Adjustment Disorder or PTSD

[DenialTwist]

Any thoughts and input on this one would be appreaciated...

 

I was involved in a car accident about 3 years ago. Resulted in severe whiplash. 2 years post accident I was diagnosed with PTSD and referred for CBT (Cognital Behavioural Therapy). Just the fact of being diagnosed was a relief, finally someone understood, and the CBT helped loads. Though I am not at the end of the tunnel, I've been seeing the light for a while and I am finally starting to feel the warmth of it.

 

Moving on. I decided to sue for damages and got a solicitor. They appointed an independent consultant. His medical report came back suggesting Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood.

 

I researched this and it suggest 2 key factors: Stressor and Duration. The stressor for an adjustment disorder is usually defined as equivalent to the break up of a relationship, and the duration is of usually up to 6 months.

 

My symptoms have been diagnosed over 2 years and the stressor was a little more severe than the breaking up of a relationship. Van came straight into the back of me at a roundabout.

 

This is obviously going to affect insurance payout...

 

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

[COtuner]

How old were you when hit? How experienced on the road (meaning familiarity with daily incidents of hazard and risk, and understanding of driver behavior?) Having a vehicle hit you from behind, where you are presumably not watching regularly, would trigger that fear. I'm always looking 360 degrees around my car for situation awareness, and always am prepared for what the car behind me might do. I drive accordingly, to give the person behind me as much warning as possible that I am stopping or turning or whatever.... that's also part of defensive driving. In fact, I usually expect to get rear ended more often than a front end collision because so many idiots are talking on cell phones or not hitting the brakes until they are right on my rear bumper. I can't use my car's handling to avoid something from behind in most cases. So while I would be massively PO'd if I were hit, I would almost certainly have expected it and not reacted with anything more than pummelling the crap out of whoever wrecked my car.

 

Adjustment disorder sounds like they have diagnosed you as being afraid to get back on the road and drive in traffic without expecting something bad to happen behind you. You're afraid of getting rear ended and you can't psychologically accept the lack of control over the risk right now. It sounds like a reasonable diagnosis for what you are describing, actually.

 

(I myself have PTSD from workplace bullying so I do know the phenomenon).

[DenialTwist]

Thanks for the input COtuner.

 

What is it that makes you feel that Adjustment Disorder is a reasonable diagnosis?

 

From the research I have done, the stressor in AD is characterised as 'the breakup of a relationship' or a 'bad report card'. Duration also seems to say up to 6 months. My case has had symptoms for 3 years and the stressor was a bit more severe than the breaking up of a relationship.

 

To answer your question. I have been driving for 16 years, regularly for the last 10. I've been in a couple of minor rta's, hit a dear, been rear ended before. Just this time it happened on a busy roundabout and resulted in severe whiplash. I am quite a conscious driver, so no amount of defensive driving would have avoided the situation. Coming off a major road I stopped and the van went straight into the back of me.