Car accidents are always stressful for New Jersey residents. However, some people are able to quickly move on from the experience and resume their normal everyday life while others may not be so fortunate. Sometimes, a person can develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a car accident.
Understanding PTSD
Many people develop PTSD after enduring a highly traumatic situation. The event could be a house fire, a natural disaster such as a major earthquake or being the victim of a crime. However, even motor vehicle accidents can cause undue stress when they’re serious enough. This can happen to someone involved in the accident or even to a person who only witnesses it.
Common PTSD symptoms
A person who develops PTSD after a car accident often experiences certain symptoms. Fear is one of the most common; they might suddenly be scared to drive or even get into a vehicle at all, even as a passenger. Sleep issues are also common with PTSD as it can lead to insomnia or even sleeping too much. When the person does sleep, they could experience nightmares about the accident or a similar situation representing the trauma they endured during it.
Even while awake, the victim of a car accident who has PTSD often has flashbacks, reliving the incident over and over again in their mind. Also, intrusive thoughts can come about randomly and disrupt whatever the person is doing.
Depression is very common when a person has car accident-related PTSD. This is normal when the person is constantly plagued by flashbacks of the collision. They might have trouble dealing with their regular daily activities and not be able to function normally.
PTSD after a car accident can be crippling, but it doesn’t have to cause your life to come to a standstill. There is help available so you can heal.
