Can you work if an accident causes PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a situation that sometimes arises when someone goes through a very traumatic event and they can’t mentally and emotionally recover from it. This is a well-researched medical condition, and that research started with soldiers who came back from war. They would suffer from flashbacks, panic attacks, anxiety attacks many other things along these lines.

But you don’t have to be a soldier to have PTSD. You just have to go through something surprising and traumatic. A workplace injury could bring about the same sort of reaction. Will this make it impossible for you to work?

How PTSD can limit you

One thing to know about PTSD is that it is often different from case to case, so it’s hard to say exactly how it will manifest in one person compared to another.

However, there are some ways that it can be very limiting. For instance, perhaps you are a roofer and you were injured when you fell off of a roof and struck your head. Now, even when you’re wearing a tether or other fall protection equipment, you have a panic attack whenever you’re on a roof. You clearly cannot work in your chosen profession any longer, even after your physical ailments heal. This is just one way that PTSD could make it impossible for you to continue your career.

It’s important to consider all of your costs when you’re looking into workers’ compensation. If you have been injured on the job, you must know what steps to take to protect your interests and get the benefits you’re due. Some experienced guidance can help.