wellcome to our forums!

Im so sorry this happened to you it must have been terrifying.

Thats great that your body is repairing, your mental health will aswell just give it time.

I recommend you make an appointment with your gp to discuss how you are feeling, you can do a mental health plan together this will enable you to see a psychologist who can work through things with you..

I understand you are bought to tears when you talk about this experience I believe it’s ok to be emotional … just allow the emotions to be there… a trained psychologist can work with you and your emotions so you can hopefully deal with their underlying meaning and hopefully heal ❤️🙏

We are here as a community to support you.

[james1]

Hello TheCustomer,

That sounds like a really terrifying experience.

I have two motorcycles and fortunately have only come off once in the rain when my rear brakes locked up. Thankfully, I was going quite slowly and did not do any damage other than some bruising, but I'm very familiar with that hit of adrenaline and the confusing emotions afterwards. Personally, I struggled most with the self-doubt, but I think getting on the motorbike almost immediately afterwards helped that process along.

While I wouldn't suggest just "getting back on" as I did, I would suggest that these emotions can heal and there are professionals who can help you manage the emotions. It's an entirely terrifying experience and I understand it's really shocked you quite deeply. As Sophie M and Petal22 have mentioned, it may be good to speak to a doctor to see what you can do about this.

Just briefly, I have an old childhood memory that is quite similar. I came off my skateboard as a kid and really badly scraped up my knees and elbows. Mum wasn't around so I just sat at the park crying and bleeding until she finally came back. I am comfortable speaking about it now and it doesn't trouble me, but I do remember the feeling of helplessness quite vividly. I hope you can get the professional support you need, and we are also here to speak if you like.

James