I just came across this section in my "coping with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury" book. It talks about grieving the loss of your old self and how after a MTBI, you may have to face the possibility that you will never be as you once were. I know this pertains to a lot of you out there who may be angry, sad, depressed or frustrated that you are no longer the person you were before your accidents. I have come to this point and definetly accepting that i am now a combination of my old self and now my post-accident self and learning that its ok to be this new me. I acknowledge my limitations and know that life will continue and my new self will be just fine.
Some suggestions they give are

* Acknowledge the reality of your loss
* Identify and express your grief
* Commemorate your loss
* Acknowledge your mixed feelings (instead of denying conflicting feelings, work toward a balance between positive and negative feelings about your new self and put them into perspective)
* Learn to let go (ultimately you must withdraw your emotional investment in the person you once were in order to go forward with your new life. Realize that the person you are today is not a poor substitute but a composite of your old and newly aquired selves.)
* Move on -Resist viewing yourself as a tragic figure who life has dealt a cruel blow. Focus on your current strengths and abilities and live your new life whatever way you can.

I found this to be very powerful and eye-opening. It reaffirms that life will go on once we grieve the loss of our former selves and live our new life as best we can. Hope this helps!