These instances are all common occurrences after car accidents. The collision doesn’t have to be extremely severe; however, in many cases, insurance companies will continue to downplay the event of emotional or mental trauma. All too often, victims are left without compensation and instead receive years of fear, anxiety, and depression. Mental trauma can go far beyond fear or touch of anxiety. It can cause people to be so afraid of driving that they can’t make it to their jobs or go through daily life.
If you believe that you experienced any type of mental trauma or emotional distress, then you should first address these issues with your medical team. Speak with your doctor about your symptoms, even symptoms that might seem ‘normal’ after a crash. Unfortunately, what seems ‘normal’ or common after a crash is often overlooked even though this is clearly affecting the life of the victims.
Fear of Driving
The fear of driving is a common occurrence for those who walk away from auto collisions. Even those who have experienced a minor fender-bender may be afraid to get back behind the wheel. There’s even the instance of passengers in a collision being afraid to drive or be present in a vehicle.
It is difficult to assign a value to the fear of driving. However, working with key experts, you might evaluate how exactly this has affected your life. If your fear of driving has caused you to remain home and you find that you can’t get to work, then you may have more than a simple fear. You may have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder. Typically the fear of driving may cause people to avoid unnecessary trips or to use rideshare services rather than drive themselves. But if you find that you simply cannot get into a vehicle, then you may have a more serious type of mental trauma.
PTSD
Many people have trouble distinguishing the difference between what is normal to feel after a crash and PTSD. PTSD will often include trouble believing that the event happened, uncontrollable anger, inexplicable nervousness, feelings of guilt, or shock. These are symptoms that are often difficult to convey or explain to a medical professional. Most of those who experience PTSD don’t understand that these are symptoms and believe that their normal occurrences after a traumatic accident.
It is important that you discuss your feelings with your medical team because many professionals are trained in identifying the signs of PTSD.
New Anxiety and Depression
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America offers a variety of resources to help victims of vehicle accidents find the right type of mental health support. It is imperative that those affected by a newly developed anxiety or the onset of depression after a crash get help quickly as these types of mental trauma can worsen over time.
Through mental health support, it is possible to begin returning to normal routines and establishing new normalcy in your life. It can also help victims understand how they’re coping with the crash and how they could move forward in a healthy direction.
Anxiety and depression are both diagnosable mental health disorders. They are an illness of the mind, and the stigma associated with them calls attention to the trouble of finding the right type of support. Anxiety and depression often require much more support than a simple prescription.
Impact of Using an Atlanta Car Accident Lawyer for Mental Trauma
After any crash, you’ll need to take some action to get compensation for your damages. Those damages typically include physical injury, property damage, and pain and suffering. It is also possible to include things such as mental trauma and emotional trauma. These issues will often follow people far into life and impact them long after any open case is closed. People will have moved on from the accident both in their own ways, and still, someone could have a crippling fear of driving.
These injuries aren’t physical, and they can’t be seen on diagnostic imaging, but all the same, they impact the victim’s lives. These injuries can’t be ignored on a claim; however, many victims may not initially realize that they’ve experienced this trauma, and they may not know what to do about it.
It’s highly likely that those involved in a bad accident would have experienced some mental impact. You should work with your medical team and your attorney to understand your emotional impact and what you can do about it. The Weinstein Firm frequently sees these challenges among victims during their recovery.
