I have never dissociated during a flashback, here where I live and work the definition of a flashback is reliving an event traumatic or not. in other words fully experiencing that event with any or all of the senses. Where as the definition of dissociating here where I live and work is to numb out, space out, shut out,

put those two definitions to work together one cancels out the other. you cant fully experience something if you are numb, spaced out, shut out what is happening.

example halloween night my children and I were going door to door in the neighborhood. I saw a child dressed up as a miner. that caused me to have a flashback of being back in the mine shaft with my abuser. I relived that event fully...smelled the musty smell of the mine, sensed the darkness, heard my abusers voice, felt the pain of the abuse.

if I had dissociated myself from that I would not have smelled the mine shaft smells, would not have seen the darkness and my abuser, would not havefelt the abuse ..the flashback would have not affected me at all because I would have been numb, spaced out.

I have had times when I was with other people and had a flashback where I started fully reliving an event. when I came back from reliving the event my friends would be wondering what or why I had said something or done something. but here where I live it is not called dissociation to do that when having a flashback. here its just reliving a traumatic event (a flashback)

my suggestion if this continues to bother you contact your treatment providers, they can help you make a list of things that is calming /self nurturing to you for these times. my own list of what to do when having a flashback is to find a quiet place, remind myself that that was then this is now and everything is ok, then do something calming nice for myself, Halloween night I reminded myself I wasnt in the mineshaft that I was out trick or treating with my children and then I focused on my childrens voices, and gave my children a hug and went back to enjoying their excitement.