Psychological injuries from whiplash typically result from injuries that are sustained for months or years on end. If you can recover quickly from a minor case of whiplash, then chances are high you won’t suffer from psychological symptoms, or they will be very minor and quick to pass. There may be some minor post traumatic stress disorder related to the nature of your accident, but the more severe psychological injuries from whiplash aren’t likely to affect you.
It is when injuries are dealt with for two months or longer that psychological symptoms really start to become a problem that needs medical attention. In some cases, the psychological injuries from whiplash are considered just as critical as the physical symptoms of whiplash.
It is important to recognize that psychological injuries from whiplash are brought on by the physical strain and pain that comes with whiplash as well as by the mental disturbance brought on by the occurrence of the accident itself.
Let’s take a look at the most common psychological injuries from whiplash to gain a deeper understanding of how they affect someone suffering from whiplash and other severe injuries after an accident. If you or someone you love has been in an accident and are currently suffering from physical injuries, it is important to be on the lookout for signs of these psychological injuries from whiplash and other accident injuries.
Depression
Depression typically becomes a problem for people who are suffering from extreme pain and/or limited physical movement for a period of months or years. Life after the accident is completely different from life before the accident as these people are unable to do many of the things they previously did in their daily life.
These life interferences often leave people at home more often than they would previously be. They are prevented from going out with friends, working, and interacting with the rest of the world in an active manner. Over time, this weighs heavily on their mind and depression starts to set in.
Patients with depression may feel hopeless and worthless. They may lose interest in doing anything but sleeping and their eating patterns may be affected. Relief is often only found when they recover from the injuries or otherwise find ways to live an active life that is more satisfying.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
This is one of those psychological injuries from whiplash that comes more from the experience of the accident itself than the injuries and pain resulting from the accident. The patient is mentally unable to process, accept and deal with the accident and may become paranoid and frantic when put in situations that mimic the accident.
For instance, someone who was hit at a traffic light by oncoming traffic may be mentally unable to go through that traffic light without have an anxiety attack. PTSD involves a lot of anxiety, mental blocks, and sensations of panic and uncontrollable fear. PTSD can present itself different in different people and there are different levels of severity. It can be suffered in patients who do not suffer from whiplash, but accidents involving whiplash are still more likely to lead to this type of psychological symptom.
A lesser form of PTSD is sometimes referred to as “travel anxiety,” which characterizes panic and anxiety attacks over situations that require travel. This can be very minor or it can be so severe that the patient is unable to travel or leave their home.
Super Sensitivity to Pain or Discomfort
This is one of the psychological injuries from whiplash that is believed to be caused directly from the whiplash and other physical injuries that do not heal quickly. Due to feeling intense pain and discomfort for a long period of time, the patient becomes super sensitive to any sensation that is not completely comfortable.
They may jump or scream at the slightest bit of pain or even just the threat or belief of oncoming pain. This can make daily life unbearable since they are always focused on anything that may hurt or not feel very good.
Adjusting to Physical Limitations
Finally, many people who experience long term or permanent physical limitations as the result of an accident have to deal with severe psychological injuries from whiplash. They have to learn to cope with restricted movement of their body or the complete loss of body functioning in some capacity. In more severe cases they will have to deal mentally with the loss of limbs.
The psychological injuries from whiplash can be just as severe as the physical symptoms. Emotional pain can feel torturous and often has a drastic impact on quality of life. This becomes a problem when the injuries of an accident are sustained for a long period of time or when there is no complete recovery or cure from the physical injuries sustained from the accident.
This article is considered general information only; please consult a medical professional concerning your specific condition.
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- The “Pain in the Neck” Factor of Whiplash
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