curious-sparrow-4485/10/2026

Body just... shut down after the crash? Not eating, not sleeping, not anything

It's been almost two weeks since a truck ran a red light and hit me on my driver's side. Physically I got lucky — some bruising, a stiff neck, nothing broken. But something is seriously off with me and I can't explain it.

I'm just not hungry. Like at all. I have to remind myself to eat and even then I'll take a few bites and feel done. I used to love cooking dinner, it was my wind-down thing after work. Now I look at the kitchen and feel nothing. My sleep is a mess too — either I can't fall asleep or I wake up at 3am with my heart pounding for no reason.

I keep replaying the moment of impact. I'll be in a totally normal situation — washing my hands, watching TV — and suddenly I'm back in that intersection hearing the crunch of metal.

I don't feel "sad" exactly. It's more like I'm wrapped in plastic wrap and the world is slightly far away.

Is this a normal reaction? Has anyone else had their body just go haywire after a crash even when the physical injuries weren't that severe? I feel like I should be "over it" by now because I walked away, but clearly something is still going on. Would really appreciate hearing from people who've been through this.

7 replies

Most helpful first

mellow-beaver-6595/10/2026
Yes. A thousand times yes. After my accident I lost like eight pounds in the first month without trying. I wasn't depressed in the way I recognized depression — it was more like my nervous system just hit some kind of emergency mode and forgot to come back off it. The replaying-the-moment thing especially hit home for me. It gets better, but don't brush it off as nothing.
calm-crow-1655/10/2026
What you're describing — the appetite loss, sleep disruption, intrusive flashbacks, that detached/wrapped-in-fog feeling — those are really classic signs of an acute stress response, and sometimes the early stages of PTSD. Your brain literally went through a life-threatening event and it's still in survival mode. It doesn't care that you "walked away okay." The threat felt real, and your body is processing that.

Please don't wait this out alone hoping it fades. A therapist who works with trauma (look for somatic or EMDR approaches specifically) can make a huge difference. And yes, document how you're feeling — dates, symptoms, how it's affecting your daily life. This is a real injury even if there's no cast on it.
clever-wolf-2465/10/2026
I just want to say — you don't have to justify why you're struggling. You got hit by a truck. That's terrifying no matter how the x-rays look. Please be gentle with yourself right now. 💙
- quick-finch-0825/10/2026
  Not legal advice, but I'll say this: psychological and emotional injuries from accidents are very much compensable, and they're often undervalued because victims don't document them. Keep a daily journal — even just a few sentences about your sleep, appetite, mood, and any flashbacks. That record matters more than most people realize. Worth at least a free consultation with a PI attorney who understands trauma claims.
silent-wolf-1925/10/2026
Whatever you do, don't tell the other driver's insurance adjuster that you're "doing okay" or "feeling better" when they call to check in. They are not calling to be nice. They're calling to get you on record minimizing your symptoms. Your mental health impacts are real damages and you shouldn't hand them a reason to low-ball you.
sharp-fox-8975/10/2026
Two things: see a doctor about the psychological symptoms (ask specifically about acute stress disorder), and write everything down starting today. Don't try to tough this out or talk yourself out of what you're feeling. The "I should be over it" mindset is how people end up undertreated and under-compensated.
wise-lynx-5485/10/2026
The fact that you're noticing something is off and reaching out is actually a really good sign. A lot of people push it down until it gets way worse. You're already ahead of the curve just by paying attention to yourself. That counts for something.