Flashbacks That Create A Comorbid Reaction

[LuckyDuck]

Hey there y'all. It's been awhile since I've posted.

I've been more aware of one sort style of flashback I've been going through recently.

I'll be at the computer watching a youtube video and then suddenly for a brief blip, I'll have strong emotions, usually that of anxiety and of trepidation, my mind will disconnect from the video, I'll usually have a verbal tick and then to rid myself as quickly as possible of the emotions and whatever thought "caused" the blip, and I'll go to facebook to quickly scroll and read to fill my brain with other things.

It happens a lot, going on several times a day.

It's comorbid, as there are at least four different things going on. The flashback blip and emotions, the ADD from the disconnect, the tourettes which is usually corprolalia (swearing) and then the OCD of my needing to fill the repetitive playthrough of the bad memory with some useless information from facebook.

I'm not an expert, I just go through this, so I'm not sure if it's actually four things, or just one. It does feel as though it's comorbid in nature because they all get triggered, but if there's an actual term for covering all of this, I'd love to know.

I don't have anything set in place besides this coping strategy. I can usually get on with my internet browsing. I just don't like that it happens so frequently.

I guess this is part of the confusing start in understanding things?

Oh! And also, there's sometimes screaming in my head. That's usually if it's really strong. It's not like I'm thinking of screaming like when someone is imagining it, it's more of a Red Alert going on in my brain. It's the same emotion associated with screaming, so that might be why it feels like I'm screaming in my head. I've never ventured in actually screaming, but the want to do it is strong. Like, screaming for hours on end.

 

[Seagreen]

Hmm I don't know about this but I am trying to figure out what is triggering me to disassociate so often at the moment. I've been paying close attention and keeping a diary. Since then I'm starting to notice some patterns which weren't otherwise obvious to me. Would it be helpful for you to keep a diary or something similar to record possible triggers? The fact that it happens when you are watching videos gives a little insight. It could be something about the content.

I'm not familiar with the term comorbid reaction but when I'm having a flashback will often experience several strong emotional and physical reactions all at once. I wouldnt be surprised to experience symptoms of other disorders I had as well. Particularly if they were usually triggered by stress.

Re the screaming could that be a hyper vigilant response like increased sensitivity to sound or sensory overload? Alternatively could it be part of the flashback?

 

[anthony]

It's comorbid

I am a little curious as to your defined use of the word comorbid. Comorbidity doesn't apply to symptoms, it applies to disorders / diseases that stem from a primary disease / disorder. For example, those diagnosed with PTSD are usually diagnosed with depression. Depression is comorbid to PTSD, meaning that without the PTSD diagnosis it wouldn't exist by itself.

II'll have strong emotions, usually that of anxiety and of trepidation

From what you describe, this is purely symptoms of PTSD, more precisely, the associated responses of a flashback, which are all normal. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

 

[anthony]

Oh! And also, there's sometimes screaming in my head.

I would seek professional assessment for this... voices, even screaming, in your head is normally a sign of something far more serious, which could be physical or mental.

 

[LuckyDuck]

That's what comorbid is to //experience symptoms of other disorders// alongside each other. It's like one of those like the pendulum with many suspended steel balls. One goes, clicks the next and then the others follow to the last one that finally swings. It doesn't happen all the time, sometimes just one thing happens and it stays that way. Other days, one symptom of one thing is *really* aggravated and so the other ones act up as well.

Content usually is the thing, but it's sort of a piggy-back content. Before the actual proper bad flashback happens, it's usually a memory triggered by the content in the video, some innocuous memory.

(next paragraph is more in depth of a trigger)

For example, I'll be watching a video that includes a swingset. My brain will think: "that swingset looks like the one you used to play on as a child at your aunts(imaging it's all caps here)omg you have no family anymore they hate you because you're not part of their religion and they shun you and you'll never see them again until they're on their deathbed!".

(end of more in depth trigger of mine)

So one innocuous memory piggy-backs onto a flashback that might not be related to one of my traumas, but because my brain is skewed like that, will play it out with similar emotions. I feel like I got kicked in the chest afterwards.

My guess is the screaming is part of hypersensitivity. It usually is my being stock still looking like a deer looking in the headlights. My bf sees me sometimes with that face and asks me if I'm okay. I tell him it's the screaming. We just go about as best we can. I'll either joke about something or talk about things (really clumsily because my brain freezes when that happens) but time helps it pass.

I'm not very good at keeping journals. I do have excellent memory recall for things and since I'm not actually in therapy, I'm afraid if I go into the diary thing I'll end up losing focus or focus on something so tiny small making it bigger than it is and then getting worse. Does that make sense? It's like a fear of going down a dark alley (my brain) and I don't want to go alone!

 

[Chava]

Flashbacks typically connect directly to a moment of threat, not bad/hurtful memories or thoughts or projections into the future. So that bit seems confusing to me, but we all have our own experience of past discomfort jumping at us in different ways.

