and on their own time table. Some victims/ survivors withdraw, turn inward and cut off their social contacts because they are embarrassed or depressed about their injuries. They can’t accept what has happened to them: their appearance, their changed abilities, their new realities. Even though there may be resources to assist you, you may find yourself focusing only on the despair you sometimes feel. Traumatic Grief and Injury Seeking support is critical to the process of healing. As an injured victim, you may grieve every time you learn more about the seriousness of your injury. Because your family and friends genuinely care about you, they may believe that you can’t cope with knowing the full extent of your injuries; so they break it to you little by little. Sometimes, the full extent of your injuries may not be realized right away, especially if you have a closed head injury. Common reactions of traumatic grief: • crying, loneliness, feelings of isolation • poor appetite, overeating, sleeplessness, overall irritability • need to talk about the crash and the circumstances surrounding it over and over again • feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and/or depression • feelings of anger, guilt, and/or blame • inability to concentrate or remember • loss of motivation to accomplish goals in the future
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