Suffering post-traumatic stress disorder is unfortunately far too common for those individuals who have been injured in a serious accident. After witnessing and surviving any kind of traumatic event including a car crash, individuals are more likely to develop distress and anxiety symptoms associated with that of a car accident.

This can ultimately lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. A new study has identified that playing computer games like Tetris within a couple of hours of experiencing a trauma can minimize the chances that those feelings will take over a patient’s mind and ultimately impact their ability to recover. Post-traumatic stress disorder occurs in situations in which intrusive and traumatic memories associated with an event become consolidated in an individual’s mind, replaying them over and over again in a loop.

Playing the game Tetris interrupts this process and can compete with visualization. An intrusive memory is a visual memory of a particular event. With a visual addictive like a simple computer game such as Tetris, the person playing the game has to focus on something else and is unable to allow the repeating loop of anxiety and fear to enter their brain associated with the accident. A UK emergency room was the testing ground for 71 patients participating in this study. They were all seeking care after a motor vehicle accident.

Half of them received a psychological intervention and the other half received a standard care. The patients were then monitored for 7 days. Those individuals who played Tetris regularly reported 62% less memories on average over the week associated with the accident. PTSD is just one of the many negative symptoms that can be associated with surviving a dangerous car accident. Unfortunately, living through a car accident can still leave you with significant medical conditions and costs associated with managing those. You may need to file a personal injury claim in order to recover compensation.

PTSD may require comprehensive approaches for treatment. Many patients who receive this diagnosis after a car accident might take years to deal with the outcomes. While there’s no way to go back in time and erase the car accident, getting the treatment you need from an experienced professional is strongly recommended if you find yourself in this situation. No one should have to suffer the consequences of PTSD because of another person’s negligent actions, but if this describes you, you need help. Filing a legal claim could help you focus on getting better and moving forward with your life.