Can PTSD from a Work Experience Qualify You for Worker's Compensation?
PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, occurs when you see or experience a horrible event. Panic attacks and depression can occur years later, causing problems for the rest of your life. It is possible that the triggering event happened at work, in which case you need to speak with a worker's compensation attorney to see what your options are.
It was not that long ago that psychological problems as the result of mental stress were not grounds for a worker's compensation lawsuit. Fortunately, today it is much more clear how debilitating invisible challenges, like PTSD, can be.
Physical Proof of Emotional Trauma
It is often surprising to discover that physical evidence of previous psychological trauma can be found in your brain, even months or years after the traumatic event. Specifically, both the way your brain functions and its physical appearance can changed after an emotional trauma. Whether it is workplace violence or repeated verbal abuse from management or co-workers, your perception of each traumatic event can change the appearance of the frontal cortex of your brain.
There are three parts of your brain that play a role in your emotional growth and development. If one is damaged, mental growth can slow down and you may experience emotional problems, including PTSD. Those three parts of your brain are the frontal cortex, survival brain, and emotional brain.
It is important to remember that the way you react to any stressful situation can differ from someone else's and there is no single right or wrong way.
You, Your Worker's Compensation Attorney, and Your Case
When the difficulties of PTSD make it impossible to work or substantially change the scope of your professional duties, it is time to understand the issue and see what you can do. Worker's compensation might pay you for the time you cannot work, medication, therapy and other rehabilitative services once you have proven that your PTSD was caused by an event at work.
Regardless, it is first crucial to speak with your worker's compensation lawyer, so that you can access the care you need to get back to work as soon as you are healthy. It's not easy to file and win a claim, but it happens to people just like you on a regular basis.
In conclusion,the link between physical symptoms and psychological pain is both real and significant. Never "tough it out" because you just do not need to. Regardless, it is first crucial to speak with your worker's compensation attorney, so that you can access the care you need to get healthy and back to work.