Mark's Story
Tell us a little about your trauma story.
In 2005, I had a car accident that changed my life…for the better. I was driving with my ex-girlfriend at the time. About 10 minutes away from my home, she wanted me to turn the car around. Arguing ensued in the car. Next, she grabbed the steering wheel and pulled it towards her. Undoubtedly, this physical action changed the course of my life forever.
It is important to realize that in this moment, we were driving 70 mph on the expressway.
After that, the car swerved into the next lane, almost hitting another vehicle. Seeing that the car was about to smash into another vehicle in the far lane, I grabbed the steering wheel back and pulled it towards my side. Concurrently, we fought for control of the wheel and I ended up losing control of the car. All of a sudden, we were off the expressway and on the grass, headed down a hill towards a big tree.
The car was off the expressway and headed for disaster. Without a doubt, I remember seeing a bright light that surrounded us and it came inside the car. A feeling of peace cascaded over me for a brief second or two, which seemed to last an eternity. At that moment, I wa
s not afraid of death.
The next thing I remember, the car was flipping and we were upside down. The car slid down a small hill, right in front of that big tree. I remember hanging upside down, hearing voices from people who pulled over to help. They were yelling to stay inside, help was on the way.
I remember thinking there was no way I wanted to stay hanging suspended, upside down, inside a car that was still running. Without reservation, we both crawled out of the car. The ambulance arrived essentially by the time we got to our feet. Taken by ambulance to the hospital, we both ended up with relatively minor injuries at the time. Needless to say, I think we both got ‘closure’ in that relationship.
What was recovery like?
I am so blessed and fortunate, that we walked away with minor injuries. To this day, I still struggle with depression and anxiety. I don’t think that will ever go away completely. To this end, I have to work on my depression and anxiety every day. Just like exercising or eating healthy, I also have to work each day on my mental health.
The car accident injured my back. I had to go through a lot of physical therapy. To this day, my back has never been quite the same. And, other emotional triggers still haunt me from that night. As a result, I easily fall back into old patterns of guilt, fear, and self-pity.
Although the car accident woke me up spiritually and even intellectually, it harmed me mentally and physically. The worst scar from all of this is my ongoing battle with depression and anxiety. I consider myself to be no different than anyone else. There are good days and bad days. There are good moments and bad moments. But overall, I am alive and I have a lot to be thankful for what God has provided for me.
Why did you want to get involved with the TSN program? Or Why do you want to share your story with other survivors/loved ones?
I have felt an immense feeling to share this story and start a blog. The blog is called, The Faithful Journey. I believe this blog is meant to help people in some way.
I saw God’s light in the car accident. I believe God saved me in the car accident and he wanted me to do something meaningful with my life.
To read about Mark’s entire story, visit www.thefaithfuljourney.com