All The Different Kinds Of Flashback

[BloomInWinter]

Anyone ever have flashbacks just isolated to smells?
But when my wife, who has a pretty good sniffer, comes in and checks, she confirms that "nope. it's just in my head."
Are these purely olfactory flashbacks?

If we only had a USD nickel for every load of laundry/towels I've rewashed over and over again because it had 'THAT SMELL' on it...a sickly smell of sweat, mildew that would set me off on a rage.

The child abuse & sexual abuse seem to have left many, many such olfactory (& other) triggers that put me into flashbacks of several types. I'm still tracking these down.

Ugh. Thought I was ready to post on this but am too triggered right now. I'll try again when I feel up to it.

 

[Sethe]

For the longest time, I thought I just had a good memory, but now I'm realizing that I have A LOT of intrusive thoughts- details that pick at my soul and numb the hell out of it.

Occasionally, I'll smell something that is not there and remember...

I do experience that sense of 'impending doom'- actually, it seems it a lot worse now. It may be tied into rituals that I have, but I am not sure.

Used to have lots of nightmares, every now and then- I don't remember my dreams much anymore.

Sometimes random movements will also 'remind' me. I have body reactions. I feel it. Lately, I've also had lots of those feelings of being a kid 'in trouble' (terrified of punishment)- if that makes any sense.

 

[Froggie]

This began for me, now 8 months or so ago. I had no memory of the trauma. Now the details are immobilizing. I can sometimes smell things for hours and it can make me very ill. The visuals and the sensations have become more vivid as do the details. I had been on a stretch of new FB and now it's been a month since really vivid ones that made me forget all time and my place in the now. Freaky and a little scary since I have young children! I do believe they help keep me present or bring me back more quickly because my brain must over ride it and know it isn't good when they are there... I must be conscious on some level. Wish I could pick and choose. It is just why I am trying to tackle this best I can. Get whatever control I can muster over my reactions... no matter how small.

Hi Artista, I'm glad and reassured with what you wrote about the children. The flashbacks are real whoppers, and the ONLY time I don't get a feeling that I'm powerless is when my grand-children are around. I was really starting to think if I was making this up or not ... the doubts of .. was this real or not is something

 

[Artista]

Hi Artista, I'm glad and reassured with what you wrote about the children. The flashbacks are real whoppers, and the ONLY time I don't get a feeling that I'm powerless is when my grand-children are around. I was really starting to think if I was making this up or not ... the doubts of .. was this real or not is something

It makes sense when you think of it.... something we may likely care about more than ourselves or something that we are extremely protective about, can be a protection for us as well.... somewhat comforting! I do not know that it is fool proof, but for me, so far, I stay present or am brought back fast when they are near me! I am thankful I have not scared them with my memories.

 

[Grace11]

Music....certain songs remind me of "before" and the first time it happened, I burst into uncontrollable sobs because I wanted to go back to the "before" me.

 

[LKL]

This may sound weird but apparently I don't know when I have flashbacks and mercifully I don't remember them. A friend of mine who also has ptsd identified it. He said that I can be mid conversation then just seem to go elsewhere and talk to military people. Also my boyfriend says I talk in my sleep giving orders and talking military stuff. I almost never remember my dreams.

 

[Abstract]

I am still pretty confused about what I experience and what I don't. :-/
Well. I have never had long bouts of being fully in the past.

 

[Sethe]

Recently, I think I had a flashback from looking in the mirror. I was 2-4 again. The terror was almost unbearable.

Anyone else do this? I feel like I'm nuts for even mentioning it. This one is probably the strongest one that I'm aware of right now. Everything else was muddled, pure fear or just a random panic attack. Maybe I'm still new to understanding all of this.

 

[Abrasky]

flashbacks that happen over a long period but happen as a kind of dual awareness - I am experiencing the present and the past at the same time.

I've never thought of putting it like that before good way to put it, but yes I've had a couple of those in about this last year of my therapy. They were really really long flashbacks that went for a couple of days to a week. They have bits of the past and present combined.
I can add a few more
Time flashbacks, where the flashbacks are memories, and nothing is wrong with them no bits are missing, but the time they occurred has been dated in my head differently to the real time. When put in the real time, they have sometimes linked up with other memories.
Emotional flashbacks. Most of my flashbacks are emotional flashabcks, I have a picture of what happens but the auditory and emotions I felt at the time are wiped out, or the emotions of other people are not present. Most are reallly short under a minute
I have one body memory flashaback although I'm not sure I call it a body memory, it's just a feeling a shock, and my arms go numb and I can't lift anything. I feel like I'm shaking.
My flashbacks are not all on the surface, I seem to have room for only so many at one time, a bit like an iceberg.

 

[Tinyflame]

I have one body memory flashaback although I'm not sure I call it a body memory, it's just a feeling a shock, and my arms go numb and I can't lift anything. I feel like I'm shaking.

I've had that feeling/ experience exactly too, but I'm starting to wonder if it's a pinched nerve in my neck; (along with what you described) it's hard to breathe and it just makes me drop to my knees, and I have no strength or ability to raise my arms/ move.

 

[Brontie]

I wonder if this might be helpful to some of you.
Psych-doc told me that not all flashbacks are bad.
Sometimes our mind can become caught up in bad thoughts and memories and some flashbacks can be
our psyche’s way of distracting and protecting us. Maybe like a flash of us when we were somewhere we felt good.

 

[Abstract]

Brontie, that is interesting.

I found this on emotional flashbacks:
Emotional flashbacks are sudden and often prolonged regressions ('amygdala hijackings') to the frightening circumstances of childhood. They are typically experienced as intense and confusing episodes of fear and/or despair - or as sorrowful and/or enraged reactions to this fear and despair. Emotional flashbacks are especially painful because the inner critic typically overlays them with toxic shame, inhibiting the individual from seeking comfort and support, isolating him in an overwhelming and humiliating sense of defectiveness.
Because most emotional flashbacks do not have a visual or memory component to them, the triggered individual rarely realizes that she is re-experiencing a traumatic time from childhood.

Mmmm... Do all medical professionals accept emotional flashbacks exist? I am still very ignorant.