How to Deal With Trauma After a Car Accident

Updated on November 22, 2022

The state of road traffic in San Diego forces many commuters to sit in traffic for over 56 hours, leading to many fatal car accidents. Between 2010 and 2015, road accidents increased by 15 percent—most of them being fatal and causing traumas and injuries. Moreover, the traumas car accident victims suffer, require immediate and special medical attention. Otherwise, other mental issues such as acute stress disorder (ASD) or post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD follow. 

At this point, a qualified car accident lawyer San Diego comes into the picture. They can help you get a fair settlement that fast-tracks your recovery through better medical care. The attorney can help you win maximum compensation from your insurance. 

Many people focus on treating physical injuries and consulting a car accident lawyer in San Diego when involved in a car accident. Although treating physical injuries is important, it is also good to focus on your psychological health and get insights of distracted driving accidents to handle such cases more adequately. You can find here more details and gain a better perspective towards such serious incidents.

Learn About PTSD and How to Deal with It 

PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder. Most people associate PTSD with soldiers who underwent extreme stress in combat or a person who was a victim of a terror attack. PTSD can also affect a fatal car accident victim, especially if he or she lost a loved one in that car accident. 

A victim may lose a limb in a car accident, resulting in PTSD. A 2008 study in Canada revealed that 9.2% of all respondents experienced lifetime PTSD. From that study, 76.1% of participants said they had lived through several situations that could have led to PTSD. 

Most car accident victims who get PTSD don’t experience it immediately after the accident. That is why it’s important to know the signs and symptoms that can cause PTSD. That way, you can seek qualified professional therapy at EMDR Healing or similar therapy providers in your area, and receive the help and support that you need. 

Signs and Symptoms of Car Accident PTSD 

These are some of the symptoms that may lead to PTSD after a car accident:

  • Having regular nightmares and flashbacks of the accident. 
  • The car accident victim will start avoiding anything associated with the freak accident, such as talking about the tragic event or passing the area where the accident occurred. 
  • The victim will withdraw from emotional conversations with others. 
  • The victim will start exaggerated reactions from loud sounds, crowded places, or chronic insomnia. 

These symptoms may last less than a week if it’s an Acute Stress Disorder (ASD). If the symptoms last for more than a week, the victim has PTSD. There is no exact answer to why certain people develop PTSD over others. Doctors believe that chronic pain may be the cause. 

In children, PTSD symptoms are different from those experienced by adults. PTSD symptoms in children include:

  • Getting quiet all of a sudden for a long time or refusing to speak
  • Starting bedwetting all of a sudden after being toilet trained 
  • The child victim will start being exceptionally clingy

Car Accident PTSD Treatments 

If left untreated, PTSD may lead to a nervous breakdown or suicidal thoughts. A victim can seek professional medical attention from psychologists. A psychologist may recommend psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy to help the victim manage the symptoms. A doctor can also teach a car accident victim suffering from PTSD how to pain, which may eventually stop PTSD for good. 

Car accidents are rampant in San Diego, and knowing how to deal with trauma-related to such accidents will help the victim recover and heal faster. 

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