self-image must be adjusted to your new reality. Understand that you will grieve over what has been lost. As you grow to accept the limitations inflicted by your injuries, try to be in touch with both your feelings and rational thinking. Feel what you feel. It is okay to be overwhelmed by your feelings sometimes, as long as you are not overwhelmed all the time. But try to base most of your behavior on rational and appropriate thinking. At some point it is critical to accept that you are a person who has survived a terrible trauma, that you are changed and that you are going on with your life. It will not be easy; however, it will get easier than it is now. You must set goals for yourself. Spend time with people who accept you as you are and find a way to do meaningful work. Keep your goals realistic. Work on them one at a time so that you don’t overwhelm yourself. Your interests, concerns, and values may be different now. Your life may be divided into two segments: before the crash and after the crash. You will probably discover strengths you never knew you had. As far as possible, move your focus from what you lost to what you can do now.
Helping Family/Friends Cope
You may find that your family and friends avoid discussing certain components of the crash or your injuries with you. They may talk down to you, as if you were a child. When you experience a great deal of pain, you may regress to a more child-like state and need assistance. Later, though, you will decide that you want to communicate with
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