Among the catastrophic injuries you could suffer in an auto accident, one that you have to think about that isn’t as obvious is a serious mental illness called post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD can make it impossible for a person to enjoy their life.
They may not be able to go to work or do the things they did in the past. They may have night terrors or anxiety about riding in a vehicle or going to the place where they were injured.
No matter what kind of incident you’ve been involved in, you can ask for additional compensation to help with PTSD.
What are the symptoms of PTSD?
The symptoms of PTSD can be significant and may include:
- Reliving the traumatic event through flashbacks, which make it feel like the event is happening again right now.
- Having recurrent, invasive memories of the event.
- Waking up from night terrors, or being afraid to sleep because of them.
- Having severe emotional distress because of the traumatic event (or something that reminds you of it).
Many people with PTSD use avoidance as a technique to stop these feelings, such as avoiding the people they knew when the trauma happened or avoiding the places they used to go. They may be depressed, have high anxiety levels or struggle to maintain close relationships.
Why is getting treatment for PTSD so important?
After a serious collision or work accident, it’s possible for a person to develop PTSD. PTSD works somewhat like a loop. The person relives the traumatic incident over and over again instead of being able to process it and move forward with their life.
It is treatable, but there are times when PTSD may negatively impact a person’s life for much of their life.
If PTSD occurs after a traumatic incident, you deserve an opportunity to seek compensation for it and the treatment you need. Treatment, such as mental health therapy and support, could help you move on with your life sooner, so you can get back to doing the things you enjoy and avoid reliving the trauma that caused your injuries in the past.