Crash Victims May Experience Lasting PTSD
Car accident survivors are at a higher risk for lasting psychological problems such as anxiety and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but there is help.
While the physical injuries from a traffic accident are typically visible, the emotional toll on a person may only be apparent to the victim, their family, friends and other people in their life. The person experiencing the anxiety and psychological injuries may eventually heal with therapy or in some cases it could last a lifetime.
Those who develop PTSD after an accident, have typically witnessed or experienced a shocking and dangerous event where either your life or the lives of others are in danger.
Some who suffer from anxiety and PTSD may find it difficult to return to school, work or may have strained relationships with family and friends. Sometimes the person may avoid certain activities that cause them anxiety, they experience flashbacks, nightmares and live in fear of being in another collision.
For example, a person with a traumatic brain injury may not be able to return to their career or be able to work. Others with permanent and or physical injuries could lose job.
Indeed, the number of fatal car accidents in the United States is less than 1 percent or 39,508 of the estimated 6,102,936 police-reported vehicle accidents. While most survive the collision, roughly 2.8 million were injured and experts say many others experience ongoing emotional and mental problems such as PTSD.
The psychological consequences of an auto accident must be properly assessed and treated whether it’s PTSD or another persistent mental heath problem.
What is PTSD?
Anxiety disorders such as PTSD will often present itself after a traumatic, dangerous or life-altering event that often involves injury, death or a significant threat that a person would be harmed, according to the American Psychiatric Association,.
Those who suffer from symptoms of PTSD following a traffic accident may re-experience the event or trauma in their thoughts and dreams for years after the event.
These thoughts may hinder their ability to function at work, they could refuse to drive, they may have numbed their emotions or become detached from their relationships with other people or have difficulty sleeping or holding down a job.
Roughly six out of every 100 people will experience PTSD and women are more likely to develop PTSD than men, according to statistics compiled by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs.
Treatment for PTSD after a car accident may involve seeing a professional therapist, working through the trauma and finding ways to cope with triggers.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A person suffering PTSD may work to change their negative thought patterns and beliefs by teaching them new skills to handle real-world situations.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): This is a psychotherapy treatment that utilizes eye movement techniques to alleviate the distress from a person’s traumatic memories.
- Supportive therapy: Patients are encouraged to discuss their feelings with a mental health professional in an effort to help them understand and cope with their emotions.
California Accident Attorney 1-800-235-6801
Attorney James Johnson, founder, Johnson Attorneys Group in California, is an experienced personal injury lawyer who helps victims of traffic accidents obtain necessary treatment and recover their losses.
Johnson Attorneys Group has helped hundreds of people over the years and we continue to work tirelessly to help our current deserving clients. We hope this news information is timely and helpful. However, if you would like to discuss a potential case or have legal questions about your personal injury case, please contact us as soon as possible. Our law firm is a proud, longtime supporter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
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