Body Flashbacks That Feel Incredibly Real!

[Gadgie]

My flashbacks come in the form of nightmares, that wake me up screaming and totally confused!

They are real events that I've already endured in my past, and are so vivid that when I do wake up my brain is confused as to where I am?

When I'm up and about I get the odd Trigger, this can be a smell, a sound, or something I see or touch, it sends me right back in time to the actual event?

That's when I go into what I call "standby mode" that means that I might be physically there, but my mind has gone back to that horrible event again.

It's a day dream to me! to anyone else there at the time! I'm in a trance, and when I come out of it I always feel really embarrassed, as I must have looked a right nutter to anyone else who was there.

 

[Friday]

I am totally at my wits end today. Has anyone had body flashbacks that lingered like this? If so how did you get out of them???

Yes.

If they're lasting longer than a few hours... Mostly I've found there's something else helping them along. Like if I'm flashing & having nightmares about my teeth being worked over? 9:10 I have cracked a tooth, or have a cavity. Rape stuff? A yeast infection, or strep throat, or pulled a muscles or something. It becomes a self perpetuating cycle, the actual physical thing is triggering the series of nightmares & flashbacks, which means I don't look for other causes as I'm busy sorting myself out, which makes the cause worse, which means more shit for me to sort, etc..

 

[joeylittle]

Yes. Mine can last a good number of hours, with varying intensity.

Try and address the body part in some way or other activity. My legs can get really disturbed, but if I walk around they can calm down, and I've found if I elevate them while focusing on breathing, sometimes the feeling passes faster. Pelvic stuff, doing some sun salutations (yoga) helps.

And when it's really unbearable, I'm either on the phone to my therapist or a hotline.

 

[I have a username]

A member of the community recommend me somatic experiencing therapy (SE) I haven't started yet so can't really say it helps but try to read about how it works -Google! Maybe it's a good idea for you? It treats trauma within the body.