Millions of accidents occur in the United States every single year. Car accidents can affect pedestrians, passengers, drivers, or simply observers. Not only are they affected physically, financially, and logistically but also emotionally. Physical injuries include brain or muscle injury and they take a certain amount of time to heal. However, mental recovery may take more time as compared to physical injuries, depending on the severity of the car accident. For the compensation of emotional and physical pain, people can file for a case. For instance, if you were affected by an accident in the most populous county in New Jersey, contacting a car accident lawyer in Bergen County to get the best possible outcome in a legal and professional way will be your ideal solution. While going through legal cases may compensate you financially, getting mental help is a necessity too as mental recovery is a lengthy and difficult process. And it can take a few months to get better as compared to a physical injury. Read on further to know how long it takes to mentally recover from a car accident.
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Types of Emotional Response to a Car Accident:
While you may be recovering with time from a physical injury by taking antibiotics and painkillers, your mental issues may start to take a toll on your health. You may feel the following emotions:
Fear: After encountering a car accident, you may fear even step out of your home. You may also fear driving the car or get in the car as a passenger as you may get recalled to the terrible event that happened. This kind of fear should get better with time and if it doesn’t, then it may be a sign of a bigger issue.
Anxiety/Depression: Not being able to sleep properly at night, feeling uneasy, excessive worrying, or extreme fatigue may all indicate anxiety. Most people suffer from anxiety after an accident and depression as well. If you no longer show the same interest or excitement in activities like in the past, it may be a sign of depression.
Flashbacks: You may find yourself involuntarily replaying the scenes of the accident over and over again in your head. Whenever you pass by a car accident, hear a siren, or see any event similar to yours will trigger your emotions.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: The most common symptoms of PTSD following an accident are trouble sleeping, feeling irritated, and increased fear. You may also be unable to drive or sit in the passenger seat because of the trauma you had recently faced.
How to Feel Better After a Car Accident?
Surrounding yourself with your loved ones after the accident will make you feel calm and relaxed. You can even share your feelings with them to help you feel better.
However, if your symptoms aren’t getting better with time, you should definitely see a therapist. They will guide you with professional tips and techniques that you can practice for a speedy recovery. They may even prescribe you medicines depending on the severity of your emotional condition. In a nutshell, simply talking with your therapist regarding the accident will help you with a heavy heart.
