[WikidPissah]

This happens to me frequently. I try to express something, a thought or feeling, and a flashback comes up.

If/when this happens to you, do you share your flashback (even when it's unrelated to what you're talking about) or do you keep it to yourself and go on with the conversation?

I have a hard time differentiating what is more important, the memory or the current scenerio.

[stopdog]

It depends. Sometimes it is not related to what is going on so I don't bother. Sometimes I don't think the woman would listen or understand so I don't bother. Sometimes I just want to say it so I do.
The second one I see is more likely to go along with it and be encouraging about talking about it if I say it to her and I do say it to her more.

[unaluna]

I just take those trails wherever they lead me.

[Paige008]

This happens to me too. Sometimes it's completely unrelated and I'm like wtf!

My T is pretty good about noticing when it happens and she'll sometimes ask me what I just thought about or 'where did I go'. Usually she'll sit back and let me go with it and then when I come back, she asks about it.

Sometimes I don't want to talk about it or I'm not ready to. Other times, I try to make the flashback stop. I can sometimes pull out of it if I dig my nail into my hand. For some reason that helps re-ground me I guess.

My T does see this, but she lets me decide whether or not to bring it up usually. There are times when I do want to tell her, especially if it scared me, but I usually can only do that through writing and not by talking. If it continues to bother me after our session is over, then I know that it's something I need to bring up to her, so I'll email.

This happens frequently to me too. I don't tell t unless they ask specifically what is happening. Perhaps you should try tell your t that this is happening and maybe they might have some insight as to why it happens?

[granite1]

i don't think i have really ever said what is going on in my head .I'm scared to. i have only now just begun to try and figure out how. it has got to be so so hard to talk about . does your T notice when this is going on and ask you about it. if my T does i usually just shrug my shoulders

Wiki , just wanted to show you some love. (((((WIKI))))), I don't think I have ever had a flashback in therapy.

[BlessedRhiannon]

Originally Posted by WikidPissah

This happens to me frequently. I try to express something, a thought or feeling, and a flashback comes up.

If/when this happens to you, do you share your flashback (even when it's unrelated to what you're talking about) or do you keep it to yourself and go on with the conversation?

I have a hard time differentiating what is more important, the memory or the current scenerio.

My T is amazingly good at picking up a change in my body language when this happens, so she always asks me what came up. We talk about it and if it's not relevant to what we're talking about, we move on after that. Usually, though, what's come up is just as important as what we were previously discussing. It's all tied together, so if a thought or feeling evokes a flashback, then that is something that needs to be addressed before moving on.

On the very rare occasion that my T doesn't pick up that I'm having a flashback, I've gotten to the point where I just tell her "that brought up something else for me," and we talk about it.

[stopdog]

The therapists have told me it is hard to tell when it is happening to me because it seems they think I have a difficult demeanor to read.

My therapist has started to be able to tell. He asks me very gently what is happening or what I am thinking about. It is extremely difficult to tell him, but I find that it helps. Sometimes. A little. Maybe.

I usually can't keep going with the conversation because when it happens I lose my train of thought...but by the time my T asks what I was thinking or where I just went.. I seem to lose the thought and memory too... so I end up feeling like I just showed up in the middle of a conversation and I have no idea what is going on.

but if I could chose which one to remember it would be the flashback thoughts or feelings because they are usually brought up by the subconscious...

[granite1]

Originally Posted by Readytostop

I usually can't keep going with the conversation because when it happens I lose my train of thought...but by the time my T asks what I was thinking or where I just went.. I seem to lose the thought and memory too... so I end up feeling like I just showed up in the middle of a conversation and I have no idea what is going on.

omg wow ready that is exactally what is is like for me. i just cant even remember my train of thought .

[WikidPissah]

I can usually keep up the conversation while the flashback happens. She (and other t's) have told me I am very difficult to read because I am always smiling. They can't tell if I am upset or not unless I weep (which I have only done in front of the current one).