How Stress After An Accident Affects Your Body And Finances
While most people’s immediate concerns after an accident may be their physical injuries and the treatment they might need for them, there are mental impacts well worth considering, as well. For one, stress can skyrocket, whether it’s due to new limitations on their life or the sudden financial impacts of the injury. Here, we’re going to look at some of the unexpected impacts of this stress and how important it is to manage it.
It Can Affect Your Physical Recovery
Stress causes your body’s fight or flight response to fire off, which can release cortisol and adrenaline, both of which can worsen pain and inflammation from an injury. Excessive stress can even slow healing, aggravate conditions like whiplash, and even trigger new symptoms such as headaches or digestive issues. While getting treated for your injuries, you should talk to your doctor about any stress relief they can offer and look into what practices you can do at home, such as breathing exercises.
It Can Impact Your Judgment
When you’re in a heightened emotional state, you’re not going to be thinking or making decisions to your full capacity. This can lead ot mistakes like downplaying your injuries, delaying action, or accepting an insurance settlement too quickly, even if it’s too low. It’s important to work with someone who can help you, especially if someone else is at fault, like personalized legal representation for injury victims. A rational third-party that works explicitly with your best interest in mind can help you avoid making too many mistakes while stress is affecting your thinking.
Your Financial Burdens Can Seem A Lot Harder
There are real financial implications of an accident, such as missing work, paying for medical bills, or repairing a vehicle. These can drain your savings, which can cause your anxiety to spike even further. Money troubles are a leading cause of stress, leading to sleeplessness, agitation, and trouble focusing. It’s important to take steps ot budget after an accident to adjust to your new financial reality, and seek out payment plans or financial aid that can help you reduce your burden while waiting for insurance or legal payouts.
The Long-Term Costs Of Chronic Stress
It is vitally important to treat stress if it’s becoming a recurring part of your life. Undamaged post-accident stress can evolve into long-term conditions like depression, anxiety disorders, or PTSD. These issues may require ongoing treatment, impacting your ability to work and increasing healthcare expenses. It’s also important to recognize that emotional distress caused by an accident can be part of your compensation in a legal case, not just your physical injuries. If you’re going to go through therapy or counseling to help manage your emotional state after an accident, it’s only right that those responsible should pay for that, too.
Life after an accident or injury can be a stressful time indeed. It’s important to get the support you need and to have a plan of action that you can follow so that you don’t have to stress over a host of more difficult decisions down the line.
