Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) - Trauma/PTSD Treatment

Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) can do more harm than just whiplash. Many victims of MVAs find their behaviour and mood changed. They may feel agitated or anxious, depressed, or hypervigilant. They may feel listless or numb, like they are walking through their life but separate from it. It's common to have attention, focus, memory, or sleep problems with sleep.

It can also impact their relationships with the people around them, regardless of whether or not they were also in the collision. Acting more irritable can cause problems with coworkers, family members, and friends. Children can show more symptoms, including skill regression, diminished resiliency and coping strategies, increased temper tantrums, and frequent meltdowns. Children experiencing trauma may insist on sleeping with a parent or suddenly experience bedwetting.

As a result, MVA victims may increasingly withdraw from people and activities they once enjoyed or did with ease. They may avoid driving or socializing, and it may affect how they function at school or work. If they were physically injured in the accident, acute pain and somatic complaints worsen the psychological trauma.

People who  experience psychological and/or emotional symptoms related to a motor vehicle accident can access support shortly after an MVA can to return to their previous level of functioning more quickly. This process can be hard to navigate independently. Our support can ease the process for them, helping them to address symptoms faster.

Victims of MVAs are often not aware that they can receive specific trauma therapy or counselling, free of charge.

On October 29, 2020, the Alberta Government introduced Bill 41, the Insurance (Enhancing Driver Affordability and Care) Amendment Act, 2020. This act entitles people experiencing MVA-related injuries, access to additional health professionals such as dentists, occupational therapists, and psychologists as providers of adjunct therapy. 

Please note that these benefits have a $1,000 limit on expenses, payable for such therapy, and that this access expires 90 days following the MVA date.

This is why it's important to access these benefits quickly. If you require support beyond the first 90 days (also known as the Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols Regulation, DTpR period), we can assist you by providing documentation of your symptoms, progress, and continued treatment needs to your insurer, with requests for extended support and treatment access. We also can coordinate our services with your legal counsel, if needed, and through collaborative communication with your treating medical professionals.