These problems can arise after an accident even when you’re not injured. They may be caused by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, an increased sense of vulnerability, or a mild brain injury.

Your understanding of the world can be shattered after an accident. You may blame yourself for it, even if you weren’t at fault, or feel guilty if anyone was injured. Discussing your accident and its impact on your life with a clinical psychologist or trauma counsellor can help prevent long-term problems. If the issues you’re struggling with stem from an undiagnosed brain injury, however, this may not be picked up by your family doctor or treating therapist.

You don’t need to be injured to develop PTSD after a collision. The symptoms you’ve mentioned are sometimes signs of PTSD. Other PTSD symptoms include recurring dreams or nightmares; intrusive memories of an accident; avoidance of (and emotional distress in) situations that remind you of what happened; increased agitation, irritability and rage; an exaggerated startle reflex; emotional detachment; and an apathy towards things that used to interest you. While PTSD symptoms resolve spontaneously without treatment in half of all cases, symptoms can also worsen over time, especially when accident-related stress continues.

Because you can damage your brain without losing consciousness, mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) is often undiagnosed initially. Even in a relatively minor accident, the "acceleration-deceleration effect" can cause a concussion with serious - sometimes even permanent - consequences. Common brain injury symptoms include insomnia, short-term memory problems, a short attention span, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, and an increased feeling of helplessness and vulnerability.

TBI symptoms can mimic those of clinical depression. A neuro-psychological assessment can determine whether your symptoms are caused by organic damage to your brain or are psychological in nature. You can then begin appropriate treatment. The sooner you get treatment for a mild brain injury, the more likely it is that you’ll fully recover. Publicly-funded early treatment programs are available throughout the province.

(See our Resources and Links page for links to brain injury information websites)