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Anxiety after being injured at work
Quick answer: Feeling anxious, unsafe, or overwhelmed after a workplace injury is common and understandable. An injury can threaten your sense of safety, your income, and your independence at the same time, and the mind often stays on alert long afterwards. This is a normal response, not a failing, and it can be treated. Where the anxiety is connected to a work injury, treatment may be available under the NSW Workers Compensation scheme.
If you have been injured at work and have noticed yourself feeling anxious, on edge, or unable to settle, you are far from alone. Anxiety is one of the most common psychological responses to a workplace injury, and it can take many forms. Understanding why it happens is often the first step toward feeling more in control of it.
Why anxiety develops after an injury
An injury is a disruption to much more than the body. In a short space of time, it can raise questions about your health, your job, your finances, and your future. The mind responds to that uncertainty by staying alert, scanning for the next problem, and bracing for what might come. That heightened state is what anxiety often feels like from the inside. It made sense as a short-term response to a threat, but when it continues, it becomes exhausting and starts to interfere with daily life.
What anxiety after a workplace injury can look like
- Persistent worry about recovery, money, or what happens next
- Feeling on edge, restless, or unable to relax
- A racing heart, tension, or a knot in the stomach when thinking about work or the injury
- Feeling unsafe or hesitant about the place or task where the injury occurred
- Trouble concentrating or making decisions
- Disturbed sleep, often with a busy or racing mind at night
How treatment helps
Anxiety responds well to evidence-based psychological treatment. Rather than simply trying to push the feeling away, treatment helps you understand what is driving the anxiety, develop practical ways to manage it, and gradually rebuild a sense of safety and confidence, including in relation to work where that is relevant. Where the injury was sudden or frightening, trauma-focused therapy may also help. Where the anxiety is connected to a work injury, treatment may be available under the NSW Workers Compensation scheme, delivered by telehealth across NSW.
Frequently asked questions
Anxiety is a common response to a workplace injury. An injury can threaten your sense of safety, income, and independence all at once, and the body and mind often stay on alert long after the event. This is a normal, understandable response, and it can be treated.
Yes. Feeling anxious, hesitant, or unsafe about the place or task connected to an injury is common, particularly where the injury was sudden or frightening. Psychological treatment can help you work through this at a pace that suits you.
Where anxiety is connected to a work injury, psychological treatment may be available under the NSW Workers Compensation scheme, subject to approval. Your GP can assist with the referral and approval process.
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This page is general information for people in NSW and is not personal or clinical advice. Eligibility and funding depend on your individual claim and insurer approval. Please speak with your treating doctor about your situation. If you are in crisis, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 (or text 0477 13 11 14), or call 000 in an emergency.