If you have been injured in an accident, your first thoughts and those of your loved ones were most likely about your physical injury and recovery. You might be contending with broken bones, scarring, bruising, burns, or organ or tissue damage, causing you to need extensive medical treatment like surgery, medication, and physical therapy. A physical injury can have a significant impact on an individual’s life, keeping him or her out of work for a period of time or requiring him or her to stop working altogether.
But what about the mental injuries that can occur as a result of an accident? Many people do not consider the impact that subsequent mental health problems can have on a personal injury victim. However, these injuries and conditions are as real as the physical conditions that many face and can have as much of an impact on one’s recovery and life after the accident as a physical injury. The good news is, victims can also seek monetary compensation for mental health treatment as part of their personal injury claims. To learn more about seeking compensation for your mental health needs, speak with an experienced personal injury attorney.
Depression
It is not uncommon for an individual to suffer from depression[1] after being injured in an accident. Depression is characterized by a loss of interest and pleasure in daily activities, a withdrawal from one’s social life, excessive guilt, feelings of worthlessness or a bleak outlook, difficulty concentrating, and a loss of appetite. Depression can be treated with medication or with therapy, with most doctors using a combination of the two to treat their patients’ depression.
Anxiety
Anxiety refers to increased feelings of tension that can lead to the loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, difficulty focusing on work or other important tasks, paranoia, a sense of detachment, and irritability. Individuals who have been involved in traumatic accidents often report feeling anxiety on the anniversaries of their accidents.[2]
When an individual is suffering from anxiety, whether that anxiety comes in the form of short bursts or is an ongoing, chronic condition, he or she might seek help from a licensed psychologist. Psychologists may employ a variety of treatment strategies, such as medication, talk therapy, or cognitive behavioral therapy, to help an individual overcome his or her anxiety. A patient can seek monetary compensation for the cost of any type of treatment for his or her anxiety.
Chronic Stress
Stress can come from a variety of sources. After a car accident, it is normal for an individual to feel the stress of having to keep up with medical treatments while worrying about how his or her reduced income will affect his or her family. Even individuals who have already received personal injury settlements to cover their expenses can feel stress as they try to balance all of their obligations while recovering from an injury. If you are still waiting for your claim to be approved or you are working through the appeals process, your stress levels are likely fairly high.
Stress affects every facet of an individual’s life. Work relationships, relationships with family, and even simply getting through the motions of everyday life can be adversely affected by the chronic stress[3] that can follow an accident. Individuals might seek counseling or methods like yoga to minimize the stress present in their lives after an accident.
Call a Personal Injury Attorney in St. Petersburg
Mental health problems after an accident can impact your life as deeply as physical health problems. Do not allow anybody to try to convince you otherwise – when you are suffering mentally, you cannot make a full recovery physically. If you want to seek compensation for your mental health needs as part of a personal injury claim, work with a personal injury attorney who has experience working with clients who are suffering mentally as well as physically. Contact Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA today at 727-222-6922 to schedule your free legal consultation with a member of our firm and learn more about the personal injury claim process. We are here to help you get the money you need for all of your expenses following an accident.
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA
1663 1st Ave S.
St. Petersburg, FL 33712
(727) 472-3909
References:
[1] Depression
[3] Stress won’t go away? Maybe you are suffering from chronic stress
