Vehicle collisions are, by far, the leading cause of civilian PTSD in South Carolina. Extremely stressful situations trigger a chemical imbalance in the brain. The amygdala (emotional responses to stimuli) gets bigger, and the cerebral cortex (logical responses) gets smaller. This imbalance causes symptoms like anger, hypervigilance, depression, and flashbacks. Only the proper balance of medication and therapy controls PTSD. That proper balance varies among different individuals.
The trial-and-error nature of PTSD treatment, along with the ongoing treatment needs, makes this injury one of the most expensive car crash injuries. A Columbia car accident attorney obtains the compensation these victims need to pay these bills and move forward with their lives. Since no one can turn back the clock and change what happened, moving forward is the best possible outcome after a crash.
Normal Stress Response
NSR is basically pre-PTSD. However, it does not always lead to the full-blown disorder. Events like accidents, injuries, illnesses, surgeries, and other sources of unreasonable amounts of tension and stress can all lead to this response. Typically, a normal stress response can be effectively managed with the support of loved ones, peers, and individual or group therapy sessions. Individuals suffering from a normal stress response should see a recovery within a few weeks.
Acute Stress Disorder
ASD, while not the same as PTSD, can occur in people who have been exposed to what is or what feels like a life-threatening event. Natural disasters, loss of loved ones, loss of a job or risk of death are all stressors that can trigger acute stress disorder. If left untreated, acute stress disorder may actually develop into PTSD. Acute stress disorder can be treated through individual and group therapy, medication and intensive treatments designed by a psychiatrist.
Uncomplicated PTSD
This is the most common kind of car crash-related PTSD. It’s linked to one major traumatic event, versus multiple events, and is the easiest form of PTSD to treat. Symptoms of uncomplicated PTSD include: avoidance of trauma reminders, nightmares, flashbacks to the event, irritability, mood changes and changes in relationships. Uncomplicated PTSD can be treated through therapy, medication or a combination of both.
Complex PTSD
Complex PTSD is the opposite of uncomplicated PTSD. It is caused by multiple traumatic events, not just one. Complex PTSD is common in abuse or domestic violence cases, repeated exposure to war or community violence, or sudden loss. While they share the same symptoms, treatment of complex PTSD is a little more intense than uncomplicated PTSD. Individuals with complex PTSD can be diagnosed with borderline or antisocial personality disorder or dissociative disorders. They exhibit behavioral issues, such as impulsivity, aggression, substance abuse or sexual impulsivity. They can also exhibit extreme emotional issues, such as intense rage, depression or panic.
Comorbid PTSD
Comorbid PTSD is a blanket term for co-occurring disorders. It is applied when a person has more than one mental health concern, often coupled with substance abuse issues. Comorbid PTSD is extremely common, as many people suffer from more than one condition at a time. Best results are achieved when both the commingling mental health condition and the comorbid PTSD are treated at the same time. Many people who suffer from PTSD try to treat it on their own. This can include self-medication and other destructive behaviors. Using drugs or alcohol as a way to numb the pain will only make things worse and prolong treatment.
Causes of PTSD After a Car Accident
Because of the high speed at which cars travel, an accident often seems to come out of nowhere, leaving little time for a driver to react and protect themselves and their passengers. The moments before a crash may happen in a flash, but in that moment, a motorist experiences many emotions, including terror, and the loss of all ability to control what happens to them. Then there is the trauma of the collision with another vehicle, a rollover, or a crash into an obstacle with tremendous crash force.
The impacts of a car accident linger long after the crash, with lasting effects from the following sources of trauma:
- Loss of control
- The terror of the crash, including the sound of tires squealing, glass and metal breaking, and sometimes screams from others in the vehicle
- The shock of the pain from one or more injuries
- The fear for other loved ones in the vehicle
- The trauma of being trapped while awaiting help
- The fear that you or a loved one may have fatal injuries
- The experience of being removed from the vehicle by emergency personnel
- The unfamiliar experience of riding in an ambulance and receiving emergency medical treatment
- In the worst cases, learning that you’ve suffered catastrophic injuries or that a loved one suffered severe, catastrophic, or fatal injuries in the accident
According to crash force calculations, a collision at only 45 miles per hour transforms a 135-pound person into a 6,075-pound force propelled against the seatbelt and then snapped back against the seat—all while the car also collapses forcefully inward, causing blunt-force trauma and crush injuries. This force, along with the terror of the crash and the minutes and hours following the accident, can leave deep emotional scars. Car accident victims may develop signs of PTSD during the days after the accident, or even months or years later.
