THE MIDWEEK SUN THE SUN DOCTOR

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Dear Sun Doc

Last year I was involved in a minor road accident. My partner was slightly injured but I was unscathed. I’m now facing driving resistance behaviour even when it’s a short distance drive. I lose focus and become dizzy. I appreciate your advice on what I should do to recover from this.

Dear reader,

You experienced a situation with a potential threat for serious injury for both you and your partner. This is a trauma. You have had prolonged psychological and physical reactions (dizziness, loss of focus, anxiety) to driving; plus you have been avoiding/ been resistant to driving because it is a reminder of the incident, all of which are symptoms of post-traumatic stress. It is normal to experience a negative reaction after an experienced or witnessed threat or actual harm that can cause serious injury. In most cases, we are able to adapt over time. However, sometimes the stress can affect our ability to function normally. If you also have negative mood or thoughts since the incident, in addition to irritability, anger outbursts, hypervigilance, recklessness, sleep disturbances or poor concentration, and all these are interfering with your ability to function well in every day situations, then you may have post-traumatic stress disorder.

It is advisable for you to see a mental health professional for evaluation and psychotherapy. The main approaches that may be used are cognitive therapy (recognising and dealing with unhelpful thought patterns), relaxation techniques, and exposure therapy. Additional treatments may be used as necessary. Positive social support is also vitally important as it helps to prevent and cope with distress.