I don't have a lot of flashbacks (often more intense "disappearing" feelings or body memories), but the image-scene ones are frozen-like and don't have lots of thoughts connected. But I can say if I'm feeling funky for any of these reasons, as long as I'm not totally out of touch, I can get busy quickly doing any sort of cracked out activity I can concentrate on. I do not have OCD but I freely admit I make plentiful use of distraction. So it could all just be one thing...like your trigger, and your preferred coping mechanism. ?? That wouldn't be unusual.

 

[anthony]

That's what comorbid is to //experience symptoms of other disorders// alongside each other.

Can you please cite where that is defined as such? That is not the meaning I am finding in relation to definition, and what I know of comorbidity. I think this could be confusing you by imprecise use of such a term.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comorbidity

In medicine, comorbidity is the presence of one or more additional disorders (or diseases) co-occurring with a primary disease or disorder; or the effect of such additional disorders or diseases. The additional disorder may also be a behavioral or mental disorder.

In medicine, the term "comorbid" can be either medical condition(s) existing simultaneously but independently with another condition; or it can indicate a related medical condition or conditions. In psychiatric diagnoses it has been argued in part that this "'use of imprecise language may lead to correspondingly imprecise thinking', [and] this usage of the term 'comorbidity' should probably be avoided."

Merrium Webster Dictionary

existing simultaneously with and usually independently of another medical condition

As I stated in my previous post, you're taking a term defined in usage for medical conditions and psychiatric disorders, in whole, not part, and applying that to the symptom level. I think this is why you're confused in relation to reactions to symptoms.

A symptom is a reaction, whether behavioural or psychological, and that symptom will then have components that comprise it, whether physical or mental.

You're having a flashback and experiencing the normal subsets that comprise what a flashback is, being emotional response, dissociation, confusion, anxiety / panic from disorientation, followed by trying to ground yourself (scrolling through Facebook).

If you want to call this comorbid, feel free... inaccurate as it is, though if it helps you, go for it. But I don't see your defining issue above as helping you, and your post is one about being confused about the subsets that comprise a symptom. I'm trying to explain that to you based on actual definitions, not just my opinion or such. I think you're confusing yourself a little in relation to how you're looking at your reactions.

Again, if you want to call this comorbid, go for it... but I think that is part of your confusion due to inaccuracy of your logical processing of the situation.

 

[LuckyDuck]

Hey Anthony,

for the comorbid, depression, OCD, ADD and anxiety are comorbid to Tourette. Depression and anxiety is comorbid to PTSD as well. Tourettes is neurological, PTSD came later on in life. It's me seeing them all come into play that has me label it as possibly being comorbid (yes, I said "it's comorbid" which is a statement, probably should have used a better phrasing for it?).

The screaming part isn't actually voices, like a hallucination. It's a Red Alert feeling. I have had one medication I was on have the side effect of auditory hallucination (running water and the sound of leaves rustling) but it's not like that with the screaming. It's like being on the verge of actually screaming. It's difficult to explain. My body wants to, I just can't, because there's no reason for it in my immediate surrounding. No tiger after me, just me eating supper with my bf or looking at videos online.

I guess it's good to know the anxiety and trepidation is that of PTSD. I wish it didn't hit me so much. I think I should get some tools to help deal with that.

 

[anthony]

We posted at the same time...

I honestly think you're doing ok @LuckyDuck, just by understanding what is happening with you, that is an awesome start. People would be quite surprised just how much knowledge fixes by understanding what exactly is happening to you, when it happens.

You're actually grounding yourself without maybe knowing it... being the scrolling Facebook to get back to reality and out of the haze, as such. That is actually quite good in itself, as you have a strategy.

The issue is the underlying trauma, and not how you're dealing with the symptom of a flashback. You're actually doing quite ok with that, as above.

 

[LuckyDuck]

Well that's how it was explained to my by the school counselor, and it was years ago so that could be why it's so muddled. He also used the term "snowball effect" to explain it where if one thing was exacerbated, others would follow. That might be what's gotten it all mixed up. Imprecise as the term may be, it's all I've had until now. I do appreciate your links. I'll look them up.

I guess the main thing is learning terminology and clearing the cobwebs. I've gone through a few misdiagnosis so there are a lot to get rid of.

Should I rename the thread?

 

[LuckyDuck]

Again, @anthony: the grounding is through CBT/DBT for one of the misdiagnosis. It's helped here, and I've gotten to know myself a lot through the process. It's identifying things when they happen and taking action right away (from eating, to changing body temperature to quickly scrolling elsewhere). It's about making things comfortable to weather the storm, whatever it may be. Sometimes the storm passes quickly, sometimes it doesn't. The part that counts is weathering through it.

I gotta sleep. Lots of brain intake tonight.

 

[LuckyDuck]

@Chava I get trauma flashbacks, too. Those are usually triggered by locations or sounds. I think my brain has been thinking this way too much it's just it's modus operandi (method of operation).