During our last post, we began a discussion about the kinds of trauma that motor vehicle accident victims may experience. Certainly, many accident victims weather physical trauma and are left with physical injuries. But not all accident-related trauma is physical in nature. Oftentimes, individuals are left with psychological and emotional wounds that may require much time and effort in order to heal.

Usually, motor vehicle crashes are not anticipated. They are surprising, abrupt and are therefore frightening. Accident victims may ultimately be affected with a sense that much of the world is no longer safe. In addition, if an individual is injured or suffers the death of a fellow passenger, that individual may be compelled to grieve over the losses that the crash has inspired.

Thankfully, counselors and other mental health professionals can help accident victims deal with their mental and emotional trauma in healthy ways. The healing process may take a significant amount of time and effort. However, it is possible to emerge from the experience of suffering this kind of trauma both wiser and more resilient than the victim was when the crash occurred.

According to a statement released in 1999 by the American Academy of Family Physicians, motor vehicle accidents may be the most common traumatic occurrence that everyday Americans are compelled to grapple with. While this observation is disheartening, it can also provide accident victims with much-needed reassurance that they are not alone. Even as an individual accident victim seeks to heal his or her mental and emotional scars, many others are seeking to do the same for themselves.

Source: Live Science, “Tracy Morgan Car Accident: Crashes Leave Many with Emotional Scars,” Tia Ghose, June 2, 2015