If you’ve been involved in a car crash, it’s not unusual to suffer some emotional repercussions in addition to physical ones — even if you didn’t suffer severe physical injuries. You may feel a general sense of anxiety as well as anger, fear and guilt (even if the crash was another driver’s fault). You may be nervous about getting behind the wheel again or even being a passenger.
In most cases, these feelings diminish over time — particularly with support from friends and family. You get back to your routine, and the crash becomes something you don’t think about regularly.
However, that’s not always the case. Some people involved in crashes suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is more likely if you were seriously injured or if someone else was seriously or fatally injured.
People who have a history of anxiety, depression or other mental health issue are more likely to suffer post-traumatic stress after a crash. So are people who have had other traumatic events in their lives — including natural disasters and assaults.
If your feelings of anxiety don’t subside, if you continue to think about the crash constantly, have nightmares about it or if you feel like shutting yourself off from others, it’s wise to talk to a psychologist or other mental health professional. They can help you express and then deal with your feelings about the crash.
This is necessary to be able to go back to living a normal life. It doesn’t mean that you forget the crash happened but that you put it in perspective and move forward. That can be harder to do if you’re also still dealing with physical injuries or a permanent disability caused by the crash. However, by healing emotionally, you can be better equipped to deal with the physical injuries
If the crash was caused by another driver, it’s important that you seek compensation not just for medical treatment and physical therapy but for any counseling you may need to heal from the emotional pain and suffering caused by the crash. You shouldn’t be hesitant or ashamed to admit that you need some professional psychological help. Your attorney can help you work to get the compensation you need for all of your post-crash care.
