Mental trauma, just like physical injuries, can change a person’s life after an accident. But sadly, the conversation around auto accidents mainly focuses on physical injuries like broken bones and spinal cord injuries. Very little attention is given to effects on mental health.
This approach is wrong, and mental trauma should get as much attention as physical injuries. Since mental traumas are unseen, they require a significant deal of time, patience, and professional treatment. As such, injury victims should treat their mental trauma when treating physical wounds.
Our Ohio auto accident lawyers shed a little light on the types of mental trauma a crash victim suffers in this article. We also cover tips for dealing with traumas of this nature. In addition, you can contact car accident attorneys if your mental health was deeply affected by a traffic accident. We will help you get the compensation you deserve.
What Are the Types of Mental Trauma?
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, most people do not consider the car accident they were in, say five years ago, traumatic. This is because they see traumatic events as the death of a loved one or a natural disaster. However, the association notes that trauma is anything that is “deeply distressing and disturbing” and looks different for each individual.
Based on the preceding, a motor vehicle crash is a traumatic event. Just like the body system, a person’s mental state relies on a combination of factors that control feelings, thoughts, and actions. These three are affected when a person goes through an event that leaves them traumatized.
Some of the most common mental health trauma suffered by a person after a car accident includes:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
It is the most common mental health condition suffered by motor vehicle crash victims. PTSD affects a person’s mental and emotional states causing recurring anxiety, thoughts, or dreams about the accident. A person who has PTSD is prone to sudden and severe bouts of the disorders’ symptoms.
Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms are categorized as:
- Intrusive memories
- Avoidance
- Negative changes in thinking and mood
- Changes in physical and emotional reactions
Depression
According to the World Health Organization, depression is a common mental health illness globally. It affects about 3.8% of the world’s population. Motor vehicle accidents can cause depression, especially when you consider the financial implication of the crash. In addition, if the victim dies, their relatives may suffer depression from the loss and its significance on their lives.
Disassociation
Disassociation is a mental disorder that causes a person not to feel at home in their body. Two significant forms of dissociative disorders are depersonalization and derealization. Depersonalization happens when a person who has experienced a traumatic event perceives that it did not occur to them. A depersonalization episode can last for a few minutes or longer.
Symptoms include:
- Feeling emotionally and physically numb
- Having memories that lack emotions
- Lacking control of your movements or speech
Derealization, on the other hand, involves creating a perception that the accident was not real. As a result, a person suffering from this mental health trauma might think they were dreaming, and experience decreased emotional intensity and severe stress.
Symptoms include:
- Feeling unfamiliar with your surroundings
- Disconnecting emotionally from loved ones
- Having distorted time perception
- Distortions in size and shapes of objects
If you’re dealing with any of these three, you should seek professional help. The record of your treatment would serve as evidence for your injury claim.
Tips for Dealing With Mental Trauma
Aside from visiting a medical professional to get the help you need, these tips can help you deal with mental health trauma after a car accident:
- Have regular discussions with others; you can create an accident survivors group where people share their experiences.
- If your physical injury allows you, stay active, the more active you are, the less time you have to dwell on what happened.
- When feeling anxious, practice mindful breathing; you do this by paying attention as you inhale and exhale.
- Imbibe good health practices to improve your mental health
Were You Traumatized by an Auto Accident? Contact Ohio Auto Accident Lawyers
Dealing with a mental health trauma after an accident is as hard as recovering from physical injuries. Thankfully, you can get a financial settlement for the impact the accident had on your mental health. This comes under non-economic damages.
Our Ohio car accident attorneys have vast experience getting non-economic damages for can accident victims with mental health trauma. We will use this experience to gather evidence to prove how you suffered and get you the maximum compensation. Contact us today for a free case review.
