Demesmin and Dover After an accident you may suffer from Vehophobia
If you were ever in a car accident you know how traumatic the experience can be. It’s not uncommon for those involved to then have vehophobia. Vehophobia is the fear of driving and some people just decide not to drive altogether. These feelings of fear and anxiety can be extremely overwhelming and that is why it is so important to seek out treatment.
About Vehophobia
Vehophobia, which derives from the Latin root word veho means drive. This condition is very serious and can develop whether a person has sustained injuries or not from an accident.
The phobia is actually considered a form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a disorder in which can be triggered by the smallest of things; whether it be a sound, a visual, or a smell. Anything that pulls your mind back to the moment of trauma. The cause of this phobia is unique to the individual and no specific trigger can be pinpointed specifically that correlates to all of the individuals affected.
Here are a few common triggers of the phobia
‘The fear of getting in another accident
The idea of driving causing intense anxiety
Panic Attacks operating a vehicle
The fear of harming others
Even if the individual is not at fault they may feel these common instances. Luckily there is a lot of information and studies on this phobia to help those who struggle with it. There are numerous different effective ways to help victims of this phobia overcome their fears as well as treatments available to them.
Possible Treatments for Vehophobia
Psychotherapy
This is probably the most common way to handle vehophobia without medication. There are two separate forms of this treatment, one off which being cognitive, and the other being behavioral.
Behavioral
Behavioral therapy focuses on reducing problematic actions that are impacted by feeling. This type of therapy may include breathing exercise, teaching individuals not to avoid certain roads out of fear, or any obsessive behavior that is limiting them due to the phobia.
Cognitive
Cognitive therapy focuses on teaching a patient to adapt from anxiety inducing habits to things which are more manageable. For example some of these practices may be teaching an individual to prevent a panic attack by giving them a way to mentally re approach the situation.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy or Hypnosis uses guided relaxation, concentration, and extreme attention to help a person to process their thoughts. This type of therapy can be used in tandem with Psychotherapy. It allows a person to face their issues head-on.
Medication
Medication can be used to help reduce traumatic anxiety, although this is not the first method of choice by most specialists. A lot of times this type of treatment is recommended for those in the beginning phases of their therapy journey as a temporary and non-permanent fix.
Why you may need an accident attorney if you suffer from vehophobia
As accident attorneys, we understand how traumatic any accident may be. We want to ensure you are able to go back to living your normal lives previous to this accident occurring. Due to the sustained mental damages incurred from the incident you may be entitled to compensation. So if you or a loved one has suffered from vehophobia due to a negligent driver and car accident, call the attorneys at Demesmin and Dover.