From musculoskeletal and brain injuries to mental health
June 27, 2023 3:00pm - 3:30pm
Accidents can be Traumatic
Reviewing decades of research, the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration created a definition of trauma for use in mental healthcare and the legal system:
- There is a triggering event
- This event was experienced as physically or emotionally harmful, potentially life threatening
- The event has lasting negative effects on a person’s functioning and well-being.
[source: SAMHSA Report on Trauma]
It turns out that it is common for accidents to have lasting negative effects on a person’s mental health. After a car accident, people often experience anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms. Some common responses to trauma are:
- Intense, unpredictable feelings
- Disruptions to your normal routines, like difficulty sleeping and eating
- Difficulty concentrating
- Being more reactive to “triggers” in the environment, like loud noises or the smell of burning
- Problems in your close relationships, like increased conflict and arguments, or feeling disengaged and “shut down”
[source: American Psychological Association
Learning objectives: At the end of this presentation, delegates will be able to:
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Explain how accidents don’t just have physical effects; they can also have psychological effects
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Describe how accidents can cause trauma
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Identify how trauma is something that we need to heal, the same way we heal physical injuries.
There is a Solution: Trauma Recovery Care
You can try to handle things on your own, but you’re going to be more successful if you have a team of trained professionals guiding you through the recovery process. In fact, lingering symptoms of trauma are successfully treated in thousands of people every year with a combination of physical rehab, therapy, and medication.