What you are describing sounds very much like repressed feelings. Only a trained professional like a therapist, doctor or psychologist can know how to better get you to express these thoughts and feelings. It is very possible that these feelings surface for only a short time and that is why you feel like you cannot verbalize them as they are then back down in your subconscious mind. Living in the past is bad unless you are working on some issues with a clinician.

I have C-PTSD and I started having stomach trouble when I was 15. I had no medical reason for it. I was really traumatized and stressed from my home life. I also got irritable bowel syndrome again due to stress. The only thing I have left is GERD and that has shown to be a physical component by tests. The origin still could be stress from childhood abuse in my case. I don't think you are an attention seeker. Our body encompasses stress so this is a sign that something emotional is stirring. Hope this helps and go ahead and let your doctor know. There is help for all of this.