If you become a licensed driver at some point in your life, then maybe you feel confident behind the wheel at all times. You might have no issues driving in the pouring rain or driving snow. You may feel equally confident on local roads or the highway.
Highway driving carries with it some additional inherent dangers, though. Mainly that is because, if you are driving on the highway, you are typically going at a much faster rate of speed than what the speed limit on local roads allows.
If you cause a highway accident, then you might never get back to your previous self. Some people do not necessarily understand the long-term effects of highway accidents on your health unless they experience them firsthand.
In this article, we will talk about the possible hidden costs of highway crashes for drivers and their passengers. Maybe you have never considered some of these, but they can absolutely occur.
You Might Feel Guilty if You Seriously Injured Someone
If you drive on the highway, and you cause an accident, maybe it happened because you consumed alcohol before getting behind the wheel. If so, then you might face some jail time after the crash.
If it is your first offense, then perhaps you will get only have to pay a fine and do some community service. If you hurt someone, though, then you can expect some time behind bars, and rightly so. You made a poor decision, and it had real consequences.
If you injure someone, and they will not ever fully recover, then you might feel guilty for a long time afterward. Imagine if your decision to drive after consuming alcohol left someone in a wheelchair for the rest of their life.
You might feel that you need to make some changes after what you did. Perhaps you will get into AA, and you will swear off alcohol. If the car wreck that you caused killed someone, then you will probably feel even worse about what you did.
You May Have PTSD in the Aftermath of the Crash
Maybe you got in a car accident on the highway, but you did not cause it. You followed all traffic laws, but some other driver plowed into you unexpectedly. Maybe they exceeded the speed limit or let something distract them.
If so, then you should not feel guilty, since you did not do anything wrong. However, you might still have some lasting effects that go beyond the physical.
You may find that if you are in a really devastating car accident on the highway, once you have recovered physically, and you get behind the wheel to drive again for the first time, that you will start to shake. You may find yourself reliving the crash again and again in your mind.
You might find that you are dreaming about it as well. You may have these vivid nightmares for weeks or months after the accident.
If so, then you are showing many of the signs of PTSD. Post-traumatic stress disorder does not just happen if you have spent some time in combat or you have experienced violent crime. You can also get it from a serious car accident in some instances.
What Can You Do if You Have PTSD from Your Highway Accident?
If you find that you are experiencing the symptoms of PTSD, then maybe you can’t even drive again until you get some professional help. You may need to find a therapist with whom you can speak.
Presumably, you can talk to your family and friends if you keep reliving the crash in your mind, but it is not the same as talking to a licensed mental health professional. They can sympathize with you, but they can also work with you to get you past this trauma by giving you suggestions for action.
They might put you on an anti-anxiety medication. They may suggest that you try meditating. Perhaps they will want you to keep coming back to see them until you’re no longer trapped in your current mental state.
Often, you can get over a traumatic car crash eventually, but it may take longer than you’d imagine. That’s especially true if you saw some people die in the wreck or you saw some grisly injuries.
You May Feel Like You’re Not the Same Carefree Person Anymore
In the time after the accident, whether as the car’s driver or passenger, you may feel like you’re not the same carefree person as before. If the accident impacted your life, or that of others in the vehicle, then you may have a hard time getting back to your old self.
Sometimes, a single incident like this can change someone’s whole outlook on life. They might have a hard time looking at the world through an optimistic lens anymore.
Again, you may need to seek help from a mental health professional if that’s the case. You will probably start to feel better eventually, but you can’t downplay the emotional impact that a very serious car wreck can have.
Will You Ever Get Back to Your Old Self Again?
You may bear physical or emotional scars from this highway car accident for many years, or even for the rest of your life, in some instances. However, even though it seems like a stale platitude, time usually does heal all wounds.
You should reach a point where you will no longer think about the crash every day. You can probably start driving again eventually. You will no longer shake when you get behind the wheel. You can take a deep breath, operate the vehicle, and not feel as though you’re in immediate danger.
The human mind can often recuperate from even the most catastrophic incidents. However, no two people will require the same amount of recovery time, so keep that in mind.
With a strong support network around you, though, you should eventually get past the accident.
