(((Tam)))

In my own experience with flashbacks, I have discovered that, yes, they can present themselves, and even be very strong as well. However, even though it really feels that the event is reoccuring, there is a lenth of time to the flashback. And your conscious mind needs to remember that whatever it is, it is like a wave that comes in and then receeds. And the important thing to try to do is afterwards allow your conscious mind to say, "yes, I remember that and it did happen but it is not happening now". And then I work on whatever that flashback was about in therapy and on my own to keep reminding myself that I was in a bad place and experienced something troubling and I also do my best to realize that at the time I did not know what to do, but now I understand it better and I do not have that experience taking place now.

It IS work Tam, however, while we never forget unpleasant events, we can decrease the flashbacks by finally processing the event/events. And when a flashback happens, it is important to do your best to try to NOT feed into it in a way that tells your brain to again put it back unresolved so it can again come forward in a troubling flashback. What eventually happens is the power of the flashback decreases until you can just remember it like any memory, it may not be a good memory, but it doesn't cause you to feel like you are experiencing it in the now.

The first stage of PTSD is very difficult and does have these flashbacks/body memories/and even anxiety etc take place. However with time and therapy this part of the PTSD can quiet down into just, as mentioned, unpleasant memories that you do recall but are not so intrusive.

Lots of talk, talk, talk about the event and validation helps you process events better and work on not retramatizing, but slowy disable and store.

(((Hugs)))
Open Eyes