What do you know about PTSD symptoms after a car accident?

After your recent motor vehicle accident while driving on Louisiana’s roads, you know you have a personal injury case. Do you know which non-economic damages you may qualify for?

The American Academy of Family Physicians exploressymptoms related to post-traumatic stress disorder after a car accident. Determine if your accident proved more traumatic than you originally thought.

Normal feelings

You expect a person to feel shaken after a motor vehicle incident, no matter how major or minor. Examples of typical emotions include guilt, shock, anxiety, disbelief and anger. Such feelings may bubble up in the collision’s immediate aftermath, or a few days later. No matter when an accident victim experiences typical emotions after an accident, the feelings usually dissipate.

Traumatic feelings

It is when feelings triggered by a harrowing event do not fade that you should dive deeper, and the same applies when your emotions become more intense. You may experience PTSD if your emotions become overwhelming and you cannot function in your day-to-day life. Specific symptoms of the disorder include having nightmares of the accident, a feeling of unease that you cannot shake, growing anxious at the thought of driving or being in a car again and feeling irritable for no reason. You may also have PTSD if uncontrollable memories of the accident flood your mind.

Besides considering whether you have non-economic damages to add to your personal injury case, think about whether to talk to a therapist to diagnose and address your potential PTSD. That way, you may learn healthy techniques for resolving your distressing emotions.

Do not brush off uncomfortable feelings after a car accident as normal. Such emotions could point to a deeper issue.