How to accept? This question depends on how far along you are since the injury. If you are years and years out, and you are different, then you are. List what you like about the new you.

If you are less than a year in, don't give this a whole bunch of thought yet. Have you journeled your progress? What can you do now that you could not do earlier in recovery?

As for accepting what is new, well, write a letter to the New You. Ask her or him for their introduction. What can yo look forward to?

As for the old you, if you must, write a letter saying farewell to what was, what you loved, and what you miss. It might yet return>

Scientists are still learning about the brain. Please don't give up and don't do any of the suggested activities if they upset you to think about them. I only mean for the best.

I am lucky. I am mostly the old me minus much of the negative junk that I like to say died in the car accident.

Peace everyone!

poetrymom

Irregardless of how long youve been in on this, you are different, and more than likely always will be different.

I feel into the depression hole, very deep into the depression hole at one point. I pulled myself out, that alone was a battle.

Key is to never give up, and stay positive. Its tough, very tough. But its who we are now and nothing will change that. We need to learn workarounds, and not just say, oh I know I cant do that so Ill just avoid it completely. No, you must try a different approach, if that one fails, try another approach and keep trying. Dont ever quit. Of course its not easy. Some of you are in a better boat than I am, some are in a far worse boat than I am. All of us can bond together to make a darn cruise liner, and help each other.

My new take on this is like marriage. For better or for worse, we are going to have ups and downs. Second thoughts, even fights within our own heads. But we must stay positive.

If there is no hope, then what is there to live for? Keep that in mind, if anyone wants to pm me and need help with the depression im here to help. Ive always prided myself as being strong willed from my time in the military, and even that faltered at one point in this past 8 months. It almost cracked, but it didnt. The human body has adopted and evolved for thousands of years, so please dont think your own body will stop adopting or evolving because of our injuries.

I agree to never give up, I sit and bawl my eyes out as I'm not the same person and a brain injury scares me, it's those words...brain injury...but then by some miracle I pull myself up and start fighting again.

Some days I think it's going to be okay, I can be the new me and other days it hurts so bad, to be expected I suppose.

Wish I had someone to just say it's going to be okay, you're not alone with this, I do have a wonderful daughter but don't want to worry her further.

I do try to think we'll have good days and bad days, that's just the way it is, I want a life so keep on a truckin'...darn it!!!!

Hockey, I am not sure if it was supposed to...but that made me chuckle. I totally relate. I was in charge of a department and a martial arts instructor in my spare time...now I can't find words or do basic math in my head.

I still remain hopeful though. I have to.

Pretty much everything I say about myself is meant to be chuckled at. For starters, as a Canadian, I am prone to self-deprecation. More importantly, when it comes to the TBI, I can laugh or I can cry. I'd rather go with the former. I can't wish "new, but not improved" me away, so I've got to live with the b@#%h.

That doesn't mean I'm not fighting for myself, it just means I'm not fighting AGAINST myself. Even after all these years, I treat every new morning as my starting point, not my terminus.

Wise words.