(Newswire.net — August 29, 2023) — If you’ve endured a physical injury at work, the pain may eventually subside as you heal. For others, though, the impacts of the injury will last a lifetime. Chronic pain and mobility issues can come from serious workplace accidents.
There’s another layer, though, that most people don’t think about. The adjustments one must make to their life after a serious injury at work could mean walking, driving, cooking, eating, dressing, and working are all affected. For an independent person to suddenly have to depend on everyone can seriously affect their emotional and mental health.
The psychological effects of an injury may last long after the wound heals. This is why so many people have a hard time adjusting in the aftermath.
Common Emotional and Mental Health Woes Following a Workplace Injury
Physical injuries are painful, and whether or not they permanently affect your life, you may still encounter emotional and mental strife. You may worry if you’ll be able to do your job when you recover—or even if you’ll ever fully recover from the injury.
People who are hurt on the job often experience the following emotional and mental impacts.
Anxiety
Plenty of people feel stress and anxiety from their jobs. However, after a traumatic work injury, you may begin to feel more anxious. Anxiety causes excessive worrying, fatigue, a racing heart, sleep issues, and an exaggerated startle reflex. It may lead to physical health concerns for your heart, lead to cognitive impacts, or keep you in chronic pain.
It’s important to note that even if your workplace injury isn’t severe, anxiety can leave you with physical symptoms. You may feel you were to blame or that your workplace will retaliate against you for filing for workers’ compensation for your injury.
Depression
Traumatic injuries at work can lead to depression that impacts your ability to concentrate. You may feel guilty, worthless, or hopeless in the aftermath of sustaining an injury while doing your job. Even if your injury doesn’t physically prevent you from doing the things you once enjoyed, such as sports or other hobbies, depression can make you lose interest in those activities.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Anxiety and depression can come from even a minor injury at work. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often comes from experiencing something terrifying or traumatic. For example, if you work in construction and fall from a great height, you may have thought you were going to die. Even if you make a full recovery from your physical injuries, you may experience PTSD and its debilitating symptoms.
These symptoms often include flashbacks that make you relive those frightful moments all over again. You may engage in avoidance behaviors such as not climbing up high, have an exaggerated startle reflex, or become irritable or violent.
Long-Term Effects of Head Injuries
Emotional aspects of a workplace injury such as a blow to the head are common, too. You may become forgetful, experience changes to your personality, or become impulsive.
You can find more information about how workplace injuries impact your emotional and psychological well-being on this website.