A car crash can be a traumatic event – both physically and emotionally. However, the emotional effects of this turn of events may not manifest immediately if someone is focused on their physical injuries. When they do present, however, they can be life changing and continue long after a person’s body has largely healed.
How a crash affects someone’s mental health depends in part on how their brain is wired as well as whether they have history of or ongoing issue with anxiety disorder and/or phobias. It may have less to do with how serious the crash was. Some people who have been in car collisions suffer a phobic condition called amaxophobia that can disrupt their personal and work life.
What is amaxophobia?
This condition is a fear of riding in a vehicle, either as a driver, passenger or both. It’s not just anxiety or getting knots in your stomach. A person suffering from amaxophobia may begin shaking, have heart palpitations and feel like they can’t breathe when they even think about getting in a car. Not everyone experiences amaxophobia the same way. It’s more serious in some than others. Some people with this condition can ride in a car but are afraid to drive. Some can’t be a passenger, even if a trusted, experienced driver is behind wheel. Some people are unable to even use public transportation.
Treatment is necessary
A person who is suffering from amaxophobia or any anxiety disorder after a crash can be unable to live their life the way they need to. They may be unable to get to work, take their kids to and from school and much more. Mental health treatment can be every bit as necessary as the medical treatment they’ve undergone. The sooner the condition is diagnosed and the sooner treatment can start, the better the chances are of treating it.
If you have recently been involved in a crash and are suffering mental health effects, you may need to seek compensation from an at-fault driver. If so, you can and should include the cost of mental health treatment for serious issues caused or exacerbated by the crash. However, you’ll likely need a diagnosis by a mental health professional before you’ll be awarded damages.
Being able to afford the mental health care you need after a crash is just one reason not to agree to a settlement after a crash until you know the full extent of your economic and non-economic damages. With experienced legal guidance, you can better seek the compensation to which you’re entitled.