Psychological Injury After a Car Accident
PTSD, anxiety, and driving phobia are legitimate injuries that respond to structured treatment.
Understanding psychological injury
Motor vehicle accidents can cause significant psychological injury — even when physical injuries are relatively minor. Post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, driving phobia, adjustment disorder, and depression are common after an MVA and are just as real as a broken bone or a torn ligament. These injuries frequently co-occur with physical injuries, compounding the impact on daily life, work capacity, and relationships. The good news is that psychological injuries are highly treatable with structured, evidence-based psychological intervention.
Common symptoms
Symptoms can take hours or days to appear after a crash. If you notice any of these, it's worth being assessed.
We identify psychological injuries early — often at the initial medical assessment — and coordinate referrals to CTP-experienced psychologists who specialise in trauma and motor vehicle accident presentations. Treatment typically involves structured psychological therapy such as CBT or EMDR, alongside ongoing medical review of your overall recovery. Where psychological injury co-occurs with physical injury, we coordinate both streams so your treatment plan addresses the whole picture.
Treatment approach
- 1CTP medical assessment with psychological injury screening
- 2Referral to CTP-experienced psychologists
- 3Evidence-based therapy: CBT, EMDR, or trauma-focused intervention
- 4Coordinated treatment planning alongside physical injury rehab
- 5Work capacity assessment and graded return-to-work support
- 6Ongoing medical review to track recovery across all injury domains
If you are experiencing anxiety, flashbacks, sleep disturbance, low mood, or a fear of driving after a motor vehicle accident, see a CTP-experienced doctor. Psychological injuries are more effectively treated when addressed early. There is no benefit to waiting it out.
Not an emergency? Book an assessment. If symptoms are severe or worsening, call 000.
Frequently asked questions
Ready to get started?
Book an appointment and take the first step toward recovery.