When you’re injured, the effects aren’t just physical. Your mental health can be affected by the suffering you’ve been through, as well. Recovery can be difficult. You need coverage for your physical suffering, but your mental health could be getting in the way of it.

Fortunately, you could have an opportunity for further compensation. There are mental health conditions that qualify for personal injury damages, so you might be able to seek additional funds to aid your recovery. Continue reading to learn more about which types of mental health conditions are eligible for personal injury damages.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

One of the most common disorders that can follow a personal injury is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This condition develops after a traumatic event, such as assault, abuse, or a motor vehicle collision, to name a few. The symptoms develop over the following week, and some of them can be extreme.

PTSD symptoms may make you feel on edge even when there’s no present danger. For example, you might feel restless, anxious, and irritable, all of which can affect how you interact with others. Because these symptoms can be so serious, you’ll need to seek help as soon as possible.

Anxiety

Anxiety might not be considered as serious as PTSD, but it can still harm your mental health. Anxiety can manifest in both physical and mental ways, which affects how you see yourself and others.

For example, you might have been injured by another person, and now you experience anxiety regularly. Certain items or situations can trigger panic attacks. Or, you might engage in fearful or catastrophic thinking, which can lead to sporadic and unusual behavior.

You might have experienced anxiety before, but if you develop an anxiety disorder following an accident, the situation is more serious. You might be overwhelmed by your feelings, which makes it increasingly difficult to recover from an injury.

Depression

Although depression can often stem from biological or genetic forces, some people can experience depression due to an environmental force. A major change in your life can disrupt you and lead to the development of depression.

For example, let’s say you fell and injured your spine. You’re told that your injury has completely severed the spinal cord, and you’ll never walk again. Your life will have drastically changed in an instant. You’ll have to adjust the way you live, day-to-day, and you might be unable to work in your current position.

These drastic changes can result in the injury victim feeling intense loss of enjoyment of life following their accident. They struggle with finding joy in their circumstances, and can develop depression as a result.

Seek Help for Mental Health Damages

After a serious accident, you’ll likely experience some changes in your mental health. A life-changing injury doesn’t just alter your physical health and capabilities; it can also affect your thought processes, and subject you to feelings of anxiety or depression.

You’re not alone, and you don’t have to fight for your compensation alone. Reach out to a lawyer from Craig Swapp & Associates for help. If you’re struggling with mental health conditions that qualify for personal injury damages, you’ll need a lawyer to help secure the funds you’re owed for them.

Ready to file your claim? Get started with a free consultation at our firm. Reach out by calling  1-800-404-9000 or by filling out the online form below.

Written By: Ryan Swapp     Legal Review By: Craig Swapp