The farthest-reaching consequences of car accidents aren't always physical—sometimes they're psychological and emotional. Long after our joints have recovered, our bones have healed, and our scars have faded, accident survivors are left with driving anxiety. Anxiety isn't just a "feeling"—it's a diagnosis that has concrete effects on a person's life and livelihood.

Accident survivors often have to deal with an exhausting level of fear every time a person tries to merge with their lane, whenever someone brakes just a little too late (or a little too slowly), or whenever they have to travel the same highway their accident was on. Others may constantly relive their accident while driving—making every errand a heart-wrenching experience.

Eventually, people who deal with driving anxiety shrink their circle smaller and smaller. At first, they avoid road trips. Then they avoid going out with friends if it requires a day trip. When someone else drives, they're constantly gripping for dear life involuntarily, making the driving experience even more exhausting.

It's subtle, but it starts getting worse: people with driving anxiety might turn down job opportunities that require a commute. They'll be less willing to run errands that require highway travel, or may take surface streets to avoid the highway altogether.

Taken over a lifetime, there's a real, tangible cost to being a car accident survivor.

Getting Past the Anxiety

One of the most important aspects of post-collision treatment is trauma therapy. Until your brain comes to grips with the accident itself, it'll continue replaying the scene—fooling your body into believing that it's in danger on every drive. That sort of therapy takes time, both in a weekly sense and in a "will take years of effort" sense. In either case, having the financial resources to seek treatment is vital.

Unfortunately, most insurance companies don't recognize the long-term benefits of trauma therapy. If anything, they're only concerned with your physical well-being (and in many cases, they won't even cover all of that treatment). That's why getting a car accident lawyer is vital.

Don't be afraid to file a claim. When you understand the long-term burden that being in a car accident inflicts on you, it's important to fight for what you'll need for the rest of your life—not just the next few months.