[Aardwolf]

~I can't get rid of these thoughts, the intrusive horrible moments.

The sounds ,the sights, the thoughts. The smell is the worse. The burning smell I can't get it out of my nose.

I can't get these thoughts out of my head.

Why me... please stop

[PumpkinPieHead]

My therapist told me to keep telling myself they are just thoughts. It works for them to go away and stay away. I've been having them less and less. God Bless

[Open Eyes]

What you have just stated are what is called "reminders" and "yes" these present a challenge in that these were present when you suffered a traumatic event. PumpkinPieHead is correct in that if you acknowledge these things were present when you experienced a trauma, but that they are not in the "now", that will help reduce the affect these reminders have on you that can be crippling where your brain is confused about "do I need to worry now?".

Our brain is designed to record things present in our environment when we experience a trauma, not to punish, but to become aware of anything that might mean there can be a possible threat. Actually, animals have this happen too, it's important to developing awareness of an environment that can present with threats so "caution" and knowledge can be gained to better understand signs of things that can mean danger. We have to have this in order to learn how to better survive.

You can reduce the "alarm" of these kind of triggers by talking them out, remembering what was present and also recognizing that whatever you "are" remembering is not something you are actually dealing with "now". When we experience a trauma, the brain definitely takes in a lot more than we realize, it is only after when we are finally in a safer environment that the brain can finally put together all these things in the environment so we can remember all the things we could not during the trauma itself. It's not meant to hurt you "now", even though it can feel that way.