Can You Make a Claim for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder After an Orlando Accident?
People often talk about post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, after being deployed in war or after being a victim of a robbery or an attack. The truth is, PTSD can happen after a number of different events, including auto accidents. It’s important to understand what PTSD is and how it can impact your claim for damages as well. This is why you should speak with a skilled Orlando auto accident attorney who can discuss your claim and whether or not you have a valid PTSD cause of action.
PTSD After an Auto Accident
It’s normal to experience some anxiety and emotion after an auto accident, however, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it rises to the level of PTSD. Medical professionals look at very specific symptoms to help them assess whether or not your emotions are in fact possible PTSD.
These symptoms must be:
- Intrusive: They must be intrusive in that you continue to experience recurrent recollections of the accident.
- Numbing and Avoidance: You find yourself keeping an emotional distance from those around you and the rest of the outside world, you have feelings of depression and helplessness, and even suffer from a growing inability to feel any emotion.
- Hyper-Arousal: This is a nervous anxiety response to situations or things that never used to elicit such a response. This can be stomach pains, increased heart rate, sweats, increased respiration, etc. It may be PTSD when the same things didn’t bother you before the car accident.
- Negative Mood and Thinking: When you become depressed or down after your accident, or it changes how you view the world around you. When feelings are so strong that it changes how you see the world, it’s likely PTSD.
Factors surrounding the accident can also impact people in different ways. As a general rule, the more serious the accident, the greater the risk of PTSD. However, everyone reacts differently. People who strongly believe their life is in danger are likely to develop avoidance behaviors, like refusing to get into a vehicle. The longer you remain out of a car, the more your mind runs wild. You may start to believe that driving in Orlando is dangerous. These emotions can interfere with your brain’s ability to handle healthy processing, increasing the risk of PTSD.
Can PTSD be Treated?
Many people do not realize that PTSD is something that can be treated. You are not stuck living with it for the rest of your life. With the right care and proper management, countless people have learned how to manage their day-to-day routines, allowing them to resume their daily activities. Getting help sooner rather than later is key when it comes to helping manage PTSD symptoms. Treatments vary based on symptoms and severity, but a doctor may use techniques like eye movement desensitizing and reprocessing therapy, known as EMDR. There are also certain medications that may be helpful.
Contact an Orlando Auto Accident Attorney Today
If you believe you are experiencing PTSD symptoms after your accident, it’s imperative to speak with an Orlando car accident attorney right away. Call the Payer Law today to schedule an initial consultation. Let us help you get the compensation you deserve for your medical bills, lost wages, physical damages, and emotional trauma.
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