[meetoo]

I am a computer science major and I have a problem for past 10 years or so. Its only now that I realized that how badly it is effecting my personnel growth an everyday activities. Sometime it makes me really depressed and inferior (all the time) because of the fact that I know I am not growing because of this problem. I am a fulltime employee and I still observe that problem.
Any help for me will go a long way and if I could solve a problem I would try to reciprocate to this forum in whatever way I can.

The problem is:
Whenever I am about to concentrate on anything ( regarding my work, planning of future) I get distracted and see images of the past places that I have visited in my life. I start thinking about the problem at hand and as and when I am thinking suddenly “out-of-the-blue” I see an image of the a place that I have visited in the past. Now what happens is that In future if somebody ask me to think about the “same” problem and when I recall….i see the same image that I had seen when I first started thinking about the problem.

I want to know is this normal? If it is then how do people study because it’s a serious distraction. Until 2002 I had never seen that problem ( I was in second year in my degree course then ).

[meetoo]

Please suggest if this is something that only psychologists can handle?

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by meetoo

Please suggest if this is something that only psychologists can handle?

here in NY usa seeing images of the past is called having flashbacks or hallucinations depending upon other accompanying symptoms..

here in NY, USA having thoughts interfere with daily life is called intrusive thoughts, delusions or hallucinations depending upon other accompanying symptoms..

yes only your treatment providers can tell you what this is in you so my suggestion is contact a mental health treatment provider in your off line location. they can help you with this.

[meetoo]

Thanks there in NY, USA...
I have never been to any mental health provider before...
Mental health provider .... are they called psychologists in NY, USA?
Are flashbacks and intrusive thoughts something thats treatable?

Originally Posted by amandalouise

here in NY usa seeing images of the past is called having flashbacks or hallucinations depending upon other accompanying symptoms..

here in NY, USA having thoughts interfere with daily life is called intrusive thoughts, delusions or hallucinations depending upon other accompanying symptoms..

yes only your treatment providers can tell you what this is in you so my suggestion is contact a mental health treatment provider in your off line location. they can help you with this.

[Towanda]

Yes, flashbacks and intrusive thoughts are usually treatable, sometimes with a combination of talk therapy and medication, sometimes with therapy alone, depends on how often and how intrusive the flashbacks/thoughts are, and whether they are related to past trauma. Mental health provider could be a psychologist, counselor, or social worker - depends on their training, certifications and background. Not sure what exactly they would be called where you live.

I used to have flashbacks due to my history of childhood sexual/emotional abuse. I've been through therapy and I take medication on a daily basis. They're pretty much gone now - very infrequently they bother me in nighttime dreams. So, yes, it is treatable.

[meetoo]

Hi Towanda,
Im sorry for your past, but happy that you are better now. And thanks for the response.
I live in San Jose, CA.
After i read a bit about flashbacks/intrusive thoughts, I am not sure if i can categorize them as intrusive thoughts/flashbacks. I have these only (well...mostly) while i am reading or trying to concentrate real hard. They dont happen in other activities like sports, gym, driving et.al.

Also, i have no idea why it suddenly started happening in second year. My life back then was as normal as it was before that.

But i do remember that i found a way to study really fast and was happy with the progress in my academics, but suddenly i started having this problem which haunts me even today. After that i was just a less than average kid. I hated that feeling and still have inferiority complex when i look back at my college life.

Another thing, the problem was most prominent, as i remember, when i had to study something in which i had no interest or something that i wont understand (for which i would start concentrating more of course) and as soon as you start concentrating its like i was being pulled back from my progress.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by meetoo

Thanks there in NY, USA...
I have never been to any mental health provider before...
Mental health provider .... are they called psychologists in NY, USA?
Are flashbacks and intrusive thoughts something thats treatable?

yes the term ...mental health provider...here means therapists/counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists.

I also use the term ...treatment provider...for each of those and also include all forms of medical doctors too.

yes here its treatable. there are many ways that work with people with flashbacks and intrusive thoughts...some of those ways are medications, talk therapy, grounding, yoga...and lots others.. it all depends on what works for each person.

for me what works for intrusive thoughts is medications, grounding, yoga, calming activities like boating on the lake..

[meetoo]

does insurance companies support these treatment?
Im in california, with PPO coverage and with blue cross premiera

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by meetoo

does insurance companies support these treatment?
Im in california, with PPO coverage and with blue cross premiera

the last person from the crisis center that we helped get home to her family in California received the states insurance - medi- cal and that covered everything for her.

usually with insurance what gets covered depends upon what package, plan, deductibles / co pays... you have with in that insurance plan. some people mental health is covered others it isnt and some treatments are covered and other treatments arent..

to find out what your insurance plans cover contact your caseworker or insurance company. you should be able to find a toll free number on your papers that explain your insurance plans.