Do Car Accidents Impact Your Mental Health? Here’s How to Deal with Them

Car accidents can be the worst and most traumatic experience of anyone’s’ life. Knowingly-unknowingly, people develop issues with their mental health, and also it can lead to a lifetime of phobias and much more. 

While there are thousands of millions of car accident clinics around the world and all of them recommend the patients to seek psychiatric help as well. This motive however is not taken seriously by many people as they feel like nothing is wrong with them.

Car Accident Statistics 

According to the statistics put forth by NHSA, an additional 7,277,000 accidents reported alone by the police. And these are the figures for none other than the United States in just a year 2016. Much of the cases, the main worry is about the serious injury to the individuals concerned and to seek treatment urgently. After the incident, when the initial trauma had receded, several victims were unable to understand whether such events had an impact on their physical and emotional stability.

Reasons for Car Accidents 

When you are on the road, you are vulnerable to many different kinds of accidents and risks. However, if seen statistically, there have been some common reasons and risk factors that have contributed a lot to car accidents. 

Some of the most common reasons are:

  • Drivers who are irresponsible and they have their attention diverted to other things like their mobile phone, eatables, and smoking. This is the leading cause of accidents throughout the world. The world has seen a considerable rise in car accidents from distracted driving ever since the use of smartphones and gadgets has become much more common. 
  • Drunk driving is another leading cause of a car accident. Many people hit the roads under the influence. Over-working busy people relieve their stress and mental health issues due to the overload of chores and responsibilities most of the time by drinking. 
  • Speed is another reason why car accidents have become quite common. Some people tend to enjoy their ride smooth-sailing on the road and speeding along with the vehicles. Many people become victims of major accidents because of over speeding. 
  • Raining and bad weather reduces the friction between tires of the vehicles and careless driving, in this case, can result in fatal accidents. 

Car Accident Trauma 

Hundreds of thousands of road injuries happen annually in America. If you have ever been in a wreck, you could have encountered a series of common emotions. They may be at the moment of the crash, even in the days after the accident.

Whether you are seeking treatment from your accident doctor for the visible wounds and all or you are going to a chiropractor for whiplash, there is always a possibility that you are missing out on something. 

That something is your mental health after an accident. Many people are not willing to accept as they might look weak or fragile but these are some of the most common reactions that people tend to display after an accident. 

Any of these thoughts may also include:

  • A major shock leading you to an inability to think straight
  • Difficulty accepting that it existed
  • Anger
  • Anxiety or fear
  • Fear of unease
  • Guilt that you made someone uncomfortable
  • Many people will be without their control go over and over on what happened.

Many people get over these feelings if they are provided with proper healing and self-reflection time. However, in case people are emotionally unstable or they tend to be more sensitive towards such matters, it may become a lifetime of damage. 

PTSD – Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 

And most of the individuals who experience a car crash, intense emotions start slipping down very quickly. Even those emotions don’t fade but the victim feels that they are getting stronger and more prominent over time. Such an issue can completely change the thinking process of the person. It usually results in the individual questioning a lot of things. This psychiatric problem is referred to as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD in medical.

How to deal with mental distress following a car accident?

Once you realize that you are not okay and your mental health is not on par with a normal person, it is time to do something about it. Here are a few things that you must consider and that can effectively help you deal with your situation at hand. 

Talk to someone

Talking always helps if you have the right people around you. If you want to let it all out of your system once and for all, it is important that you go over with the details of the incident and completely open your health about what and how you’re felt. 

Bring out your actions and the reason why those actions took place. In short, talk about everything related to the accident that is bothering you. 

Talking to the right people always helps and if in any case, your right ones aren’t available, you can always seek professional help. Sure it costs a few bucks but you can get rid of the horror and nightmares of not being able to function properly.

Maintain an Active Lifestyle 

Don’t just become bed-bound or confined within the walls of your own house. Try to come to a regular lifestyle by implementing certain strategies like fixing time for a particular activity or workout. Make sure that your injuries are not being compromised in any way. 

Contact your Family Doctor 

Your physician may not be an accident doctor but he certainly can give you a good referral on who to contact. You can trust your family doctor when he recommends you a chiropractor for whiplash instead of a doctor you just met. 

They can refer you to mental health doctors of their recommendation as well and it could be a problem solver. Not only this but he or she can also monitor your road to recovery and keep a track of the mental health issues that you may encounter. 

Learn Defense Driving 

Absolutely anyone and everyone can learn to drive but defensive driving is something that you really would want to put in your list of things to do- especially if you are looking forward to having lesser trips to car accident clinics

Being a defensive driver means that you must consider wearing seat belts and other protective gear – if it is required while being behind the wheels. You need to stay in proper lanes, keep your distance, and avoid the use of gadgets and drugs. 

Conclusion 

Car accidents are becoming more and more frequent. Because of this, many victims of car accidents are suffering from inevitable mental health issues that can lead to a lifetime of trauma. It limits the regular physical activity and even harms the mental health to an extent that many people of police-reported car accidents have said to have developed diseases like PTSD. 

If you ever feel that you are suffering from mental health issues that are coming in the way of your regular activities and lifestyle, it is time to take some action and talk about the situation. Even if you feel, there is no harm in taking professional sessions. 

Many people learn defensive driving after their accident which is a positive thing as it helps them come out of their fears and issues in a much healthier way.