Oh, BirdPumpkin, I am so sorry to hear about your losses! It's not crazy to feel bereft about your pets - they are such a wonderful source of unconditional love and support. I believe it is appropriate to mourn their loss, and to talk about the incident and be heard.

I read a little further down the posts, you are really holding up well with all you have going on. So glad you posted here - hope it is helping!

Just wanted to say, yeah the distraction/dissociation is part of it (at least p/my own experience - the "checking out", sometimes not even at will, happens). I think I read it's the bodies way of controlling stress/kind of "cotton wooling" your psyche because it is still in a state of anxiety.

Confirm that flashbacks suck - your incident seems fairly recent (6 months, correct?). Please know that over time, in my experience, they have diminished. May still pop up, but with lesser frequency. Therapy, meds, and support of family or forums, such as this one, have been very helpful.

Please take care! Wishing the best for you, and