Flashback Hangover

[desiderata310]

I've not had a really bad flashback in therapy in quite a long while- a couple of months but I had pretty bad one today. I've had worse, I've managed to at least pull it together enough to make it to work today.

It's 2 hours later and I still have I guess what I should start calling a flashback hangover. Headache, chills, exhaustion, general malaise, and a dash of amnesia about what happened in therapy. I remember what we were talking about a while before at the beginning of the session and then everything just kind of stops -nasty flashback of which I remember little- and I vaguely remember crying and apologizing(typical of what happens as I come out of a flashback), and then I was sitting in my car holding my head in my hands trying to sort out what the hell happened and why I felt so terrible. I drove home in a haze (bad idea, Desi)

I'm just curious if this is just something that happens to me or if other people have issues with the hangover effect and how severe yours gets.

 

[barefoot]

Not the same thing but I just wanted to reply to you as no one else has yet.... I don't have flashbacks but do dissociate sometimes in session. And when it's really full-on I often describe the aftermath as being like a hangover. Headache, joint pains, exhaustion, disorientation, feel thirsty, sometimes nauseous/no appetite. And a bit of a sensation of a mini depression. I get the same the day after a bad night terror too.

Sorry you had a bad one this session.

 

[Freedomfighter]

I've not had a really bad flashback in therapy in quite a long while- a couple of months but I ha...

Yeah, those symptoms so suck, there is no way out of those symptoms for me either. The headaches are murder afterwards too. It amazes me every single time how physical PTSD symptoms are....

I feel for you, know you are in pain, I do the same thing, just hold my head and try to comprehend what the hell is going on... so familiar. So all I usually can do then is to wait until that clears up and my brain functions the way I want it to function.

 

[Deadman]

I've never had a flashback in therapy but I have had them late at night and then woken the next morning thinking I was hungover before remembering I don't drink anymore.

 

[Friday]

I was just about to post in "You know you have PTSD when..."

You get hangovers without having to go to the trouble of drinking, or feeling good, first. :wtf:

Yesterday was bad. Today's better, but it's like there's an entire section of my brain that if I use it, my head might explode. Or shatter. Or yelp and fall down. Like walking on a bad sprain (don't), I just can't think with that part of my mind. Feels exactly like a hangover, except thoughts are the loud noise that aiiieeee. Please. No. Shush. Talk quieter. Better yet? Don't talk. Just hold me... Or back away slowly and neither of us will regret what happens next... Just don't f*cking touch me no matter what, kay?

Other times, my head is basically fine, but my entire body feels like it got hit by a truck. Hurts. Everywhere. Shaking. Puking. Sweating. Ditto, I feel hungover or just simply sick with stress. If I'm lucky head being "basically fine" also comes along with must-sleep-now // no-thinking-possible. When it doesn't? Basically fine translates more to "Yay. SI/SH. & no way to burn off chems because my body is wrecked, so I'm able to think, but what Im thinking of? :banghead: No fun."

 

[desiderata310]

Basically fine translates more to "Yay. SI/SH. & no way to burn off chems because my body is wrecked, so I'm able to think, but what Im thinking of? :banghead: No fun."

As obvious as it is, I had not really made the connection between my ideation/self harm to the hangover but it does make sense. Friday was a shit show for me (actually things got MUCH MUCH worse after I originally posted and the weekend was a complete wash because of the ideation and self harm that followed. Mostly I spent the rest of the weekend in some state of trigger/flashback and the ideation and SH with breaks where I would try what coping skills I have to distract and redirect all of this but by Sunday yeah.. body was wrecked and that's the only place I was going. *sigh*

 

[amosmorris]

I just want to say yes--hangover--yes, exactly, that's what it is. Not much help, but commiseration for sure.

 

[ChandraD]

I've not had a really bad flashback in therapy in quite a long while- a couple of months but I ha...

I feel the same way after a flash back. It happens after and EMDR session as well which for me really triggers flashbacks. The next day my brain is still processing what happened. It is like a computer that has a program running in the background so the main program is sluggish and freezes up. Being gentle with myself is the best thing I know to do.

 

[Bristol]

Yep i call them emotional hangovers, same feeling after T even without any flashbacks and stuff

 

[ChandraD]

Thank you everyone for your input. I had a flashback last night. I was able to get through it ok. I put ice on the back of my neck and it settled down quickly as far as the images. I swear my brain must have processed all night. I have a headache. I cannot handle any noise. The air from a fan is too much. I am shaky. I guess this is my new normal. I hate it. But I have to go through it to get better.

 

[desiderata310]

It happens after and EMDR session as well which for me really triggers flashbacks

Understand. This is actually something that keeps us from doing EMDR is that it will trigger flashbacks for me.

I feel like I've been beaten with a stick today. Flashback in therapy again and i'm trying to fake it through work and doing a terrible job of it.