Coping With Emotional and Psychological Trauma from a Car Accident

Car accidents cause an enormous amount of physical and mental trauma. However, many victims only get support for their physical health needs. While they may have access to surgical care, medication, physical therapy, and other medical options, their mental health needs may go unnoticed and unserved. When you’re hurt in a car crash, your mental health is just as important as your physical well-being.

If you’ve been injured in a car collision, a Chatom personal injury attorney can help you pursue the compensation you are owed. Set up a meeting with Turner, Onderdonk, Kimbrough & Howell now to discuss your case. Just call our Bay Minette location at 251-651-0483 or our Chatom office at 251-847-2237.

Be Generous with Your Timeline

Many people downplay the severity of a crash and its effects on their mental wellbeing. Don’t expect yourself to be recuperated days or even weeks after an accident. Your mind may need months or even years of ongoing work and therapy to start to feel safe again. If you aren’t healing or moving on quite as quickly as you’d hoped, avoid judging yourself or putting pressure on yourself to speed up the process. Not only does this not help, but it can also actually hinder your recovery process.

Don’t Minimize the Mental Trauma

On a similar note, don’t ignore how serious your mental trauma is. Victims often try to heal by telling themselves that other people have it worse, their accident could have had a worse outcome, and they need to be grateful that they’re alive. But you can’t force healing and trying to make it happen this way just adds guilt to the other negative emotions you’re feeling. Spend some time really sitting with your feelings, identifying them, and figuring out where they’re coming from. This allows you to start thinking about what might help you heal.

Seek Out Professional Help

You wouldn’t try to manage your own physical injuries after an accident, so why would you try to heal your emotional and psychological trauma on your own? Make your mental health a priority as you start to move on from the accident.

There are lots of options in the Bay Minette and Chatom area, including psychiatrists, psychologists, and licensed therapists. Consider choosing a care provider with specialized experience in trauma-informed care and PTSD. Even if you don’t have PTSD, a mental healthcare provider with experience in this area will have a better understanding of what you need to heal and move on from your collision.

Remember that the path to recovery can be slow, especially if you or someone you love suffered serious injuries in the collision.

Hold the Liable Party Accountable

The expenses of an accident pile up quickly, and if you’re like most accident victims, you’re wondering how you’re supposed to afford therapy and psychiatric care while you’re out of work, receiving other types of medical care, and trying to cover the expense of a totaled or damaged car. If the car accident was not your fault, you may be able to seek compensation for all of your accident-related expenses.

Once you figure out who the liable party is, you can start taking steps to demand fair compensation. A car accident attorney in Bay Minette can investigate your crash, estimate your financial damages, and pursue compensation via negotiations or a lawsuit. Make the most of your time by seeking legal advice as soon as possible after a crash. Evidence doesn’t last forever and waiting too long to pursue a claim against a negligent party could leave you without the evidence you need for a successful claim.

With fair and full compensation for your car accident, you can breathe a sigh of relief, get the medical care you need, and take care of your mental health. The justice and closure you get from holding the other party accountable can be very beneficial for your mental and psychological wellbeing.

Start Your Claim Now with Turner, Onderdonk, Kimbrough & Howell

Ready to take the next step in your personal injury claim? We’re here to help. You can reach our Bay Minette office at 251-651-0483 or our Chatom office at 251-847-2237. If you’d rather have a team member reach out to you, fill out our online contact form.