How’s Your Mental Health? Consider These Emotional Distress Examples and Symptoms

Scars fade and bones heal, but the emotional impact of an accident can last forever.

A traumatic event like a car accident can leave you with serious emotional stress. From being unable to do your favorite hobby to needing professional help to complete the physical activity, psychological distress can be very debilitating.

Can you spot the warning signs in yourself or your family members? Let’s discuss some emotional distress examples and symptoms. You should be able to identify the signs of mental anguish if it presents itself.

Emotional Stress Statistics

A car accident can affect your daily functioning in multiple ways. Moving around physically and completing basic tasks might be challenging, but the mind-body connection can also lead to emotional distress when you’re in pain.

According to a study in BMJ Journals, 20% to 40% of those involved in a motor vehicle accident develop post-traumatic stress disorder. Additionally, 21% to 67% have some form of depression, and 47% have high anxiety levels.

If you feel overwhelmed after an accident, you should do whatever you can to focus on recovery while your injury attorney handles recovering compensation on your behalf.

Schedule a free consultation with Miley Legal to discuss your claim.

Symptoms of Emotional Distress

You might be plagued with potential triggers until you receive professional help and are correctly diagnosed. Signs of emotional distress can take many forms, so it is best to see a medical doctor or mental health counselor for a diagnosis.

Recognize the possible stress symptoms when they pop up immediately.

Here are a few examples:

• PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder)
• Loss of sleep
• Anxiety
• Difficulty making decisions
• Sadness
• Fear of driving
• Depression

Physical Symptoms of Emotional Distress

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, physical symptoms of emotional distress are called somatic symptoms. Emotional suffering can therefore lead to physical pain or behavioral symptoms.

These physical symptoms include:

• Breathing issues
• Seizures
• Dizzy spells
• Diarrhea
• Memory Loss
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Back pain
• Neck pain
• Changes in eating habits

Mental suffering can seem like an endless cycle if untreated. Costs can add up quickly. That’s why you should engage a personal injury attorney to recover as much in costs as possible.

Personal Injury Attorneys Who Care About Your Mental Health

A good personal injury attorney will be able to seek compensation for emotional distress as well as physical injury.

Knowing that your attorney has the matter handled is an excellent form of stress relief. Let Miley Legal remove one level of stress from you. Schedule a free consultation with us today.

FAQ: Emotional Distress

Do I need a formal diagnosis of emotional distress?

When seeking compensation for medical conditions, proof from an expert will likely be required if you expect a judge or jury to compensate you for that condition.. You should get professional verification even if you are not sure you are suffering from mental distress.

I’m afraid to visit the site of the accident. Is that a form of mental distress?

Being triggered by seeing or visiting the site of the incident could be evidence of emotional distress. You should speak to a mental health professional if you become anxious just by thinking of the incident or being in a vehicle.

How much would I get for my mental distress?

There is no set amount for this heading. The court will evaluate the payout for mental distress on a case-by-case basis.

Our Practice Areas

There are so many types of accidents that can give rise to emotional distress.

We are a full-service firm that practices a wide range of personal injury matters:

• Car accidents
• Hit-and-run accidents
• Drunk driving accidents
• Bad weather car accidents
• Distracted driving accidents
• Defective products
• Dog bites
• Medical malpractice
• Motorcycle accidents
• Hit-and-run motorcycle accidents