If you suffered a serious second- or third-degree burn in an auto accident or on-the-job injury, your recovery can be both long and painful. But many burn survivors underestimate the mental and emotional consequences of their burns.
The more serious the burn, the more the effects can linger and wind up affecting all aspects of your life. This is especially true if the burns disfigured the face or resulted in amputations of fingers or limbs.
1. Their personal relationships may suffer
After a bad burn injury, survivors can struggle with many losses. Some of their personal relationships may not withstand this major crisis. Depression is also quite common among those who suffered serious burns, which can further damage their ability to maintain relationships. Some burn survivors even grow to resent their caregivers because they are so dependent on them for their activities of daily life (ADLs).
2. They may isolate themselves
Some burn injury survivors are troubled by their appearance. If the scars are significant and highly visible, they may be hesitant to go out in public because they don’t want to attract attention to their injuries. That can leave them feeling isolated and lonely.
3. They may have post-traumatic stress disorder
It’s not uncommon for burn injury survivors to develop post-traumatic stress disorder. That can cause intense anxiety, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts and other problems.
If you’ve suffered serious burn injuries, learning more about your legal rights to compensation for your mental, physical, and emotional healing can leave you better poised to make the right choices for you and your family going forward.