Mental Health Issues Suffered by Car Accident Victims

Mental Health Problems Experienced By Motor Vehicle Accident Victims

Mental health is a vital component of the overall well-being of all individuals. Social contacts, psychological stability, and emotional balance are all essential elements that contribute to good mental health. Our behaviors, emotions, and thoughts are all influenced by the state of our mental health. If you are experiencing mental health problems that arose after you suffered injuries during a motor vehicle accident, contact our trusted California car accident lawyer today.

Our legal team has decades of experience representing clients who suffered bodily injury during accidents. Stress is a part of life, and those individuals who suffer from mental health issues may be unable to cope with episodes of stress. Also, our social interactions can be positive or negative depending on our mental perceptions of others. Treating mental health problems is necessary during every phase of life, from childhood to adulthood.

Being a healthy person does not only consist of the physical condition of our bodies but also includes the state of our mental health. Mental health issues can affect an individual’s behavior, thoughts, and physical health. These symptoms can arise anytime throughout the course of an individual’s life. Although mental health concerns often feature a genetic component, environmental, biological, and toxicological variables all affect mental health.

Neurological factors also play an important role in mental health and overall mood. Also, a family history of depression, suicide, and trauma all contribute to an individual’s mental health. Traumatic events and natural disasters can also contribute to mental health problems. These problems may go unnoticed for long periods of time if an individual does not seek mental health treatment.

Automobile collisions often produce physical injuries, but in the vast majority of cases, these injuries heal with medical treatment and rehabilitation. Emotional trauma can linger for years and affect physical, mental, and emotional health. Motor vehicle accidents can affect a survivor’s relationships, job performance, and social integration. Problems caused by motor vehicle accidents may intensify over time.

Contact Our Acclaimed Injury Firm Today to Schedule a Free Consultation With a California Personal Injury Attorney

You do not have to suffer alone after being injured in a motor vehicle accident. A personal injury attorney at Arash Law led by Arash Khorsandi, Esq. can help you obtain monetary compensation for your injuries. Under California law, you can recover damages for pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and medical treatment, to name a few.

Retaining a personal injury lawyer can help you gather the documentary evidence you need to establish that you endured psychological suffering and emotional trauma as a result of your injuries. Proving general damages can be more difficult than proving special damages, but with the expertise provided by a personal injury attorney, you have a better chance of recovering the financial compensation you deserve.

Our skilled attorneys understand how important it is to establish liability, request medical records, and set forth the best case possible. A personal injury attorney can advise you regarding depositions, discovery responses, and other elements of litigation with which you may be unfamiliar.

Also, a personal injury attorney can counteract tactics used by insurance companies so you can recover the financial compensation you deserve. The following paragraphs discuss common mental health problems endured by motor vehicle accident victims.

Mental Health Issues: How Do We Define Them?

Mental health is a vital component of overall human health. Mental health disorders can affect an individual’s ability to function in everyday life. Behavior, thoughts, and emotions are all influenced by mental health disorders. Some of the most common mental health disorders diagnosed in the United States are major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, bulimia, anorexia, and substance abuse disorders.

Mental Health IssuesMental health disorders may affect people during different times in their lives. Individuals may seek mental health treatment when they suffer noticeable symptoms for longer than one month and find that their symptoms negatively affect their professional and personal relationships.

Some prospective patients may hesitate to seek medical treatment for a mental health disorder due to social pressure or stigma. However, the stigma associated with mental health disorders is becoming less pronounced, and employers recognize that mental health treatment is beneficial to everyone who associates with the individual who experiences symptoms related to a mental health disorder.

Mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety may affect an individual’s mood and ability to cope with stressful situations. Performance at school and work may deteriorate if a mental health disorder is left untreated. Also, personal and professional relationships may suffer if an individual does not seek medical treatment for a mental health disorder.

Do Motor Vehicle Accident Victims Experience Mental Health Issues?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

One of the most frequent mental health disorders suffered by motor vehicle accidents victims is post-traumatic stress disorder. Automobile accident survivors often have flashbacks and memories of trauma that are related to the sudden impact they experienced during a motor vehicle collision. Motor vehicle accidents are the primary cause of post-traumatic stress disorder in the U.S. population.

Acute stress disorder is one common mental health disorder that can last for less than four weeks. Many individual accident victims experience acute stress disorder immediately after a traffic collision. Both post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder contain overlapping symptoms that can impair daily life, personal relationships, and work performance.

Individuals who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder experience painful thoughts and memories, which arise from past traumatic experiences. Some individuals may reenact the trauma through fantasies. Some of the emotional symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder include anger, frustration, sadness, and disassociation.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders primarily uses symptoms related to behavior to describe post-traumatic stress disorder. Four diagnostic clusters associated with post-traumatic stress disorder exist in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The primary behavioral symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder include avoidance, negative thoughts, mood dysregulation, and arousal.

Compulsive Anxiety

The fight or flight response is a defense mechanism the body uses to protect itself from perceived threats. Anxiety is a component of this system, and it is most often characterized by a sense of fear about upcoming events or some negative event that may occur in the future. Individuals who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder may experience anxiety for months or years.

