Many of the common types of non-economic damages in accident claims relate to mental health in some way. For example, loss of enjoyment of life and mental anguish both relate to the mental consequences of being physically harmed in an accident.
While fighting for compensation for these consequences will help alleviate some stress and help to pay for treatments for these consequences, it can’t alleviate them; you have to do that yourself. It’s difficult to do that alone, though, so take the advice below and do further research on whatever’s causing your mental anguish to find relief and regain stability in your life.
Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can make it hard to either fall or remain asleep. It’s incredibly common. Sometimes, a bout of insomnia only lasts a single night at a time, though this isn’t incredibly common.
No, you’re more likely to experience the more debilitating version that sees you struggling to sleep for days or even weeks on end. This can have a myriad of consequences depending on how long it goes on and exactly how much sleep you lose. Minor bouts will see you fatigued, less physically capable, slower mentally and more while extreme cases cause hallucinations, a seriously weakened immune system and even microsleeps that disrupt daily life heavily.
While it’s unfortunate that this disorder is so common, it does mean that there are tons of alleviation methods out there. Some are simple, such as avoiding alcohol and watching when you eat food.
Others, like keeping a routine sleep schedule and avoiding naps are more difficult to do. The best thing you can do is combine the easier and more difficult strategies together. If it seems like nothing works, then talk to your doctor about a sleep study and a potential sleep pill prescription.
Anxiety
Anxiety can be difficult to manage. It seemingly crops up at random and can either last a few moments or multiple days if left to its own devices, increasing your stress level the entire time. The worst part is that treating it requires you to confront the feeling, which can make it worse at first.
You need to focus on when it arises so you can identify the cause, when it fades so you can see what may help, and the type. Yeah, anxiety has multiple types. Most of the time, it’s a butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling that puts you on edge. Sometimes, though, you can feel a hyperactive version that is almost like excitement but is much harder to quell. Either one can bring a whole host of disorders with them, from OCD to panic and more.
Each disorder has different treatment methods, but the general, butterfly kind is simple enough to treat; practice mindfulness. Write your feelings down, take deep breaths, meditate or bring yourself back into the present moment in another way.
What works best for you will vary, so don’t be afraid to try out a bunch of different techniques; you’ll find one that sticks. If it’s too overwhelming, seek professional help as you may have a disorder that requires more intense or specific treatment.
Anger
Despite it typically being described as a negative emotion, anger isn’t necessarily a bad emotion to feel. It starts to be a problem, though, when it never fades and starts to have a negative impact on your daily life. Should you realize that you have a rage issue then it’s time to start anger management.
Now, while this can mean going to a class and practicing what they teach, you don’t have to do it this way. How you handle it will vary based on how often you get angry, what triggers it and how explosive the initial response is.
For long-term background anger that seems to always be triggered, you may need a simple solution such as talking or writing about your emotions to see it fade. Explosive outbursts reflect a low frustration tolerance. In these cases, you should discover and avoid your triggers and focus on calming yourself down quickly.
A good way to do this is to stop and count to ten before interacting with whatever made you angry. This gives you the chance to cool off and approach the situation with a level head.
Unfortunately, what will work best for you will take time to discover and may frustrate you further. If you can’t seem to find a good solution on your own then maybe take those anger management classes or talk to a professional and see what advice either provides.
Depression
Depression is an unfortunately common mental problem. What’s worse is that it can take those who suffer from it time to realize that’s what they’re dealing with as many people can still function normally despite its presence.
If you have long-term feelings of sadness or emptiness, have noticed a change in your appetite, have lost interest in the things that used to make you happy, find yourself sleeping too little or too much and more, you likely have a form of depression.
The best thing to do is talk to a therapist or psychiatrist to get a diagnosis before beginning treatment as some symptoms of depression align with other problems or disorders.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
People diagnosed with PTSD have witnessed or experienced a traumatic event that has caused lasting damage. While there are ways to cope with some of the symptoms of PTSD like flashbacks at home, this is one of those times when you need the help of a professional to start seeing a significant improvement in your mental health.
Sometimes, this treatment involves medication, though even if you do receive a prescription, it won’t be the only way to handle it. You’ll also go through other forms that hope to help lessen the burden it has placed on your shoulders via talking, virtual reality, and more. If you think you have PTSD, seek help as soon as you can. You don’t have to face it alone.
