The impacts of motor vehicle accidents (MVA’s) are often not limited to solely physical injuries. The time following an accident can feel very frightening, isolating, and overwhelming. Fortunately, psychotherapy can be very beneficial in processing and coping with the aftermath of an accident.
Signs
Many people feel shaken for a while after a car crash. It may be time to reach out when fear, memories or tension keep getting in the way of driving, sleep, work or daily life.
How counselling helps
Early on
Your counsellor helps you make sense of why your body and mind stay on alert after a crash, at a pace that feels safe for you.
As you go
Together you practise body-based tools to ease panic and tension, so riding in or driving a car can feel more manageable over time.
Over time
You work on returning to the roads, routes and routines that matter to you, one small step at a time, when you feel ready.
Approaches
Where
About
This does not only apply to vehicular collisions but also includes accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists. Our team is trained to address the outcomes of MVAs in a safe and caring way so that you can return to feeling your best.
Although not all MVA’s lead to PTSD, it is a very common response. Only about one in 10 individuals who describe their collision as “traumatic” actually develop PTSD. Most crash victims recover within a few months; however, some continue to report chronic symptoms of post-traumatic stress, which hinder their psychological and physical recovery. During an accident, the brain releases the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. The nervous system goes into high alert. The memory centres of the brain do not function properly as the nervous system becomes focused on survival. Because of this, memories of the accident are encoded as fragments of sensory information rather and when the accident is remembered, instead of feeling like it is in the past it can be experienced like it is happening all over again.
Even though we may rationally know that we are no longer in danger, the nervous system is wired to protect our survival at all costs and often isn’t very good at distinguishing the past from the present. This keeps us in a state of hypervigilance, also known as a fight-or-flight state, where even small things can set off feelings of panic, fear or irritation.
This starts to wear on the nervous system and what may start as anxiety or acute stress can develop into PTSD if left untreated. This can show up as avoidance of cues related to the accident, preoccupation with memories of what happened, social isolation, fatigue, and low mood.
Even if you do not meet the clinical criteria for PTSD, you still may be dealing with troubling symptoms like anxiety and depression as a result of an accident, which can also greatly benefit from counselling.
Because after the trauma of a car accident, the nervous system may be stuck in a stance of protecting your survival, stress and fear can start to feel like the norm and the body is not able to return itself to a state of equilibrium. This is why therapies that address both the mind and the body are so effective at alleviating the distress that results from trauma.
Mind-body techniques such as EMDR, OEI, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and Somatic Experiencing can aid with resolving trauma by integrating the memories of what happened and calming the body’s stress response. Because the nervous system is still operating as though the threat remains present, therapies that work from the bottom-up serve to update the nervous system and let it know that the danger has passed, giving it the message that it no longer needs to stay on high alert. This can lead to the resolution of symptoms like panic, anxiety, tension, irritability, and fatigue.
Therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can also be helpful in reframing negative thought patterns that arose from the accident and reinforcing more adaptive ways of thinking. Because thoughts are connected to emotions and behaviour, changing thoughts is one way of influencing these other systems to function more adaptively, leading to an overall sense of improved well-being.
Recovering from a motor vehicle accident is not only about healing physically. Emotional recovery is equally important. Whether you are experiencing PTSD, anxiety, trauma, depression, or fear following an accident, support is available.
No Fear Counselling offers Motor Vehicle Accident Counselling, Trauma Therapy, PTSD Treatment, EMDR Therapy, and ICBC Counselling support across Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Surrey, and Chilliwack, and online throughout Canada. Connect with one of our 200+ experienced therapists and book your consultation today.
Blanchard, E. B. & Hickling, E. J. (2004). After the crash: psychological assessment and treatment of survivors of motor vehicle accidents [2nded.]. Washington: American Psychological Association.
Rabe, S., Zöllner, T., Maercker, A., & Karl, A. (2006). Neural correlates of posttraumatic growth after severe motor vehicle accidents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74(5), 880.
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FAQs
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You might consider counselling if fear, memories or tension from the accident keep getting in the way of your life weeks later. Some people feel fine at first and notice changes later. You do not need to have been badly hurt, since even a minor collision can leave your body on alert. If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8, call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433), or call 911 if you are in danger.
No, you do not need a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or anything else to start. Many people have worry, low mood, poor sleep or fear of driving after an accident without any diagnosis. Your counsellor works with what you notice in your own life, and you can share as much or as little as you like.
Our counsellors use several approaches, and the right fit depends on you. EMDR, a therapy that helps the brain process painful memories, and Somatic Experiencing, which works with how stress shows up in the body, can help the crash feel more like something in the past. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helps you notice and shift fearful thoughts, such as expecting every drive to end in a crash.
No, you decide what to share and when. Many people start with how they are coping today, such as sleep or driving, before talking about the crash itself. Some body-based approaches do not need you to retell the story in detail, and your counsellor will check in with you along the way.
Yes, you can meet online from anywhere in BC, or in person at one of our offices. Online sessions can help if travelling to appointments feels hard right now. We offer a free 15-minute consultation by phone or video, and our intake team suggests counsellors who fit what you need, your language, your budget and where you want to meet.