I feel depressed after my work accident. What can I do?

As work accident injuring a worker can be one of the most traumatic events a person can experience.

Our self-worth and confidence are often intimately tied to our jobs and the work we do. A work injury, even a minor one, that interrupts our ability to work can quickly undermine an injured worker's self-worth and confidence and cause depression, anxiety and other psychological injuries, conditions and symptoms.

Also, a work injury, even a minor one, can interrupt and even terminate an injured worker's wages which is another stress for the worker and the injured worker's family.

The injury itself can cause depression, anxiety, and other psychological injuries, conditions and symptoms. If you've suffered a catastrophic injury such as an amputation or paralysis, psychological treatment should be part of your treatment from the very start, and it is very likely you will need regular psychological treatment in the future to maintain and/or continue your recovery.

I have significant experience helping injured workers with catastrophic injury get the medical and psychological treatment they require and are entitled to.

Finally, witnessing a traumatic event at work can cause depression, anxiety, and other psychological injuries, conditions and symptoms, even if there is no physical injury. Being threatened at work or witnessing a co-worker being injured could be enough.

If you're physically injured and/or witnessed a traumatic event at work, you need to monitor yourself to see if you're exhibiting symptoms of a psychological injury right away. If you're unsure, you must speak to your doctor or doctors about how you're feeling. It's usually better to start psychological treatment sooner than later for a quicker recovery and to minimize the chance the workers' compensation insurer will deny your psychological treatment.

Sometimes, depression, anxiety, and other psychological injuries are delayed and do not appear right away. This often happens especially if the treatment takes a long and/or the injuries become chronic. Once again, if you think you are experiencing psychological symptoms, speak with your workers' compensation doctor who is treating your physical injuries ASAP.

In most cases, you will need a diagnosis of a psychological injury, condition or symptom by your workers' compensation doctor AND a WRITTEN referral to a psychological doctor for evaluation and treatment.

As I've said before, it's best to contact a workers compensation lawyer ASAP after the work injury. A workers' compensation lawyer can evaluate your case and, among other things, determine if you're getting the right medical benefits.

I have over 30 years representing injured workers. Call me at 505 292-8836 or email me at [email protected].