Getting back behind the wheel after a car accident can seem downright impossible.
Shaky hands. Racing heart. Flashbacks the second someone breeches your personal space.
Here’s the thing…
It’s actually MUCH more common than you might think. Sure, a car crash leaves behind the physical damages we’re all familiar with. But it can also leave psychological scars that make driving or even seeing a car absolutely terrifying. This phenomenon has a name — vehophobia — and it affects thousands each year.
Here’s everything to know about anxiety behind the wheel after an accident:
- What Is Driving Phobia After a Car Accident?
- Shocking: The Financial Impact No One Talks About
- Warning Signs
- The Brain Science Behind Driving Anxiety
- Recovery: The Steps You Need to Take
- Types of Car Accident Lost Wages Compensation You Can Pursue
What Is Driving Phobia After a Car Accident?
Driving phobia, also referred to as vehophobia is when someone experiences a deep, abiding fear of driving or riding in any motor vehicle. Some people experience mild anxiety while others may experience full panic attacks and avoidance behavior.
Anybody can experience driving phobia after an accident. You don’t have to have been in a major collision with serious injuries to develop it.
Witnessing the accident can also cause someone to develop anxiety around driving. Suffice it to say, driving phobia is an anxiety disorder listed in the DSM-V. It won’t magically go away on its own.
The Financial Impact No One Talks About
Guess what a lot of accident victims don’t realize?
Anxiety behind the wheel after an accident can seriously impact someone’s ability to work. Maybe your job requires you to drive. Or maybe you just drive to get there. If you develop vehophobia, getting behind the wheel may start to feel absolutely impossible.
That’s lost wages.
Missed work adds up. So do missed promotions and career opportunities. This is exactly why car accident lost wages compensation is so important. Among the many cases a Virginia car accident attorney handles, psychological injuries like driving phobias that rob a victim of their ability to work are classified as a real financial loss.
Even research from the National Institutes of Health estimates 25% to 33% of accident victims struggle with anxiety after a car accident of some kind. That’s just the victims who report it.
Cumulative financial damage like therapy costs, lost wages, and reduced earning potential can skyrocket in a matter of months.
Warning Signs
You might think folks who worry about getting back behind the wheel after an accident are just nervous. There’s a big difference between being cautious and full blown phobic.
These are signs you should never ignore:
- Panic attacks at the thought of driving, riding in a car, or even being near one
- Flashbacks and intrusive thoughts when driving or encountering familiar triggers like certain intersections, weather conditions, etc.
- Finding excuses not to drive or always deferring driving duties to someone else
- Feeling tightness in your chest, nausea, dizziness or shortness of breath when driving
- Sleep difficulties, nightmares related to the accident, or inability to concentrate when thinking about driving
- Irrational levels of fear even when you’re safely parked or driving in mild weather on an empty road
All of these symptoms must be present for at least six months before a vehophobia diagnosis is possible. However, many folks experience them much sooner and should still seek professional help as soon as possible.
The Brain Science Behind Driving Anxiety
When you experience a traumatic event like a car accident, your brain will file that as a danger memory. It then associates anything remotely linked with the accident as an ongoing threat. Hence why driving feels so scary even when you’re safe.
Obviously some people are predisposed to developing vehophobia. But there are also some key risk factors that make anyone more susceptible after an accident:
- An existing anxiety disorder, depression, or PTSD
- Severity of damage and injuries suffered in the accident
- Lack of emotional support during recovery
- Age/experience of driver at time of accident
Depression and PTSD often occur with driving phobia. While not everyone will develop additional conditions, they can feed into each other and cause vehophobia to spiral. Working with a therapist to treat all conditions is always your best option.
Recovery: The Steps You Need to Take
There is no magic cure all for driving phobia.
But that doesn’t mean you’ll never get behind the wheel again. Most people who develop anxiety around driving can recover with time, patience, and professional support. Here’s how to start:
- Consult a professional. A licensed therapist can properly diagnose vehophobia and work with you to create a personalised treatment plan. Never self diagnose.
- CBT is always your best friend. Cogntitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, has been shown to help those fearful of driving replace negative thought patterns with healthier ones over time. It’s one of the most effective treatments for this type of anxiety.
- Try gradual exposure. Force never works with phobias. Start by sitting in your parked car. Next, drive out of the driveway. Then down the block. Tiny increments of consistency are the key to progress.
- Medication can help but isn’t mandatory. If you and your therapist think it’d be beneficial, there are anxiety medications that can help you manage symptoms while you recover. Do not take any medication without consulting your doctor or therapist first.
- Find a support group. Hearing from others with the same fears makes you feel less alone. Nothing inspires recovery like seeing others who have been where you are now.
According to research done by the Cleveland Clinic, up to 9 out of 10 people who suffer from a specific phobia improve after completing exposure therapy with a qualified mental health professional.
As with any anxiety disorder or mental health condition, relapses are possible. But every small victory will still lead you closer to recovery.
Types of Car Accident Lost Wages Compensation You Can Pursue
This part is important.
Driving phobia is real. And it can be just as crippling as any physical injury you experience in an accident. Which is why car accident lost wages compensation can include:
- Lost wages during your recovery period and treatment
- Lost ability to earn at same capacity, if applicable
- Medical bills for therapy and psychiatric treatment
- Pain and suffering damages
Like with any injury, documentation is crucial. Medical records, notes from therapy sessions, and even a daily journal documenting how the anxiety affects your day-to-day life will help build your case.
Driving phobia can do just as much mental damage as losing a limb. Fight for your right to proper compensation.
The Bottom Line
Anxiety behind the wheel after an accident is serious. And traumatizing. But you’re not alone.
Between lost wages, therapy costs, and simply not being able to do your job, vehophobia can make you feel helpless. But there are ways to overcome driving anxiety after an accident. And compensation you can pursue to help cover the financial losses while you recover.
Remember, don’t ignore the signs. And don’t try to tough it out by yourself.
Contact a mental health professional as soon as possible, document everything, and know that lost wages from missing work due to a psychological injury like driving phobia is possible.
You can get past this. One small step at a time.