After being involved in a motor vehicle accident, the immediate concern lies with your physical health. You may have sustained injuries from the impact, including whiplash, spinal injuries, or cuts and contusions to your face and body.
What few people consider is the mental and emotional toll an accident can take on those who were involved, whether or not they caused it or sustained any physical injuries. Here are some of the mental health consequences of a car accident and how to deal with them:
PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Few people will want to label their experience as traumatic, thinking this term is only reserved for sexual assaults, the violent death of a loved one, or participating in an armed conflict. However, trauma does not need to be precipitated by such an event. The physical violence from a high-impact accident alone can cause PTSD symptoms.
PTSD symptoms include reliving the experience of an accident multiple times during sleep and waking hours. It continues to dominate your thoughts, and there is a sense that you cannot move past those events.
PTSD is best treated by a professional therapist, and a psychiatrist might be necessary to prescribe medications. However, if an accident was not your fault, the burden of payment should not be yours, according to experts at Zarzaur Law. The at-fault party’s insurance must pay for it as part of your injury claim.
Depression
Depression is by far the most common mental health issue that many people experience. It has its roots in events that precipitated it or in your brain’s chemistry or both.
After an accident, the experience can leave you feeling depressed. This is especially true for people who suffer serious or life-altering injuries. Your recovery is challenging, and there are days when you look back on the accident’s events and how irrevocably they changed your life in despair.
Depression is treatable through a combination of medication and therapy. You might not need to take the medication long-term, just to help you get through its initial phases. Alternatively, you may require antidepressants long-term. As individuals, we experience depression differently, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to treating it.
Anxiety
It is typical to experience anxiety after a car accident, particularly when you get behind the wheel of a car again. You might experience flashbacks of what happened that leave you too afraid to start the car, let alone drive it.
Anxiety is characterized by an elevated heart rate, shaking, a tightness in the chest that leads to trouble breathing, and an outbreak of sweat on the body. In its severest form, anxiety can lead to a panic attack, which might feel like the onset of a heart attack, so severe are its symptoms.
Most people use a mix of medication and therapy for anxiety. Therapy is extremely effective when patients are taught to breathe correctly and use visualization techniques to get the episode of anxiety to pass.
The road to recovery
Neglecting your mental health because you see it as a sign of weakness will only exacerbate the problem. Dealing with it head-on will help you cope in the long run. Rely on friends and family for support during this difficult time as their support is essential.
Do not be afraid to reach out to a professional to help you deal with the mental health issues that arose from your accident. They will continue to haunt you and affect your quality of life for many years to come if you do not. Speak to your doctor about a referral to a therapist who can offer the help you need.