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A slip and fall incident can inflict a variety of injuries that range from minor to life-threatening. Even if you recover from your injuries, the experiencing of falling might have additional negative effects. Some fall victims lose confidence in their ability to walk safely and suffer emotional distress like anxiety or PTSD.
It is possible that any accident that causes a serious injury could create emotional trauma, so it would be no surprise if you suffered anxiety after a fall. However, age may make it more likely for you to experience emotional distress. As Aging Care explains, senior citizens are at particular risk of suffering emotional trauma after a fall.
Anxiety during recovery
Psychological distress can manifest during the recovery period. The Aging Care article cites research that examined seniors who required a stay in the hospital after falling. When some patients tried to walk, they showed hesitancy in their movements. Even standing up could be a challenge. Some patients exhibited such anxiety while standing that they grabbed or clutched objects that were close by in order to support themselves.
Anxiety could cause health decline
Research has also shown that older adults who fall have double the likelihood of falling again. A senior who falls might go through lengthy hospital stays, surgery, physical disability, and cognitive decline. A fear that these outcomes might happen can contribute to anxiety of suffering another fall, which may also cause depression.
A fear of falling can cause anyone who suffers from it to withdraw from ordinary life. This can result in a sedentary lifestyle that can diminish health and actually increase the risk of falling. Given that anyone can suffer emotional distress from a serious injury, it is important after a fall to deal with emotional issues that could cause a potentially dangerous decline in your quality of life.
