[shannon9xj]

I have recently started to have flashbacks of my childhood that I have long forgotten. They come at the most inconvieniant times. I work with children with disabilities so litle things like crying or screaming can trigger a flashback. They are scarey and feel very real to me when they're happening. I've had to leave work several times now in the past two months that my supervisor had to speak to me about it. My T gave me a script for Adavan? I hate meds but I also dont want to lose my job. Im currently taking prozac and serequil and adding another to that list makes me feel uneasy. My T knows how I feel and said that this will stop the anxiety after the flashback. But what if I dont know it's comming and Im one-on-one with one of my kids? I tried before closing my eyes reallly hard, or pinching my wrist which will bring me back to "now" but the anxiety after is still far too much to handle. I feel so exaugsted all the time now. Does anyone know about this adavan?

Shannon

Don't know about adavan but have gone through many flashback cycles over the past 20 years. What helps me is recognizing my triggers and using relaxation techniques and grounding techniques, going to the nearest restroom and pulling out my journal and writing down what I am seeing, hearing and so on and taking out my walkman and listenig to relaxing music or a relaxation visualization tape made by my therapist and me during therapy sessions. Once The flashback passes I am usually tired but ok because my relaxation stuff and writing keeps me calm during the flashbacks so I can just continue on with my day.

[biplol]

Shannon, I'm sorry, I have no idea about drugs, neither falshback, but I'm here, so if you ever need me just PM me.
~hugs~

[shannon9xj]

thank you so much myself. I recently started meditating. I was always so against it but now I find myself almost addicted to it.

Shannon

[9874]

Oh, Shannon, I understand what you are saying about being triggered by kids' crying etc.
I too used to get easily triggered by little kids' screaming, crying, etc. I've processed a lot of the triggers in therapy. Still, there are times when I need to take a break from work until I regain my equlibrium.
I think it may be very useful to have frequent therapy sessions wherein you can process these frequent triggers.
As you process your childhood stuff, you will be less and less triggered.
If it interests you, you may take a look at the general forum, I will post a thread on a telephone conference call on managing triggers.
Take gentle care,

[Evangelista]

Shannon,

I have taken Seroquel in the past, and still take it occasionally for sleep, but I have found Ativan helpful with the anxiety you describe when the flashbacks occur, it did not prevent them, but because it is quicker acting for me it helped to calm me down. It is very hard to have these at work, I have had to leave work at times myself, and found myself becoming fearful of the trigger there, trying to avoid what was causing it,

I have worked in a Children's Hospital, while it was something I found very rewarding and inspiring, and heartbreaking, it was also causing internal conflict and aggravating the PTSD, so I had to transfer to another setting. I hated to leave and I would go back in a heartbeat if I could...I wish you all the best Shannon in your work and in your healing..

Eva

[Rapunzel]

I just found this quote, and it seems to go along with this thread somehow. I hope that it is helpful to you, but it might also be triggering, so please be careful.

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
When childhood dies, its corpses are called adults and they enter society, one of the politer names of hell. That is why we dread children, even if we love them. They show us the state of our decay.
Brian Aldis

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

Rap

[January]

It might be true, but it seems....gruesome.

Jan