Had my first accident.. Need help psychologically

[bobversion1]

So last night on my way home from work I lost control of my car on the highway and slammed into the guardrail on the left hand side of the highway. I'm ok.. The car isn't so great and may need to be totalled... I drove to work today fine, but coming home, the whole way I felt like I was going to lose control of the car.. I even had to get off an exit and make some quick tugs on the steering wheel to prove to myself the tires were ok and I wasn't going to slide..

Any advice on how to get past this? Anyone ever go through it? I'm hoping/am pretty sure it's a time will get me past it thing, but I've never experienced anything like that and it scares the hell out of me. I was tense the whole way home...

[Pgarodactyl]

Time. Exposure. That's about all I can say.

I'm coming up on 9 years since I rolled my parents' Sunfire, and I still get a little apprehensive down the stretch of road it happened on. But it made me more careful driving all around, so I guess there's a win.

[edtheripper]

I had two bad incidents driving in the snow and I still have issues coping with it to this day. If time doesn't help heal, seek out a professional to talk to.

[Mozenrath]

It's only been a day? Give yourself some time at it.

[Koda, Master Crunchyroller]

I got into a pretty bad car wreck in 2009. I was turning on one of those left turn yield on green lights, and didnt see any traffic coming when I got absolutely t-boned by a pickup coming from the side I was supposed to be yielding for. I didn't see them coming because there is this row of miniature evergreen trees in the median, and it perfectly concealed the pickup.

For the first few months I was a little bit skiddish while driving. For an entire year I was absolutely scared whenever I was riding in a car someone else was driving.

And now, 4 years later, I still don't turn at that light anymore. I just keep driving. Those damned trees are still there on the median. And still perfectly conceal oncoming cars from the view of the turning lane.

It'll take time, but you will get over this.

[bobversion1]

I appreciate the replies.. I figure it will take time.. but man nothing like this has happened to me before and I'm 32.. It's spooked me out pretty good..

Glad to hear everyones ok from there accident stories..

[Arrow]

I still get nervous on the road after my accident several months ago, especially when it starts raining, but for me the answer is just a case of driving more carefully (my situation was different from yours, though).

Just gotta get back out there, I guess.

[Mr Captain Falcon]

I totaled my first car 8 years ago being an idiot. The first time I went down that stretch of road after the accident it just replayed in my mind. I always think about it when I go down that part of the road but I'm not afraid to do it anymore. Time will heal this wound.

[chazraps]

If it helps at all, you might find comfort in the fact that since it took you think long to have your first accident, statistically speaking you're a pretty great driver and HIGHLY unlikely to have anything remotely of the sort happen again.

Don't know if you're a betting person, but if you like to play the probability game, I think you're going to be fine.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

I dunno. I was shook up for a day after I put my first car in the ditch. After talking to the RC's and all that. Mainly I was bummed about the car, I'd crashed a motorcycle about a million times before that, so basically a crash was nothing too new.