If you are traveling on an Indiana road and another vehicle hits you, the weeks that follow the incident may be stressful and upsetting in many ways. In addition to obtaining immediate medical care in the aftermath of a collision, it is equally important to closely monitor your health in the following days. Symptoms of injury after a car accident often face a delay and could mean that you have suffered trauma to the brain, which can cause numerous adverse issues, including mental illness, such as depression.
You might think of issues like concussion or skull fractures, etc., regarding possible injuries that might affect your brain in a car accident. However, a brain injury can have far-reaching and long-lasting effects, which can lead to secondary health problems, such as depression. It is important to be able to recognize symptoms and to know where to seek support.
When car accident symptoms linger or new issues develop
Even if you suffer severe injuries in an Indiana car accident, your condition should start to improve with medical care and time to recuperate. You might experience various levels of emotional trauma as you process what happened and deal with the after-effects. If you notice any of the symptoms included in the following list, it suggests that you might be suffering from depression:
- Feeling reclusive, not wanting to be around people
- Thoughts of self-harm
- Feeling listless, no energy
- Loss of interest in hobbies or other usual activities
- Feeling restless or unable to keep still
These are all symptoms of depression. If you suffer a brain injury in a car accident, and these symptoms develop, it is best to seek immediate medical attention.
Depression is a common effect of brain injury
More than half of all patients with brain injuries develop depression. If you suffer brain trauma in a car accident, physical changes can take place in your brain that make you more prone toward depression. If you have difficulty processing emotional trauma associated with the collision, this could also increase your chances for chronic depression.
It is critical to understand that treatment for depression is separate from treatment for an initial brain injury that led to depression. Knowing where to seek support for both issues is a key to achieving as full a recovery as possible.
Who pays the medical bills when a car accident has resulted in injury?
You might need treatment that lasts for months, or, even permanently, if you develop depression in connection with a brain injury that resulted from a car accident. When another driver’s negligence was to blame for the collision, that person may be liable for damages.
Seeking financial recovery for losses after a car accident is often a means of obtaining compensation that can help offset medical bills and other financial strain associated with the incident.