Every physically injured person has some emotional reaction to
the fact that he is injured.
a. A minor injury such as a cut finger causes an emotional
reaction in most people. It is normal for an injured person to
feel upset. The more severe the injury, the more insecure and
fearful he becomes, especially if the injury is to a body part
which is highly valued. For example, an injury
to the eyes or the genitals, even though relatively minor, is
likely to be extremely upsetting. An injury to some other part
of the body may be especially disturbing to an individual for
his own particular reason. For example, an injury of
the hand may be a terrifying blow to a baseball pitcher or a pianist.
A facial disfigurement may be especially threatening to an actor.
b. An injured person always feels less secure, more anxious,
and more afraid not only because of what has happened to him but
because of what he imagines may happen as a result of his injury.
This fear and insecurity may cause him to be irritable, stubborn,
or unreasonable. He also may seem uncooperative, unnecessarily
difficult, or even emotionally irrational. As you help him, always
keep in mind that such behavior has little or nothing to do
with you personally. He needs your patience, reassurance,
encouragement and support. Even though he seems disagreeable and
ungrateful at first, ensure that he understands you want to help
him.
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