Is It Possible To Have A Flashback During A New Trauma?

[zaniara]

Well as the title said, I just wonder if it's possible to have a flashback from a old(childhood trauma) when you're in the midst of a new big trauma? And in that case if, when you work with the "new" trauma in EMDR or any other kind of therapy, to get multiplied flashbacks? - I really don't know how to explain this, but I'm pretty confused right now and stuck in the work with a trauma from when I was 21 years old, but those intrusive memories gets mixed up with others, and in the memories from the trauma when I was 21 I get somehow flashbacks of being a little girl in that situation.. Oh.. This just gets more messy as I go along writing, so I think I stop there, and hope someone can understand what I'm asking and what I mean!

 

[Phenioxrising]

Yes I can relate. Your re-liveing your trauma from your past as your talking about what was left unsaid before.

 

[zaniara]

Your re-liveing your trauma from your past as your talking about what was left unsaid before.

Not sure I follow you here.. (A bit confused and foggy right now though.. :) ) Yes, I'm reliving my trauma, but not one, but at least three different ones. One from when I was 21 and the others from when I was little. I haven't worked with those traumas(those from when I was little) yet though(I have very little memory from that period of time; it's mostly pitch black sort of).

 

[zaniara]

But I think I might have had a flashback during the trauma when I was 21 years old, but I don't know if that is possible? (In that case it explains a lot though.)

 

[Bobby B.]

Yes, absolutely. Despite the difference in the trauma itself, the same emotions, feelings, and thoughts are triggered in most cases. Typically, that feeling of panic, anxiety and for me personally, immediate detachment sets in. In turn, kinda generalizes your reaction to the trauma/event both past/recent.

 

[maddog]

Zaniara, I think I know what you're asking, and it is most definitely possible to have a flashback to childhood trauma during an adult trauma. It's not at all surprising that this would happen, as the stress and overwhelm of the new trauma is highly likely to induce a flashback, particularly if there are circumstances in common with the childhood trauma(s).

I have had this occur myself and recall that during my adult trauma, I was experiencing flashes of memory, most particularly sensory memory, that were from childhood traumas and not the event that was occurring at the time. Now, wen I recall my adult trauma, I have some (fragmented and messy) memories of the content of those flashbacks, all mixed up with the recall of the adult trauma itself.

This can be extremely frightening, confusing and difficult to interpret, which is probably where a process such as EMDR, which allows your mind to follow its own relevant memory networks, is useful, as it doesn't require you to actively and consciously try to put the pieces of the memory together exactly.

I'm probably making no sense either, but if I've understood you correctly, what you describe is very common of multiple and repeated trauma. It's tough going though, sorry you're having to go through this.

Maddog

 

[zaniara]

Now, wen I recall my adult trauma, I have some (fragmented and messy) memories of the content of those flashbacks, all mixed up with the recall of the adult trauma itself.

YES; that's exactly what it's like now for me! THANK you for writing that! Yes, it's frighting, and very confusing. And I'm sort of "multi-triggered" right now, and very confused. I'm currently working with the adulthood trauma in EMDR(we have already done two sessions but I'm sort of "stuck").

I'm probably making no sense either,

You made perfectly sense! :) Thank you so much!

Typically, that feeling of panic, anxiety and for me personally, immediate detachment sets in

I kind of know this already, but this is not just the feelings, but pictures too and it all blends in and gets real messy. Thank you so much for your answer.

 

[zaniara]

Now, wen I recall my adult trauma, I have some (fragmented and messy) memories of the content of those flashbacks, all mixed up with the recall of the adult trauma itself.

But I have not told my therapist about those fragments; but I told him I have pieces of at least three different traumas messing with my head outside therapy in-between the sessions. But I don't want to tell him about the newest one; the onces I've started to understand a bit more about.. :( We have a summer break soon, so I can't start digging in another memory right now. Oh.. This is just messy. SO messy I don't know how to get stabilized before the long summer break. *sigh* But it helped just to hear that someone else understand what I'm experiencing. I really don't think we will be able to "finish" the work with the adult trauma; since it has to do with other traumas(traumas we haven't talked about or worked with yet).

 

[just me here]

An answer to the original post: YES.

I didn't know it was PTSD at the time, but I know the experience of having a flashback during another later traumatic event.

My first clear memory of it was after a bad call (firefighter) waking up the next morning and being perfectly clear in my mind about what had happened the night before, maintaining that memory with no doubt about it at all, telling my wife about it, mulling it over probably an hour or more and then realising my memories of the night before were real memories but of a call that I had been on maybe 3 months earlier. I remember the panic that caused, like I was going crazy and needed to get myself right somehow, I needed to recall the actual events of last night and I somehow couldn't as fast as I needed to and I was sure I was losing my grip. It scared me bad but I just blamed it on a nightmare or maybe a side effect of the never ending train of tried and failed anti-depressants I was on at the time and got past it.

Most definitely, one trauma triggers another to resurface. It makes sense to me that it should, probably more than anything else.

 

[zaniara]

I remember the panic that caused, like I was going crazy and needed to get myself right somehow, I needed to recall the actual events of last night and I somehow couldn't as fast as I needed to and I was sure I was losing my grip.

Thank you so much for your reply! I can really relate to the feeling of going crazy and the panic and need to sort it all out! I guess one has to try to have some patience and give it some time. (not my strongest virtue though.. :( ) And I guess it's quite symptomatic that I hate loosing control like this too.. :yuck:

 

[lala]

I know exactly what you mean. I recently had a traumatic experience that involved being stalked/bullied/harassed by a neighbor which jarred lose some dissociated memories from when I was a teenager. It has been very unnerving and at times terrifying. I think you should try to discuss this with your therapist because the first step in getting help is asking for what you need. It may be helpful to go back and work on coping strategies rather than try to continue addressing the trauma. Good luck.

 

[just me here]

That's good advice. I have spent so many mornings in a state of anger and adrenaline overload, all because I wasn't getting good healthcare. Looking back I have to wonder how much of what I carry could have been avoided with an earlier diagnosis and therapy that was aimed at PTSD and what I now know were flashbacks and disassociation. More than I want to know about for sure.

Get a good therapist and be ready to do some work, definitely talk about the things you described here. Don't be like me and try to keep it buried, making the people you pay to help you work hard at getting to the real job at hand. If you think it might be something, it probably is.