David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Moving Through Flashbacks
By Dr. Deborah Serani July 23, 2008
Children and adults can experience triggers that set off uncomfortable memories or feelings. Most often, flashbacks occur. They can take the form of images, sounds, smells, body sensations, feelings or numbness.
The University of Alberta has some suggestions if you find yourself experiencing flashbacks:
By Dr. Deborah Serani July 23, 2008
Children and adults can experience triggers that set off uncomfortable memories or feelings. Most often, flashbacks occur. They can take the form of images, sounds, smells, body sensations, feelings or numbness.
The University of Alberta has some suggestions if you find yourself experiencing flashbacks:
- Talk to yourself. Tell yourself aloud or quietly that you are having a flashback.
- Remind yourself that the worst is over. The feelings and sensations you are experiencing are memories of the past. The actual event has already occurred and you survived. Now it is the time to let out the terror, rage, hurt, and/or panic.
- Get grounded. This means stamping your feet on the ground to remind yourself that you have feet and can get away now if you need to. There may have been times before when you could not get away, but now you can!
- Breathe. When we get scared we stop normal breathing. As a result our body begins to panic from the lack of oxygen. Lack of oxygen causes a great deal of panic feelings - pounding in the heart, tightness in the chest, sweating, feeling faint, shakiness, and dizziness, just to name a few. When we breathe d-e-e-p-l-y, panicky feelings decrease.
- Reorient to the present. Begin to use your five senses in the present. Look around and see the colors in the room, the shapes of things, the people nearby, find your reflection or shadow. Listen to the sounds in the room - your breathing, music, sounds of traffic, birds, people, cars, etc. Feel your body and what is touching it - your clothes, your own arms and hands, the chair, or the floor supporting you. Be in the here-and-now - not in the back-then.
- Get in touch with your need for boundaries. Sometimes when we are having a flashback we lose the sense of where we leave off and the world begins. Wrap yourself in a blanket, hold a pillow or stuffed animal. Retreat to a safe place so you can feel protected.
- Get support. Depending on your situation you may need to be alone or may want someone near you. In either case it is important that your close ones know about flashbacks so they can help with the process, whether that means letting you be by yourself or being there.
- Take the time to recover. Sometimes flashbacks are very powerful. Give yourself time to make the transition form this powerful experience. Don't expect yourself to jump into adult activities right away. Take a nap, a warm bath, make quiet time. Be kind and gentle with yourself. Do not beat yourself up for having a flashback.
- Honor your experience. Appreciate yourself for having survived that horrible time. Respect your body's need to experience a full range of feelings.
- Be patient. It takes time to heal the past. It takes time to learn appropriate ways of taking care of yourself, of being an adult who has feelings, and developing effective ways of coping in the here and now.
