Accidents can occur to anyone and any time. Individuals may experience a variety of injuries as a result. Even when the injuries have been treated and people are well on their way to recovery, they may be troubled with symptoms that they may not recognize are an integral part of the effect of the accident. Here are a few subtle ways that accidents can continue to have an extensive effect on your life, for a significant amount of time after an accident.
Lingering Pain From Injuries
Common injuries from accidents include a head impact, back injuries, cut and abrasions, open wounds, broken bones and internal injuries. Immediate medical treatment can help to repair these injuries, but in some cases, individuals may experience lingering pain that affects their ability to enjoy normal life. Chronic pain can lead to depression, social isolation and loss of self worth. Effective pain relief is critical to restoring both physical and mental health. If you have been in an accident, you should monitor your condition closely to detect signs of lingering problems that can negatively affect your work and your personal life.
Impairment of Mobility
Accident injuries can cause long-term mobility problems that affect normal life. Injuries to the back, neck, hips, legs or arms can impair the ability to perform even the simplest of everyday activities. Medical treatment can repair the immediate damage from an accident, but longer-term problems can be a problem for some time after the event and some issues may be permanent. Long-term physical therapy and rehabilitation is sometimes necessary to improve these injuries. Impairment of mobility can have a number of psychological effects that may require both counseling, psychological help and occupational therapy to help individuals adapt to limitations in function, so they can resume their normal lives.
Inability To Perform Normal Work Duties
Sometimes, the long-term effects of accidents can cause difficulty in performing normal duties of your job. This may cause loss of work hours, lost opportunities for advancement and financial hardship for families. The impairment in the ability to perform normal work tasks may require legal advice about options for compensation. Legal measures can help to restore financial stability for individuals who have been injured in an accident and to help prevent further repercussions for their families.
Anxiety and Depression After Accidents
Physicians have found that many individuals who have sustained injuries in an accident are often left with feelings of depression and anxiety as a result of the experience. They may be hypervigilant, feel hopeless, isolate themselves from others, avoid situations similar to or related to the accident or may have frequent flashbacks of the event. These symptoms are similar to posttraumatic stress syndrome, a psychological condition associated with traumatic events, such as war, violent crime and abuse. Jeffrey Preszler from Preszler Law says that sudden, external physical trauma can be the cause of acquired brain injury (ABI), a new frontier of medical study that is beginning to gain attention. Individuals can experience a variety of symptoms as a result of brain injury that can occur during impacts. If you notice unusual symptoms, or if a loved one mentions seeing a change in your behavior, talk to your physician. You may need psychological counseling or medications to help you through the post-accident period.
Sleep Problems After An Accident
Frequently, individuals who have been in a serious accident recover from their injuries, but later develop unusual sleep patterns. They may have great difficulty falling asleep, wake frequently during the night or may have nightmares about the accident or about other frightening experiences. These sleep problems can be related to the trauma of the accident and how the brain processes injury to the body. Your physician may be able to help with medications to help you sleep more soundly. Counseling can also be of benefit to individuals who have developed sleep problems from a traumatic event. Some individuals can be helped by going to a sleep clinic for evaluation and therapy.
Phobias After An Accident
Another problem that can affect individuals after an accident is the development of overwhelming phobias. Individuals may develop panic attacks when driving over bridges, in elevated places or in crowded areas. The person may have heart palpitations, profuse sweating, nausea, chest pain or a feeling you may faint when confronted with these experiences. These phobias can become so severe they interfere with the normal enjoyment of life. Therapy and medications can help to reduce feelings of fear and loss of control.
The effects of an accident are not limited to the specific injuries that may occur. Individuals may find that lasting psychological and emotional effects often make it difficult to resume their normal lives after an accident. These effects can often have a significant impact on work, social life and personal relationships.
