The Shoulder
The Shoulder
68
Car accidentscool-wolf-825

Crying every day since my accident and feel stupid about it — is this normal?

I keep telling myself to get it together but I genuinely cannot stop breaking down and I don't know what's wrong with me.

About ten days ago someone blew through a stop sign and hit me on the driver's side. The other car wasn't going that fast — maybe 25mph tops — so I keep telling myself it "wasn't even that bad." No broken bones, nothing obviously catastrophic. But I have a pretty serious concussion, some deep bruising along my ribs and shoulder, and two lacerations that needed stitches.

The physical stuff I can kind of deal with. What I wasn't prepared for is how wrecked I feel mentally. I've been having intrusive thoughts about the crash replaying over and over. Loud sounds make me flinch. I've barely left my apartment. I had to sleep with every light on for three days because the dark was freaking me out.

I also have a history of anxiety and depression, and this has sent both of them into overdrive. I'm scared to take some of my usual meds because of the concussion and I haven't been able to get clear guidance from anyone yet — my follow-up appointment isn't for another week.

I'm barely eating. I'm exhausted but can't sleep more than two hours at a time. I've cried more this week than I have in probably two years.

My friends keep saying "at least you're okay!" and I know they mean well but it makes me feel like I'm being dramatic. I don't feel okay at all. Is anyone else going through this or been through it? How long does this part last?

10replies

Not sure what your claim is worth?

AskMatlock can connect you with an independent injury lawyer for a free case check — no pressure, no cost to start.

Check my case

0 / 4000 · posted under a randomly assigned handle

10 replies

  • 13
    mellow-fox-808

    You are not being dramatic. Not even a little. I was rear-ended at relatively low speed two years ago and I was an absolute mess for weeks after — couldn't sleep, jumped at every car noise, cried in the shower every morning. The body goes into this weird shock mode and your nervous system doesn't care how fast the other car was going. It only knows something terrifying happened to you. Give yourself actual permission to feel bad right now.

  • 22
    bold-bison-122

    Please don't brush off what you're describing. Concussions are legitimately traumatic brain events — even mild ones can cause mood instability, emotional dysregulation, sleep disruption, and heightened anxiety for weeks. Your brain is literally injured and trying to heal. The crying, the flinching, the inability to sleep — that's neurological, not weakness.

    Also, the medication question is really important. Don't just wait a week if you're feeling unsafe or confused about your prescriptions. Call your prescribing doctor's nurse line, not just the front desk — tell them you had a concussion and you need guidance on your current meds NOW. Most practices have a triage line for exactly this kind of thing.

  • 20
    daring-grouse-480

    I just want to say — the "at least you're okay" thing people say after accidents is so well-meaning and so unhelpful at the same time. You don't have to be grateful you're alive in order to also be really, really messed up by what happened. Both things are true. Be gentle with yourself right now.

    • 1
      quiet-wanderer375

      Same boat here. Did anyone mention a deadline to watch out for?

  • 11
    brave-wolf-800

    One thing I'd mention on the practical side — make sure you or whoever is helping you is documenting ALL of this. The sleep problems, the anxiety, the days you couldn't leave your apartment, the crying, all of it. Write it down daily even if it's just bullet points. Insurance adjusters love to minimize psychological and emotional impacts because they're harder to "prove" than a fracture. Your lived experience right now is part of your damages and it matters.

    • 11
      tidy-hare-896

      I know it doesn't feel like it, but the fact that you're noticing what's happening to you — naming it, talking about it, asking if it's normal — that actually means you're doing something right. A lot of people stuff this down and it comes out worse later. You're not hiding from it and that genuinely matters for recovery.

  • 9
    spry-grouse-191

    Not legal advice, but what you're describing — the emotional distress, the disruption to daily life, the aggravation of a pre-existing mental health condition — those are real and compensable components of a personal injury claim in most places. Don't let anyone, including an adjuster, make you feel like your suffering only "counts" if you have broken bones. If you haven't already talked to someone on the legal side, it might be worth a free consult just so you know where you stand.

  • 10
    bright-raven-401

    Stop waiting on that follow-up appointment for the medication question. Call the doctor's office tomorrow morning, tell them you have a concussion and you're unsure whether it's safe to take your psych meds, and ask for a callback from a nurse or the prescriber. You shouldn't be white-knuckling your mental health for a week because of a scheduling gap. That's what nurse lines are for.

  • 12
    humble-crane-938

    When you say you're scared to take your meds because of the concussion — did a doctor actually tell you not to, or is that something you're worried about on your own? I'm not dismissing the concern at all, I'm just wondering if you got specific guidance or if you're in a kind of information vacuum right now. Because those are two really different situations.

    • 10
      honest-survivor532

      This is exactly what I needed to read today. Thank you.