Julie,
That is a difficult topic! Having had to do some reinventing in recent years, I can only list the things that helped me (and, yes, I'm talking major reinventing).
1. Let go of the things, relationships, body parts, etc. that are no longer a functional part of your existence.
2. Figure out which things still make you smile, and do more of them.
3. Help other people. (This one acts as a really good distraction, which is what troubled minds need most.)
4. Realize that we are all traveling on a one-way ticket: this thought has made me more compassionate, even to myself.
5. Find out who your real friends are and go hug them.
6. The human brain is a marvelous organ: read Descarte's Error by Antonio Damasio. There is something very empowering about using your own mind to heal yourself. You can, in fact, moderate your own brain chemistry. That is the neatest trick ever. Yes, pain is real, but suffering is not inevitable.
Yes, one of the truly good things to come of this is I am finding out who my real friends are, the depth and sincerity of those connections, and that there is kindness in strangers, some of whom are also becoming friends :)
