PTSD After a Car Accident: What You Need to Know

Injuries from a car accident can be distressing, especially when they’re severe, and you are trying to understand what just happened. It takes time to recover after a car accident. For some victims, car accident injuries may lead to lasting changes in physical and mental health. 

Whatever degree of injury you’ve sustained in a car accident, improving your health is always possible if you take the right steps. Here at Injury Rely, we will help you find the best professional for an optimal recovery. Our specialization in Mass Tort Injury has taught us what healthcare specialists you need to get your life back on track. 

PTSD from a Car Accident - A Life-Changing Threat

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from a car accident can occur for various reasons, especially in cases of death or serious injuries. Few individuals experience deep psychological and emotional trauma after car accidents, and some may experience long-term PTSD symptoms like hypervigilance or flashbacks. Timely therapy can help individuals understand and effectively overcome these challenges.

PTSD from a car accident can develop after experiencing or witnessing a frightening or life-threatening car accident. Like other forms of PTSD, these situations can be overwhelming and hard to carry daily. Many of the victims might struggle with emotional shock as they often relive the experience through frightful flashbacks.

The Most Common PTSD Signs After a Car Accident

Those who experience trauma after a car accident, whether physical or psychological, are at an increased risk of traumatic shock and developing PTSD. These car accident injuries can leave some individuals with symptoms within a few days to months. Some individuals may also experience car accident PTSD symptoms that last longer and require intervention.

Some of the common signs of PTSD from a car accident are:

• Intrusive thoughts, images, or flashbacks of the accident
• Vivid or disturbing dreams about the accident
• Trouble for sleeping
• Refusing to drive or to ride in a car
• Feeling disconnected from self or others
• Increased irritability and anxiety

What Can Trigger a PTSD:

Many things can trigger PTSD after facing a traumatic accident, and most of them are related to memories of sights, sounds, and smells that they experienced at the time of the event, which can lead people re-experiencing the shock after a car accident.

Common triggers for PTSD include:

• Smells of gasoline, smoke, or fire
• Hearing ambulance or fire truck sirens
• Picking up car keys
• Getting into the driver’s seat
• Driving or being a passenger in a car
• Driving on the road where the accident occurred
• Witnessing another car accident

Dealing with PTSD: What you Need to Know to Get Rid of the Phobia

The first step is to recognize and identify your symptoms. Many people deny their experience, which hinders their ability to heal and move forward. Here are some tips to help you deal with this type of trauma:

• Be Patient With Yourself

PTSD can sometimes generate shame for not having the same emotional capacity as you did before the event. Staying patient helps re-direct energy toward recovery. Have patience in you. Psychological aid can help you understand this situation. 

• Seek Social Support From Loved Ones

Support systems are vital in the PTSD recovery process. Psychological support from loved ones makes you feel emotional validation. Different perspectives will help you heal the mental damage caused by the car accident. 

• Practice Meditation Techniques

PTSD often pushes individuals to live in the past with their trauma associated with Mass Tort Injuries.. Mindfulness or meditation for PTSD helps you ground yourself in the present moment. Remaining present allows you to fully experience life and learn to leave your trauma in the past.

• Enroll in Driving Classes

Enrolling in driving classes may be one way to cope with PTSD after a car accident. You may encounter this in therapy as you re-introduce yourself to triggers. Enrolling in driving classes could help you view driving as a neutral stimulus again.

• Follow Up With Your Doctor About Injuries

The mind-body connection is powerful. Having a doctor assess your physical injuries ensures that you feel empowered to address your emotional wounds.

• Stay Physically Active

Exercises and movements can help you regain a sense of control and confidence that can be helpful in your recovery process.

• Allow Yourself to Grieve

Experiencing grief after a trauma is common, and more than that, it is necessary. The accident may have shattered your sense of safety, and grieving your prior self can be influential in recovery. Allowing yourself to feel the full extent of your grief can help you heal your mind 

• Prioritize Self-Care & Recuperation

Prioritizing self-care can help stabilize recovery efforts when recovering from PTSD. Your mental, emotional, and physical well-being may need extra care and attention after sustaining car accident injuries. Attending to yourself ensures you an optimal recovery from trauma.

• Include massage therapy in your routine

Massage therapy can have a powerful impact on the healing process. A massage can reduce your body pain and relax the muscles. Also, massage therapy can ease stress, anxiety, sleep problems and other symptoms associated with trauma.

•  Try to consider Alternative Forms of Transportation

Try this for a while, especially in the midst of PTSD treatment. Doing so may lessen the pressure of learning to drive again, and your mind will ease the stress of reliving the trauma. 

Don’t Handle this Situation Alone

While car accidents cause life-altering physical injuries, they can also result in deep mental distress. The psychological effects of a car accident can manifest in a matter of time. Medical experts have noted that injuries sustained in a car accident, like brain or nerve damage, can also result in feelings of isolation, depression, anger, fear, anxiety, etc.

Mental health problems are overwhelming, but emotional and psychological help can heal you. At Injury Rely, we can help you locate the best medical professionals for your physical and psychological recovery.