IF YOU ARE HEALTHY YOU ARE RICH.

I have tried to imagine playing left handed.  Even the strumming would be difficult.  And as for holding down chords with the opposite hand, this would take, as tubatooter said, learning all over from scratch.  Of course it can be done, but very slowly, I'm sure.  We know it is a matter of finger memory, which would be very hard for most of us, to train those fingers to automatically press down the right strings in the right frets.  I know you enjoyed playing in the past, and while relearning would be a huge ordeal, the satisfaction you would ultimately get would be well worth it.  Have you tried playing left handed yet?  The biggest thing you have going for you, as opposed to a brand new player, is that you already know the chords and strumming patterns.  now, just training those fingers to move to the right place will take lots of practice.  I don't envy you, but the sheer challenge and gratification and determination should spur you on.  I wish you the best of luck.  As for psychological problems, they are all just in your head.  Being right or left handed is a brain issue, so it is psychological, as it turns out.  So you may have a whole new set of problems to deal with.

I've been waiting for Toney to chime in here, but perhaps he is too proud. That's right, Chordie's own Southpaw used to be a righty prior to a bad boating accident. Here's an article from a few years ago:

Toney Hall was enjoying a day of water-skiing with friends on Claytor Lake in Virginia when, without warning, the boat's steering cable broke.

The boat lurched, tossing Hall into the water. It happened so quickly that Hall was back in the boat before he began to comprehend how this would change his life. Hall had been hit by the boat's propeller.

"It was gruesome," Hall said. "I was freaking out because my left hand was shredded from the elbow down."

Now, 20 years later, Hall is playing guitar and singing at a local restaurant. The audience smiles and shouts out song requests. I watch, awed at the human spirit's resilience.

Hall, of Largo, began playing in bands while still in high school in Virginia.

"The first time I held a guitar I wanted to make it my career," Hall said. "After the accident both of my hands were useless for months."

He underwent two surgeries on his right hand and a grueling 13 reconstructive surgeries on the left. He lost his left thumb and most of the control, feeling and strength of the fingers on the left hand.

His doctors advised him to give up the guitar.

"I've always been motivated by someone telling me I can't do something," Hall said.

Using a mirror to relearn the guitar, Hall struggled for two years as a left-handed player before he even felt adequate.

"It still doesn't feel natural," Hall said. "If I dream about playing guitar or I start to play air guitar with the radio, I play right-handed."

His damaged fingers can't hold a pick in his left hand.

"I tried Popsicle sticks with electrical tape and bandaging a pick to my hand but nothing worked," Hall said. "Finally, I got creative with super glue and created a pick I can use."

Hall's creation is simple. Using a thumb pick, a finger pick and two more picks, he has created a brace that slips onto his strumming fingers.

In 2002, Hall got married. With the blessing of his wife, Rosetta, he left his full-time job to focus on music.

Hall is a stay-at-home parent by day and plays private parties and local restaurants by night. He played 375 gigs in 2007.

He's developed a following, including Cher and Jim Hoffman of Largo.

"Toney's a great musician," Cher said. "He always gets the crowd going."

http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninter … 497450.ece

I couldn't imagine doing it, but it can be done if you're dedicated enough as Toney was / is.

You see? I am not alone. If needed I can give advise, but most of us with a problem know already an answer.
FIRST "better news: I tried to play guitar for 5' and guess what, I can play a chord or 3, = my colleague-(prophets) told me: 50% bad news (lesion irreversible) AND 50% patience, patience since August 2009.

Q: what is worse? BLIND or DEAF ---> Jeff Healey & Pete Townshend. MY RESPECT AND ADMIRATION FOR THE ONE HAND DRUMMER in DEF LEAPARD.

Inspiring thread.

Go get 'em doc.  Sorry to hear about the crushed nerve.  According to the docs, the nerves in my hands and feet are misplaced, but they're the only nerves I've ever had.  So I may feel things differently from other people, but who really knows how other people feel anyway? 

Anyway, I'd think trying to play left handed would be something you may be able to do.  Alternate instruments are also possible.  I'm not sure if you feel the need to play guitar, or the need to express yourself musically.  Autoharp, mountain dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, fiddle, and cello would be all other ways to express yourself just within the stringed instrument family.  If you're willing to expand, there are many others. 

I hope it all works out for one way or another.  Keep your chins up. 

- Zurf