When someone experiences an attack from a dog, the first reaction from other people is likely to be questioning whether the person suffered any injuries as a result. However, often the victim of a dog attack does not suffer any injuries whatsoever, yet still becomes damaged by the traumatic experience for a long time to come.
It is important that people do not underestimate the damage that a scary experience like this can create for a person.
Dealing with post-traumatic stress
For people that have endured an extremely stressful experience, they may become victim to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is a condition where a person experiences flashbacks of the experience, constant anxiety and fear, and going into a cycle of self-blame and self-hatred for what happened.
General anxiety
Dog attack victims can also suffer from general anxiety in day-to-day life because of what occurred. This can also involve anxiety attacks, heart palpitations and nausea. To overcome the anxiety caused by an animal attack, a person may have to go through extensive therapy or take medication.
Phobias
Many victims also develop a fear or phobia of dogs that can potentially last a lifetime. If this phobia becomes severe, it can affect a person’s life because it is impossible to avoid encountering dogs in any city or town. This might also lead to a person being scared to leave the house.
Dog attacks leave more than just physical scars and can damage a person’s quality of life. If a person needs to pay for therapy, it is possible to recoup damages from the dog owner.
Source: CNN, “Emotional Damages from Dog Bites,” accessed Nov. 10, 2017