# Car crash made me worse



## Fullogas (Jan 8, 2007)

I was in an auto accident almost three weeks ago. It seemed minor enough. I was extremely shaken by it at the time and had a very visible reaction: pronounced tremors and shaking, heart pounding like I'd just run a race. It lasted for hours and that night I finally absolutely crashed and slept like a baby because I was so exhausted from my nervous reaction.Within a few days I noticed my blood sugars were all over the place. I'b been having some minor, annoying panic attacks a few weeks prior, but things seemed to be under control. After the accident, the attacks grew into nearly constant occurances. Instead of just hitting late in the afternoon, they'd start up in the morning and slowly build in intensity over the course of the day. After several days, my hands were trembling, the legs would get weak. I thought it was the blood sugars but that stabilized in a few days.Driving is getting to be a real bother. I thought the fact I was getting freaked out if a car came too close to me or suddenly appread out of a blind spot would fade in a few days. It seems to have gotten worse. Now the worst panic attacks hit when I'm in the car.I saw an endocrinologist two days ago. She's checking my adrenals to see if they're okay but she suspects panic disorder. I never heard of this before but it sounds about right. My stomach was fairly under control before the accident, now it's been raging for days. Last night was one of the most painful, longest attacks of IBS I've had in years. My question: I have to go back to work. The day before the accident I'd put myself on my union availability list and I immediately started getting calls from people to see if I'd be available. Since the accident, the anxiety is through the roof and the IBS means I'm speding entire mornings hovering near the bathroom. The problem: When I work, it's a very stressful job. I'm usually completely at the mercy of others in determining my schedule and I am either in a van driving around the city with VIPs or in my car driving around town scouting. Maybe one or two days a week I can actually spend in the office but those days are always subject to someone elses schedule so I can't count on them. The dilemma: Since my symptoms have gone out of control again and can be directly tied to this accident, my psychiatrist suggested I pursue some kind of settlement. The idea of returning to work right now is pretty scary. Having to drive in LA's traffic, not being able to have access to facilities when needed, then there's the significantly increased anxiety which only seems to be getting worse.So, I'm trying to decide if I should do something legally about a settlement. I've never even seriously considered something like this before and I have no idea where to start. Should I discuss this with my insurance company? Should I find an attorney?The psychiatrist put me on Buspar (horrible reaction: took as directed for two days then stopped because it kept me awake for nearly 48 hours) and Ritalin. I'm beginning my morning with Imodium and the cramping is still pretty bad. Thank god I've got some Levsin left over.This really sucks because I was just starting to feel like I could get my life back together. I hadn't had an attack in weeks, and the anxiety was becoming manageable. Now I feel worse than ever before. And I'm supposed to travel to Ohio for my sisters birthday in a few weeks. The whole idea of that trip is causing a lot more anxiety now, being couped up in an airplane if I have an attack? Not liking the thought of that.Thankfully my insurance has been great. They got the car in and are getting right on the work. 16 years driving around Los Angeles with all those crazy drivers and this is the only serious accident I've ever been in, the first for this car (An SUV I've owned for 4 years). The damage looks trivial, a pushed in rear passenger side, but it threw the rear door alignment off, screwed up a wheel, melted part of the body to the muffler, bent the rear bumper way out and shorted out parts of the electrical system. This minor looking damage will easilly cost thousands. Thank god for insurance.


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## Guest (Jul 6, 2007)

You poor old duck. First off I'm a Brit - so any advice I can offer is only general. Yes, legal action might be a way forward - the action of itself might also be quite stressful and, I'm assuming quite expensive. I'm a solicitor but I work for a charity - again, we'd could only offer clients in this line of work, general pointers and help with the numerous forms you will inevitably have to fill in. Do you have equivalent of a Citizens Advice Bureau - somewhere you can go and get free, impartial advice and help with legal forms? Otherwise - you need to Google in your area - find a lawyer (as you chaps call them) who might be prepared to offer a free initial interview - even if its only on the phone. Then you can discuss the pros and cons of pursuing a case through the courts.Forgive me - but are you seeing a psychiatrist - I think you mentioned that you were - I think you've got symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress haven't you? Are you managing to sleep at all now - cos you've got to get yourself in good mental and physical shape before pursuing any legal action.I wish you well, I really do. I have had major depression - so I do empathise with much of what you are going through but not, of course, the horrors of a car-crash.Please stay in touch.Sue (from very soggy Manchester)


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