The body after an MVA
THE
SYMPTOMS
ARE REAL.
“Somatic” means related to the body. It does not mean imagined, exaggerated, or “all in your head.”
After a collision, symptoms may reflect injury, concussion, medication effects, sleep disruption, autonomic arousal, anxiety, depression, pain sensitization, or several interacting factors. A psychological formulation should add understanding—not substitute for appropriate medical assessment.
01 / What people may notice
The body has many
ways to signal distress.
These experiences are not specific to one diagnosis. Their meaning depends on onset, pattern, severity, medical findings, triggers, medications, and functional impact.
Heart and breathing
Racing heart, chest tightness, shortness of breath, sweating, trembling, light-headedness, or a sudden surge of alarm.
Muscle and pain
Guarding, tension, headaches, jaw clenching, widespread aching, pain flares, or increased sensitivity to movement.
Sleep and energy
Insomnia, nightmares, unrefreshing sleep, fatigue, slowed thinking, irritability, and reduced stamina.
Stomach and appetite
Nausea, abdominal discomfort, bowel changes, reduced appetite, overeating, or symptoms that intensify under stress.
Balance and sensation
Dizziness, feeling unreal or detached, tingling, numbness, sensory overload, or difficulty tolerating light and noise.
Everyday capacity
Reduced driving, exercise, work, concentration, social activity, household tasks, or confidence using the body.
Body, attention,
meaning, behaviour.
A sensation appears
Pain, dizziness, tension, nausea, rapid heartbeat, or fatigue enters awareness.
The mind interprets it
“Something is badly wrong.” “This will never stop.” “Movement will cause damage.”
Alarm rises
Breathing, muscle tension, vigilance, and stress activation may intensify the original sensation.
Life narrows
Avoidance and repeated checking may bring short-term relief while increasing fear and disability over time.
This cycle is one possible maintaining process. It is not proof that symptoms are psychological or that physical pathology is absent.
03 / Words matter
A symptom is not
automatically a disorder.
People often hear “somatic” as a diagnosis. Clinically, it may simply describe a bodily experience. Somatic symptom disorder has additional diagnostic requirements.
Any symptoms experienced in the body: pain, weakness, dizziness, fatigue, palpitations, gastrointestinal discomfort, or other sensations. They may have identified medical causes, unclear causes, or mixed contributors.
One or more distressing physical symptoms plus excessive or disproportionate thoughts, feelings, or behaviours related to those symptoms, with a persistent course. The diagnosis is based on the response to symptoms—not simply on whether medical tests are normal.
The symptoms are not intentionally produced. A diagnosis should follow a careful assessment of health history, current medical concerns, psychological factors, culture, functioning, and alternative explanations.
Hold two questions
at the same time.
TimelineWhat began immediately, what appeared later, what is changing, and what happened before the accident?
PatternTriggers, duration, variability, intensity, recovery time, and links with movement, driving, reminders, sleep, meals, or stress.
ImpactSelf-care, mobility, work, driving, relationships, exercise, household responsibilities, and quality of life.
Care to dateMedical findings, rehabilitation, medication, response to treatment, emergency visits, and current providers.
Maintaining factorsFear, avoidance, reassurance-seeking, overexertion, inactivity, poor sleep, conflict, uncertainty, and claim-related stress.
New or severe symptoms
need medical attention.
Do not assume a symptom is caused by anxiety or trauma. Seek emergency care for symptoms such as severe or worsening chest pain, major breathing difficulty, fainting, signs of stroke, new weakness or paralysis, a severe sudden headache, uncontrolled bleeding, repeated vomiting, seizure, new confusion, or thoughts of suicide.
After a head injury, obtain urgent medical advice for worsening headache, repeated vomiting, increasing drowsiness, unusual behaviour, slurred speech, unequal pupils, seizure, loss of consciousness, or new neurological changes.
Reduce threat.
Restore function.
Education can connect symptoms, arousal, attention, pain, sleep, beliefs, and behaviour without invalidating physical experience.
Breathing, grounding, muscle release, mindfulness, and present-focused skills may help the body shift out of persistent alarm.
CBT can examine catastrophic conclusions, all-or-nothing beliefs, and unhelpful checking while respecting medical uncertainty.
When medically appropriate, graded re-engagement can restore movement, driving, work, and confidence without boom-and-bust cycles.
Trauma-focused care may address reminders, avoidance, intrusive memories, hyperarousal, and changes in safety beliefs.
A consistent plan across medicine, rehabilitation, psychology, and the insurer can reduce contradictory messages and duplicated care.
07 / Track for clarity
Notice patterns
without watching all day.
Continuous body scanning can increase alarm. A brief, scheduled record may provide useful information while keeping attention available for the rest of life.
SituationWhat were you doing, where were you, and what happened just before?
BodyWhat did you notice? Rate intensity once using the same simple scale.
InterpretationWhat did the sensation seem to mean in that moment?
ResponseDid you stop, avoid, check, seek reassurance, use a skill, or continue with modification?
RecoveryHow long did the increase last and what helped it settle?
Bring meaningful patterns to the appropriate provider. A log should support care, not become another source of monitoring or pressure.
When the body
keeps speaking.
Are symptoms real if medical tests are normal?+
Yes. Symptoms are real experiences whether or not an initial test identifies a cause. Normal results may rule out some conditions, but they do not make pain, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, or other symptoms imaginary. New, changing, or concerning symptoms still need medical review.
Does “somatic” mean somatic symptom disorder?+
No. Somatic simply means related to the body. Somatic symptom disorder is a specific diagnosis involving persistent physical symptoms together with disproportionate thoughts, feelings, or behaviours that cause significant distress or impairment.
Can anxiety cause physical symptoms after an accident?+
Anxiety and traumatic stress can produce or intensify a racing heart, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, tension, dizziness, nausea, and gastrointestinal discomfort. Similar symptoms can have medical causes, so assessment should consider both.
Should I stop activity when symptoms increase?+
It depends on the injury, symptoms, and medical advice. Complete avoidance may reduce conditioning and confidence, while pushing through severe or medically concerning symptoms may be unsafe. Ask the appropriate health professional for an individualized plan.
Can psychotherapy help with physical symptoms?+
Psychotherapy may reduce fear, hyperarousal, avoidance, catastrophic interpretations, sleep disruption, and functional impact. It complements rather than replaces appropriate medical evaluation and physical rehabilitation.
Treat the person.
Not one system.
Psychological care after an accident can help make sense of the interaction between symptoms, traumatic stress, pain, sleep, confidence, and daily function.