As GA car accident lawyers know, almost all car accidents are traumatic, even as the property damage or injuries don’t seem that severe. The unexpected changing events can disrupt any driver or passenger’s mental state. That’s right. You don’t have to be the driver to experience mental health trauma after an accident. The National Institute of Mental Health estimated that 39% of motor vehicle accident survivors develop PTSD. That figure does not account for nervousness or general anxiety, or diagnosable anxiety or depressive disorders that can also occur as a result of a car accident.
Mental health trauma does not come without expense. People often cannot return to their jobs, they may incur medical debt when seeking treatment for their mental health, and could also experience unexpected fluctuations in their income because of the debilitating elements of this trauma. You should contact our GA car accident lawyers for help.
You Just Can’t Get Behind the Wheel Again.
Some people find that they simply just can’t drive again. The high levels of emotion, including fear, helplessness, and even guilt or shame from surviving the accident, causes people to have great hesitancy about driving again. Sometimes this comes down to a simple lack of confidence and driving abilities or discomfort and driving around other people.
However, sometimes the hesitancy to get behind the wheel again is a bigger element. Many companies and advocacy support groups suggest that people who are having a tough time driving again consider a defensive driving course. They’re also other tips to help overcome the fear of driving, such as driving with another person in the car or using short excursions to rebuild your confidence.
For many, they find themselves only driving again because it’s absolutely mandatory in appearing for their job and going on with their life.
Nervousness or Anxiety in a Vehicle
There is a feeling of nervousness or anxiety, and then there are diagnosable anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders are typically developed after a traumatic episode and can lead to panic attacks, the feeling of anxiety or panic and daily activities, and a bodily reaction as though you’re facing actual danger. A car crash can trigger the development of diagnosable anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder and specific phobias such as a very developed phobia of driving.
People with a diagnosable anxiety disorder will often experience hyperventilation, or breathing rapidly, and increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, trouble concentrating, gastrointestinal problems, and more.
GA car accident lawyers can advise you on legal issues, but not medical ones. The only way to know if you’re experiencing a normal degree of nervousness or anxiety after a traumatic accident, or if you have developed a full anxiety disorder is to talk to a mental health professional.
PTSD
Through studies conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health, researchers have trouble linking key elements of a crash to the development of PTSD. Basically, there are not overarching elements that guarantee a driver or passenger will or will not develop PTSD. Some people develop PTSD after a fender bender that would leave most people without any trouble driving again. Others develop PTSD and traumatic head-on collisions, and some of the other survivors may not experience PTSD at all.
Additionally, PTSD does not develop immediately. The very real experience of your life being in danger means that you may begin experiencing the symptoms of PTSD within a six-month window. Most PTSD symptoms appear between two to six months after the crash. However, PTSD can also develop after the 6-month Mark if the person is having avoidance trouble and anxiety trouble that’s causing them to frequently relive and revisit the event. It is possible that revisited feelings are making anxiety and trauma worse.
John B. Jackson – Lawrenceville, GA Car Accident Lawyers
Finding support after a car accident isn’t just about getting medical help for broken bones or concussions. Mental support, legal support, and someone who has heard of who can handle your insurance company can impact your recovery as well. Look beyond your immediate medical team, and ask your doctors for access to the right mental help that you need. Your medical team should be able to provide references or recommendations to experience and qualified mental health professionals to address the trauma you experienced in your crash.
When you’re ready to take legal action against the at-fault driver, contact John B Jackson of Lawrenceville, Georgia. John B Jackson, we help Georgia car accident victims battle for fair monetary compensation to cover their property damage, medical expenses, and additional trauma experience as part of the crash. This crash was caused by the at-fault driver, and it’s unfair to expect the victim to saddle the burden of extraordinary medical debt.
