How Car Accidents Can Lead to PTSD (and How to Recover)

mid 20’sI was hit by a car on my way to school. An elderly driver assumed the median was an extra right turn lane and hit three of his pedestrians in the process, including myself. At one point, I was a stressed out graduate student, worried about finishing an experiment. the next moment, I watched as the light brown hood of the car came straight toward me, followed by oblivion.When I woke up, I was lying on the pavement, covered in blood and in pain like never before.including childbirth.

In the weeks and months after the accident, I began to have frequent nightmares. A place where you get run over by cars over and over again.I also started having Whether I was sitting in my car or standing on the pavement, I had a panic attack every time I saw a car approaching. I am no longer able to drive.

After the accident, I developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is characterized by nightmares and flashbacks of the traumatic event, avoidance of situations that evoke memories of the traumatic event, and hypersensitivity disorders.alert, can contain Panic attacks and constant nervousness.

PTSD is often thought of in the context of veterans, Civilian, too Car accidents are one of the most common causesConsidering how painful and terrifying Unpredictable car accidents PTSD is all too commonHowever, he said, “It’s very treatable.” Jessica Roll,psychologist Houston Methodist Hospital.

Signs of developing PTSD

If you have been in a car accident, you can expect to feel some degree of fear in the days and weeks after the accident. “This is really normal,” he says Rohr. When this fear lasts for too long and begins to have long-term negative effects, it becomes PTSD.

S.Ohm Signs of PTSD Including being in a constant state of hyperVigilance, having intrusive thoughts about accidents (in the form of unwanted memories and nightmares)When avoid situations that remind you of the trauma that’s why drive a car or ride in a car.

If you’ve just been in a car accident, one of the most important things you can do in the days and weeks afterward is to take your recovery seriously, even if you weren’t actually injured in the accident. This includes temporarily dialing back some of your regular obligations. several weeks, to prioritize rest. “You’re recovering, so act like you’re recovering,” Rohr said.

We also recommend contacting our support network. friends and family“The biggest factor in recovering from trauma is social support,” says Rohr.This includes asking friends and family to help in various ways, We deliver your meals Taking you to doctor’s appointments or spending time together“You don’t always have to tell what happened to be helpful,” says Rohr.

Avoidance only makes things worse

After a traumatic accident, it is tempting to deal with the fear by avoiding the dreaded trigger. however, Ron Asierno,psychologist UTHeal Houston Doctors who specialize in treating PTSD warn that the worst thing you can do after a car accident is avoidance. “That’s why people end up not driving his 10 years,” he says Acierno. As Lohr said, “Fear feeds avoidance.”

Instead, the best treatment for PTSD caused by car accidents is the so-called Graduated exposure therapysecure and structured, and systematic way to reduce their fear response. “Treatment without that exposure won’t help you,” Asierno said.

For traffic accident victims, this begins with spending 15 minutes sitting in a parked car, after the fear response has subsided to a manageable level, then turning on the car and slowly driving around the block. The point is not to avoid fear altogether, but to confront it in a controlled way. “Put yourself in situations that make you anxious, but don’t overwhelm you,” said Asierno.

How to Help Children’s Fear

For children in accidents If you are suffering from the after-effects, parents should remember that “One of the symptoms of PTSD is the perception of loss of control.” “You really have to respect the fact that a child can’t steer or hit the brakes,” said Ascierno. “We need to make the situation as calm and safe as possible.”

For children, if this exposure to cars is tied to something, it could be helpful They enjoy things like eating ice cream together on a short drive. (This is also an effective strategy for adults..)

how therapy can help

If you were recently in a car accident and find your fear getting in the way of a fulfilling life, It is important to seek help sooner or later. Generally speaking, PTSD treatment can be done in 4-5 courses for him. Moon By attending weekly sessions.When there are complicating factors, such as past trauma Or if you lack support at home, treatment may take some time, but it won’t last forever.

It took me years to recover from PTSD because I didn’t have the support and resources I needed. Recovery has been an ever-swinging pendulum, oscillating between an overwhelming fear of cars and an intense desire to live a normal life again. but Walking around my neighborhood required a lot of time and attention when crossing streets and intersections.

But things got better as I kept going outside trying to figure out how to do what I wanted without being overwhelmed by fear. Fear becomes more manageable, Gradually, I was able to do more and more until I could drive. The usual, everyday hassle it had always before.