Symptoms of PTSD After a Car Accident
PTSD after a car accident has similar symptoms to PTSD after a violent assault or for those who’ve experienced violent military combat. Common symptoms include the following:
- Avoidance of reminders, including avoiding driving, avoiding the road where the accident occurred, or resisting talking or even thinking about the accident
- Having flashbacks or intrusive thoughts, such as suddenly hearing the sounds of breaking glass or remembering the loss of control of the car, reliving the accident, or reliving the experience in the hospital during emergency medical procedures
- Nightmares, insomnia, and other sleep disturbances
- Difficulty concentrating
- Socially withdrawing
- Having mood swings or changes in personality
- Inability to feel positive emotions such as happiness, contentment, or pleasure
- Developing symptoms of anxiety or depression
- Hypersensitivity to sounds or other stimuli
- Escalated startle reflex
After a car accident, an injury victim may feel irritable or on edge, or experience a constant sense of threat or impending doom.
Recognizing Car Accident PTSD In Children
Children also experience PTSD after a car accident, and for many of the same reasons, such as the sudden loss of control, the noises and pain of the crash, and the terror for their own safety and that of the parent or other family members who were driving or riding as passengers with them in the car. A child’s PTSD may be escalated by their sudden realization that their parents cannot protect them from all danger.
Signs of PTSD may look different in children, and children may not always be able to express themselves to describe their emotions. After a car accident involving a child, look for signs of PTSD, such as the following:
- Difficulty sleeping
- Nightmares
- Regression, such as returning to bedwetting or thumb-sucking
- Loss of appetite
- Headaches
- Stomaches
- Changes in their ability to show affection
- Clinginess
- Aggressive behavior
- Loss of ability or willingness to speak
Some children lose the ability to speak, but other children may exhibit opposite signs of PTSD, such as talking about the accident repeatedly, re-enacting it, playing out the story of the crash with dolls or toy cars, or drawing pictures of the accident or their experience in the hospital.
Are Some People at a Higher Risk of PTSD After a Motor Vehicle Accident?
Some studies show that women are more likely to suffer PTSD than men after a traumatic experience, such as a car accident, even though the study also shows that men are more likely to experience greater numbers of traumatic events. The reasons for gender differences in PTSD susceptibility are unclear, but the study suggests that women may face a higher risk because more women carry the burden of previous trauma, such as from sexual abuse or previous domestic abuse situations.
Those with a family history of PTSD may have a greater risk of experiencing PTSD after a car accident, just as those with a family history of depression or other mental illnesses face a higher risk.
Those who lack the support of close family members, a spouse, or other loved ones after an accident also face a higher risk of suffering from PTSD.
Finally, the more severe the car accident and its effects, the greater the risk of PTSD. For instance, an accident that causes disability or a loved one’s death is far more likely to cause PTSD than an accident with only minor injuries and property damage.
How Does PTSD Affect the Victim’s Life?
According to psychiatric experts, PTSD can affect all aspects of a car accident victim’s life, including their ability to focus and accomplish work-related tasks or their normal household activities. They may be unable to leave home to go to work. PTSD may cause a car accident victim to avoid driving or riding in a motor vehicle. They may also withdraw from social events they once enjoyed and avoid being around friends and family members. They may appear either numb and distant from their loved ones, or hyper-sensitive and overly emotional. Some untreated PTSD sufferers develop addiction problems due to self-medicating to manage their emotions.
A car accident victim experiencing PTSD may require counseling through trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, eye-movement desensitization therapy. They may also be prescribed medication to manage the symptoms of PTSD.
Compensation for counseling, behavioral therapies, and medication may be available as a portion of a car accident victim’s damages if they are suffering from PTSD. In some cases, they may also seek compensation for non-economic damages, such as loss of enjoyment of life.
Talk to a Hard-Hitting Richland County Lawyer
Injury victims are entitled to compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Columbia, contact the Marc Brown Law Firm. You have a limited amount of time to act.
Source:
verywellmind.com/risk-factors-for-ptsd-following-a-traffic-accident-2797197