Paul

My name is Paul Ross and I was involved in a road traffic accident in December 2016.Although I have been involved in other road traffic incidents since acquiring my driving license none of them were any where near as traumatic as this last one.

The incident caused me to suffer with both physical and psychological symptoms that were quite severe, due to their seriousness I found it too uncomfortable to continue driving on a social and domestic basis for some time, almost two years to be exact. The reason that I did continue to drive was down to the fact that I am required to drive for my job, as I am in employment within the driving industry. For the two years in question I drove only for work and would have my partner do all of the social and domestic driving. For my part, I took to travelling to work on public transport, or by walking. My daily commute to work was a fifteen minute drive through rush hour traffic (each way), yet I chose to walk for the most part of the two years, which took me forty-five minutes (each way), and this too in the heart of winter!

That is how badly affected I was by my accident in 2016. After undergoing months of physiotherapy in regards to my physical injuries I was referred to a specialist to address the psychological impact that the accident had upon me. My therapist decided that CBT was the key to getting my confidence back to be able to drive, and as such I was referred to a specialist in Stockport.

After months of work I was again comfortable enough to try my hand at driving for social and domestic purposes. My social and domestic life was minimal before the treatment and I did not really go out at all, unless when I had to. This meant that my social contact with my family and friends suffered greatly and this drew me into depression and also raised my anxiety levels; particularly in regards to where my life was going and as to what the future held for me as an individual.

CBT therapy enabled me to confront my issues and deal with them head on, so that I could once again do the things that I loved to do, and to see the people who really mattered in my life. Over a short space of time I was rebuilding the relationships that had; suffered as I had suffered due to my experience, and I was able to partake in the pleasures of life that I had taken for granted before my accident. My relationship with my estranged family and friends blossomed and I was confident enough to drive to do my daily, and weekly, chores. Furthermore, I was able to go places and connect with people even further afield.

Since my CBT therapy I have been able to travel the lengths and breadth of the country to make connections with family members that I have never met before, and now the prospects for my future offer bright horizons that I had not thought possible. I am once again a part of the commuting community and I am able to apply for jobs that it would have been impossible for me to do so without my treatment. My social life has moved forwards in great strides and I feel a lot happier and a have noticed a great decrease in the anxiety that befell me after the incident.

The exercises from my therapy provided me with the staple ground to move froward, and also to question the mode of thought that had thus imprisoned me in the first place. I feel that I was in a state of arrested-development before I started my sessions, and that somehow CBT has caused me to regain the ground that I had lost.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those that have helped me upon my journey of rehabilitation, for without their efforts I have little doubt that I would still be in the state that had brought my life to a virtual standstill.

Yours sincerely

Paul A. Ross.