Motor vehicle accident victims may be afraid to drive again or be a passenger in moving vehicles. As reported by the National Institutes of Health, many individuals may experience high levels of anxiety for weeks or months after a traumatic event such as a motor vehicle collision. Some of the most common symptoms experienced by individuals who suffer from compulsive anxiety include:

  • Physical symptoms, such as headaches and chest tightness
  • Panic attacks
  • Sleep disorders
  • Phobias
Major Depressive Disorder

Major depression is a serious mental health problem that affects people of all ages and across all demographics. Motor vehicle accident victims often experience depression after suffering serious bodily injuries. Depression can also be a symptom of traumatic brain injuries that occur during motor vehicle accidents.

Major Depression and Associated Symptoms

Some of the most common symptoms associated with major depression include:

  • Significant weight loss or weight gain
  • Irrational rage or frustration
  • Difficulty waking up
  • Sleep disorders
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Consistent suicidal thoughts
  • Unable to participate in hobbies
  • Feeling worthless or guilty
  • Excessive fatigue
  • Decreased energy levels
Trauma and Phobias

Phobias are characterized by irrational fears of specific places or objects. Some individuals who experience phobias may be afraid of heights or arachnids. Oftentimes a phobia is related to a traumatic experience in childhood or adolescence. Individuals who experience trauma related to a motor vehicle collision often experience dread when thinking about driving or being a passenger in a motor vehicle.

The irrational fear and dread may affect an individual even if the danger is not present or discernible. Many individuals may experience thoughts or memories that trigger the fear of a specific place or object.

Mental Health Disorders and Difficulty Sleeping

Insomnia

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can arise after an individual suffers a traumatic experience and then develops a mental health disorder such as major depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder. Symptoms associated with insomnia include difficulty falling asleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, and waking earlier than usual. Sometimes individuals who suffer from insomnia may not fall asleep at all and experience severe physical symptoms due to lack of sleep.

Insomnia is a serious health issue that can affect an individual’s work performance, overall health, and quality of life. Insomnia may occur for several weeks or several months, and it is often caused by a traumatic event such as a motor vehicle collision. Individuals who suffer from chronic insomnia experience persistent symptoms for longer than a month. Some underlying medical problems may cause insomnia.

Hypersomnia

Hypersomnia is characterized by excessive sleep. Major depression disorder can cause individuals to sleep for more than twelve hours every night. One symptom associated with major depressive disorder is lethargy, and hypersomnia is an extreme form of this disorder.

Is It Possible to Heal and Recover?

Although it can be difficult to believe when you are suffering from pervasive symptoms caused by a mental health disorder, it is possible to recover your physical and mental health. Setting goals and seeking medical treatment are important components associated with recovery. Healing is possible, but it requires patience and dedication.

One of the foremost things an individual who suffers from a mental health disorder can do to heal is to love themselves. Valuing your own thoughts, body, and self is vital to recovery. Respect yourself, be kind to yourself, and do not criticize yourself. If you give yourself time to participate in your favorite hobbies and pursuits, you will feel better about your own life.

Learning a language, engaging in sports, and helping others are healthy activities that can alleviate some of the severe symptoms caused by mental health disorders. It is also important for survivors of motor vehicle accidents to remember what their life was like before the accident. Taking care of your physical health is also necessary for recovery.

If you want to feel your best, you need to drink water and eat nourishing food. Do not smoke, and if you do smoke, you should immediately set a quit date and work toward being smoke-free. Also, daily exercise can reduce symptoms caused by major depressive disorder as well as anxiety. Lastly, get enough sleep so your body can heal from the trauma you endured during the motor vehicle accident.

Our legal team understands how difficult it can be to deal with mental health disorders that are related to a motor vehicle accident. Do not give up on yourself. Contact our reputable personal injury attorney today to speak to a member of our legal team. You can schedule a free consultation during which we can discuss the facts of your case. Call us at (888) 488-1391 to learn more about the legal services we offer.

If you want to continue healing from trauma, you need to be around positive people who believe in themselves. If you have many family members who are supportive, it is essential that you take advantage of this resource. Spend time with loving friends who want to see you recover from the trauma you experienced during a motor vehicle accident.

Seeking professional help is also a great tool you can use to recover from trauma. If you work with a psychologist and psychiatrist, you can receive tools that can help you recover from mental health disorders. Being patient and consistent is essential if you want to recover from a mental health disorder.

Contact Our Firm Today to Schedule a Free Consultation

You deserve monetary compensation for the physical and emotional injuries you endured. Contact Arash Law founded by Arash Khorsandi, Esq. today to retain a personal injury attorney who can help you stand up to the insurance companies and demonstrate how you have suffered from the trauma you experienced. Providing evidence of your injuries is essential to your case, and you should work with a personal injury attorney to collect all treatment records associated with your mental health treatment.

Our reputable car accident attorneys at our law firm have has recovered over $500 million for clients throughout the state of California. We represent clients in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Diego, Riverside, and throughout the state. We have decades of experience representing clients who experienced mental health problems caused by their injuries.

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DISCLAIMER: Information provided on this blog is not formal legal advice. It is generic legal information. Under no circumstances should the information on this page be relied upon when deciding the proper course of a legal action. Always obtain a free and confidential case evaluation from a reputable attorney near you if you think you might have a personal injury lawsuit.

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