Dealing with PTSD from an Auto Accident

By Thomas Greer | February 1, 2017

Dealing with PTSD from an Auto AccidentIf you have been in a minor car accident, you might have walked away feeling shaken and anxious. Imagine if you were involved in a major car crash that resulted in serious injuries and fatalities. According the Mayo Clinic, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an emotional and psychological disorder that is triggered by witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event, and it causes you to experience intense fear or horror. Seeing and experiencing such a traumatic event like a major automobile crash can leave deep, psychological wounds that might take many years to heal.

The National Center for PTSD reports that about seven or eight out of every 100 people will experience PTSD at some point in their lifetime. In order for it to be considered PTSD, the symptoms must persist for at least a month and be severe enough that they interfere with your normal functioning, including doing your job or maintaining your relationships. For some people, the PTSD symptoms will resolve themselves over time, but in others, the symptoms will continue to be ongoing. The National Institute of Mental Health lists the following as PTSD symptoms:

  • Re-experiencing symptoms, such as in flashbacks and bad dreams.
  • Avoidance symptoms, such as staying away from places, events, or objects that remind the person of the upsetting experience.
  • Arousal and reactivity symptoms, like being easily startled and loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed.
  • Cognition and mood symptoms, including negative thoughts about yourself or the world and distorted feelings of guilt or shame.

You might be thinking that PTSD is something that only members of the military suffer from when they return from combat, but anyone who has experienced a traumatic event can suffer from this condition. Interestingly, some people who survive the same accident may come away from the experience without suffering from PTSD. This does not in any way invalidate the other person’s symptoms because individuals process traumatic events in vastly different ways.

The important thing is to make sure you are seen by a doctor and diagnosed if you think you might be suffering from PTSD. Without a proper diagnosis, you cannot get appropriate treatment. If you are suffering from PTSD after an accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. You can contact a Memphis auto accident attorney at the law firm of Bailey & Greer to get a free consultation about your case. We take cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you will not pay any attorney fees until we have recovered compensation for you.

If you or someone you care about has sustained a serious injury from an auto accident, you are encouraged to give one of our skilled Tennessee auto accident attorneys a call to discuss your case. At the law firm of Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we will answer your questions and offer attentive legal representation. You may contact us or call us at 901-680-9777 to schedule a consultation at our Memphis or Jackson office today.

Posted in Auto Accidents