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What Happens to Your Mental Health After Car Accidents?

What Happens to Your Mental Health After Car Accidents?

Admittedly, the sound of the screeching tires, the crunching sound of the metal, the sudden and shocking jolt of impact can all come within the blink of an eye, but the ramifications of this unfortunate act can prolong considerably. After any vehicular mishap, physical injuries tend to dominate the picture much as they deserve due to the pain they cause, suffering and sometimes even deaths that occurred as a result of such mishaps. Millions of victims are burdened with these intangible injuries from automotive occurrences.

What Does Actually Play Out Between Your Ears After a Car Accident Has Occurred?

However, even if the NHTSA states that common injuries are ‘minor’, they can be hard to treat because car accidents have severe psychological effects that may take professional help to resolve.

Normal Psychology Problems Which Constitute After Car or Truck Accident

Is there anything like the aftermath of the car crash that might not be as different from one person to another? Such psychological effects do exist and in a similar manner no two people are likely to exhibit them in the exact similar way. However, certain mental health issues frequently emerge in the wake of such traumatic events: The Presenting Symptoms are also commonly known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Probably the most globally recognized psychological impact arising from car crashes is PTSD. People may have flashbacks – they see what had happened, they can recall the terror of the crash even after it is all over. Specific stimuli are the signs that are frequently met in the everyday life of an individual – for instance, one can see or hear the sound of screeching brakes.

Acute Stress Disorder– Acute stress disorder like PTSD is quite common and emerges, usually within a month of the accident with symptoms of dissociation, emotional numbing, and avoidance behaviors. We get the feeling that the mind is still recounting the event as if it were really very recent.

Anxiety Disorders– It may be general anxiety or a specific type of anxiety concerning driving or being a passenger in a car (amaxophobia): Memories: Husbands might clutch the steering wheel with white knuckles or refuse to use the highways.

Depression– A car accident even though emotional and physically enduring can bring feelings of hopelessness, loss of interest in activities as well as persistent sad feelings. Primary depression is a gradual process that starts and influences different activities in one’s life.

Somatic Symptom Disorders– A valid study for some may have physiological complaints without apparent organic basis, a concept that prevails in trauma therapy.

The Variables Affecting Mental Health Confinement– Out of car accident victims, not all of them will suffer from mental health problems and the extent will differ from one individual to the other. Several factors play a role in determining the psychological impact.

Severity Of the Accident: An occasional brush may not be as damaging as a chain-reaction incident on highway I-65 might cause.

Pre-Existing Mental Health Conditions: Women, people with a history of anxiety or depression and those between 30 and 64 years may be more at risk.

Personal Resilience and Coping Mechanisms: Traumatic life experiences are always a shock to the system but some people recover faster than others do.

Social Support Systems: It is always helpful for patient to have relatives and friends in that area, because it helps with the recovery process.

Access To Mental Health Resources: The access to good psychological care can make a difference.

Legal And Financial Stressors: Claims and potential lawsuits add to anxiety as they are part of coping with business risks.