NEW YORK CITY PSYCHOLOGICAL INJURIES ATTORNEY
Accidents are traumatic events and psychological injuries are common and range in severity. Even when the physical injuries are not severe, victims can be afraid to get in a car or to cross a street, which can have an impact on their ability to perform daily activities. When physical injuries are disabling or disfiguring, psychological injuries will almost always come into play.
Anxiety
After an accident, it’s common to feel nervous about driving, or even being a passenger in a car. When the fear becomes more severe psychologists will call it an “anxiety disorder.” Anxiety disorders range in severity and rarely go away without some type of treatment.
Symptoms of anxiety include:
- Weakness
- Tenseness
- Uncontrollable Shaking
- Sweating (when it’s not hot)
- Hyperventilating
- Increased heart rate
- A sense of impending danger when no danger is present
- An undue amount of time spent worrying
- Trouble sleeping due to worrying
- Gastrointestinal problems
More severe forms of anxiety:
- Panic Attacks – which can include sudden feelings of terror, chest pain and shortness of breath
- Avoidance – will not ride in a car or cross streets, interfering with the ability to work and live in our culture.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
This is a very serious mental condition that people are familiar with from movies about soldiers returning from war. Symptoms include severe anxiety, uncontrollable thoughts, avoidance, intrusive memories and mood swings. The intrusive memories are usually about the accident or incident that caused injuries. Avoidance can include not just how it happened (ie; a car accident,) but where it happened (ie; the shopping mall parking lot,) activities (ie; boating,) and the people you were with when it happened (ie; Aunt Shirley.) These changes in mood and thinking can resemble depression or cause somebody to be on guard, easily startled, aggressive or self-destructive.
PTSD symptoms may not arise until many months after an accident, and might last for months or even years, especially if untreated. It’s important to remember that not all recurring memories and difficulty coping after an accident rises to the level of PTSD. PTSD can be treated with therapy and medications which can reduce or eliminate symptoms over time.
Depression
Depression is something to look out for when victims have severe disabilities or disfigurement from an accident. Lives have been changed in an instant, careers destroyed, favorite sports or hobbies are not impossible. It can be anticipated that such drastic change might trigger depression.
Symptoms of Depression Include:
- Sadness and crying,
- Shifting emotions such as disbelief, denial, and guilt,
- Difficulty or inability to concentrate,
- Social withdrawal,
- Appetite changes,
- Changes in sleeping patterns,
- A surge in use of drugs or alcohol
If you, or somebody you know, is exhibiting these symptoms, assistance should be sought immediately. Always take it seriously when a person threatens suicide. If you don’t feel you are able to help them yourself, call a Suicide Hotline or 911.
If you have suffered psychological injuries from an accident, you need an attorney that will take your claim seriously and get you the compensation you deserve. At Wittenstein & Wittenstein we’ve been helping victims of accidents with psychological injuries for over 60 years. We know how to compile evidence of psychological injuries to present in court and make your case. Call us for a FREE CONSULTATION at 718-261-8114. You’ll be glad you did.
Check out: SelfGrowth.com for great articles about trauma and psychological injuries