Recognizing the signs of post-traumatic stress after trauma

When someone survives a horrific injury other accident, most people immediately respond with the thought, “At least they survived.”

Unfortunately, for the victim of some of the most catastrophic accidents, survival may sometimes seem less of a blessing than others may think. When a victim is left with massive injuries, amputations, burns, paralysis and other injuries that will never go away, there are often psychological injuries that are also present in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

PTSD is frequently seen in people who have survived events that could have been fatal. Those survivors tend to exhibit symptoms of their mental distress in complex ways, including:

  • Difficulty sleeping or insomnia
  • Irritability and temperamental moods
  • Social withdrawal and personal isolation
  • Intrusive memories of the event or trauma that interrupt the victim’s activities or sleep
  • Nightmares or night terrors
  • Vague feelings of dread or absolute emotional numbness
  • A sense of disassociation, as if the individual wasn’t really part of the world
  • Alcohol abuse or drug abuse to dull their psychological pain
  • Avoidance of anything that might be associated with their injuries — including people, places and things
  • A general loss of interest in the things that they used to enjoy
  • An inability to concentrate or function intellectually
  • A constant state of mistrustfulness, anxiety or hyper-vigilance

Essentially, for those who have survived truly catastrophic injuries, the trauma never really ends. It’s constantly a part of them. The fact that their bodies bear physical witness to the trauma they endured often makes it even more complicated for them to move forward.

If you’ve suffered a catastrophic injury that has left you with post-traumatic stress disorder, make certain that you discuss the issue with your injury attorney. Your psychological well-being is just as important to your claim as your physical injuries and the impact on your life is tremendous. For more information about our experienced team’s approach to these kinds of cases, please explore our site.