A car accident can be a traumatic event, and victims often focus on their physical injuries following one. They often watch out for broken bones, cuts, scrapes, wounds and bruises, as well as symptoms of head trauma.
When you get into a car accident, there is a huge possibility that you may be dealing with more than just physical injuries. You may also suffer from emotional distress, which may have long-term effects on your mental and emotional health. Emotional distress following a car accident can be equally, if not more, debilitating than physical injuries.
What is emotional distress and what are its symptoms?
Emotional distress is an umbrella term that covers mental health conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and panic attacks, to name a few. Individuals who are part of a car accident often experience this. Symptoms may include getting flashbacks of the accident, anxiety at the thought of riding a vehicle, phobia of driving a vehicle or being on the road and mental anguish.
Other symptoms may include sleep disorders, mood swings and having intrusive memories and irrational fears. You may also find yourself avoiding anything that may remind you of the accident and refuse to discuss it.
These symptoms have the potential to vary in intensity and frequency over time. Other stressors or reminders of the accident may trigger these.
How can you cope with emotional distress after an accident?
There are several ways you can cope following a car accident.
There are various forms of therapy, including cognitive therapy, which recognizes and heals patterns preventing you from moving forward. Another is exposure therapy, which helps you safely face the memories that cause you to relive the trauma. You may also opt for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, which utilizes guided eye movements to alter reactions to traumatic memories.
Apart from therapy, your doctor may also prescribe medications, such as anti-depressants, to help suppress nightmares and unpleasant memories.
Facing emotional trauma following a car accident can be traumatic and life-changing. An experienced attorney can guide you through filing a personal injury claim so you can get the compensation that is rightfully yours.