Depression and Auto Injuries in Cheektowaga, NY

It’s perfectly understandable to feel depressed after you have an auto injury. You were used to a certain lifestyle before the car accident and then out of nowhere, your car is hit. You may be unable to work and do the fun things you used to do. Who wouldn’t feel depressed in that situation?

In one Canadian study involving 3,452 patients with whiplash,  51.7 percent suffered from depression. Eleven percent of those developed depression after the car accident.

Psychologically, it’s easy to comprehend this, but did you know that there also could be a physical reason for the depression?

The Canadian researchers found that people with more severe back and neck pain, as well as more intense overall body pain, were more likely to be depressed. Other risk factors included having a pain condition prior to the car accident, and being involved in a rear-end collision. Depressed patients were also more likely to suffer from dizziness and vision problems in addition to numbness and tingling. Feeling extremely anxious immediately after the collision also predicted the development of this mental health condition.

The factors that lowered a person's risk of depression after auto injury included higher education level, wealth, and being over 50 years old. Of course, these are all factors that cannot be easily controlled or changed to lower your risk of depression after auto injury; after all it's called a car “accident” for a reason.

So what should you do? The first step is to find constructive ways to start healing now. When you treat a whiplash auto injury by seeing your chiropractor, you may also notice a lifting of depression. Call Dr. Palmer in Cheektowaga, NY today and discuss how he can help you address both the mental and physical effects of auto injuries.

 

Source:

Phillips, L.A., Carroll, L.J., Cassidy, J.D., and Cote, P. Whiplash-associated disorders: who gets depressed? Who stays depressed?  European Spine Journal, June 2010;  19(6):945-956.