Trauma on the Road

Trigger warning: car accidents and PTSD

Car accidents can often seem like strangely fascinating cryptids. You can't help but stare at them when you see them on the road, you get frustrated when they slow down traffic, and you never really think the monster could ever come for you, too. Unfortunately, when it does come, the results are often devastating and long-lasting.

Personally, I've witnessed and been in lots of accidents. Driving around with my mom when I was in high school, we once saw a car full of college bros drive off the road and right into the fence of a cow farm. We also saw a car drag race down the street and flip over into a parking lot. (We called the police, and all drivers were physically fine in both those situations). In college, I was rear ended twice, once while coming home from a Halloween party late at night, and once while stopped at an intersection in broad daylight. I ended up with a concussion the second time, and I still avoid that intersection like the plague years later. I've also had friends and acquaintances who've been in bad car accidents themselves and who have lost loved ones on the road. After all those experiences, I find that my worst nightmares involve car accidents, and I often find myself tensing up a lot in certain driving situations.

Car accidents are terrifying in the moment, but what no one really talks about is the PTSD that can linger for months, or even longer. The trauma can make getting back behind the wheel seem impossible, and if it goes untreated, it can last a lifetime and just keep getting worse. This post-traumatic stress disorder often goes untreated because people don't realize they have it. After all, a car accident doesn't seem as traumatic as, say, military combat, assault, or abuse, but it's actually the leading cause of PTSD. If you suffer from PTSD after a car accident, you are definitely not alone.

Since so many people aren't aware they have this, what are the symptoms?

Intrusive Thoughts

This can include flashbacks (which can get very vivid), nightmares, and involuntary memories and thoughts about the accident. They can often interfere with your day-to-day life.

Avoidance

Mood Changes

Changes in Arousal

Luckily, there is hope and help available for PTSD, including talk therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, and medication. With positive support and coping strategies, you can overcome this traumatic event.

For more information, check out this comprehensive guide to PTSD after car accidents: nstlaw.com/guides/ptsd-and-car-accidents/