When we think of emotional trauma, we often picture scenarios where someone intentionally inflicts emotional abuse on someone else. However, psychological trauma is not always a result of intentional choices; in fact, many cases of acute emotional trauma stem from tragic accidents. Therefore, it stands to reason that traffic accidents cause a variety of emotional complications, and one of these complications is post-accident anxiety.
What Is Post-Accident Anxiety?
When an accident occurs, a person’s mind can respond to the trauma in a variety of ways. Some people will shut down entirely; an emotional response called disassociation. However, others will respond to the accident in a way that is less obvious than other emotional reactions—with post-accident anxiety.
Post-accident anxiety is a form of acute mental trauma that stems from suffering a severe crash. The anxiety is “acute” because it is typically temporary, onset from the accident that someone suffered. However, temporary emotional trauma can be just as disabling as prolonged trauma.
Symptoms of Post-Accident Anxiety
Post-accident anxiety is a stress-based reaction to severe mental trauma.
The symptoms of post-accident anxiety include:
- Fear of driving/getting in a car
- Sense of dread or foreboding
- Transference of anxiety from the accident into other parts of life (work, schools, friendships)
When someone suffers from post-accident anxiety, he or she may develop post-traumatic stress disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a more severe form of post-accident anxiety, and includes additional symptoms on top of those previously stated.
The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder include:
- Flashbacks of the accident
- Restless sleep
- Nightmares
- Entering a fugue state
Post-Accident anxiety is a complex problem; however, there are ways to financially recover from accident-related anxiety. If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident and are suffering from post-accident anxiety, call (267) 457-5570 for a free consultation.