It may come as a shock to our readers, but the most dangerous act you do in any given day is drive your car. And, for many, you do it every day. Millions of car crashes happen every day, and people are injured and killed as a result.
However, we often focus on the physical impacts of car accident, but in today’s post, we will focus on the emotional trauma that can follow car accidents.
Exceedingly common
While not every North Carolina car crash involves physical injuries, almost all accidents involve some kind of emotional injury, even if only temporary.
Think about the last time you were in motor vehicle accident, even a minor one. What was the immediate emotional effect? You were shocked, troubled and you probably had a hard time believing the impact just happened.
Next, you probably got nervous about fault, began to worry about how this accident would impact your car insurance rates, your date, your job, your life, etc.
Often, it goes away
If you’re lucky, these emotional impacts go away quickly or within a few days as your insurance company and attorney handle the details. That lingering shock slowly dissipates, and you get back to life.
Not everyone is so lucky
However, that is not the case for everyone. Car accidents can cause post-traumatic stress that can linger for days, months and even years, and it can require mental health treatment to mitigate.
Symptoms
One of the first (and, most common) symptoms is you cannot stop thinking about the car accident. Your brain just plays the accident over-and-over again, and you feel those same initial emotions as you did that day. They do not seem to go away, and in fact, with each replay, it actually feels worse.
You will notice you find getting to sleep or staying asleep is much harder than before the accident. You may find that you start getting anxiety around cars.
As your symptoms progress, you may even lose your ability to drive without having a panic attack. Know that you are not alone. This is not weird, and you just need help.
Mental health services
Of course, after the car accident, get checked out by medical professionals. And, if you notice PTS symptoms, reach out to your doctor for a mental health referral. You can get through this, but you will need help.
Let your attorney know too, because your mental health impacts are compensable, just like your physical injuries.