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Flashbacks - Are They Normal To Have Near Daily?

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anonymous

Are flashbacks normal to have? I have them just about everyday. I dont do LSD or anything like that if thats what your thinking. Could it have to do with brain injury. It is just really creepy and sad.
 
Yep... totally normal. Each person is unique. Some have them, some don't. Some have them daily, if not more, some weekly, some monthly, some might only have one or two. They are a way for your mind to remind you of the past trauma... the trauma that must be dealt with and healed. Heal your trauma, no more flashbacks.
 
Durring my time in the service I had to kill several people. I see every face evey time I close my eyes.
You are right it isn't any Saturday morning with the funnies.
 
Mine come as feeling and sensations... also I can hear. It is when I tripped a trigger on purpose that took me back.

Another was another trigger on purpose, and it brought all the emotions and I could see things along with pain and sensations. Though the sensations themself like the other one were not as intense; one before I could feel pressure points (bruises left and injuries), hair, sweat, and smell it.

More common for me is kidney pain and/or smelling fire. The kidney pain I really thought was a problem but docs could not find it and it took some digging and following the pattern. Those normally occur at times of high anxiety. Abuse and neglect on the kidneys and I was losing a child when I hit ER and they preped me as they thought I was too (she is a healthy pain in the ass teen girl now so just fine) the other my bro was an arsonist and along with many fires set to the home he tried to set my twin and I ablaze... So smoke smells get me riled up, I have to ask if anyone smells smoke?

They really do vary from one type of flash back to the next, and person to person. My flashbacks to different things are all different in the senses. Sorry, you are normal for PTSD.
 
Sorry is one way of putting it.

I smell stuff, usually old foam matresses, that dusty caught in your nose smell.
I also tend to smell stale beer, don't know why, haven't dared track that one down.

I get sounds and physical feelings. I'll feel hands touching me, scares the crap out of me.

They are usually daily/ every second daily.
 
The most persistant one for me is the feeling of being propelled forward and not being able to stop it. I have a variety of them but this one has been there from the beggining and I usually have it several times a week. This is also the one that will make me wake in a state of panic and fear. What surprises me even more is that even with medications that do allow me to get some needed rest this one will break through.
 
sibemom, do you know why or where it comes from? Have you been working on this one? I only ask as the ones that are persistent I can relate to too much stress... So they do not upset me as before, I can control most flashbacks and nightmares after doing an "inventory" of sorts. Not symptom free but it helps.
 
I am assuming this one comes from the impact of the car to my body. I have been working on it but this one just hangs tight. It's almost like one of those dreams where you think you are free falling. I can talk about my flashbacks with little trigger response even some of the new ones that surfaced so I have gotten better at that, and some of the ones I use to have are gone, but this one for some reason still haunts me. The weird thing about this is that I don't just have it when I am sleeping I can have this one when I am wide awake, or at least that feeling of being flung forward, I think that is why riding in a car is so hard for me. I do drive a little just around town to get to and from appointments but right now I will not venture onto the highway that is still pretty scary.
 
Very, very normal, anonymous!

Are flashbacks normal to have? I have them just about everyday.
Oh yeah, no stranger to flashbacks here. Had them quite regularly for a long time. Sometimes they were so sudden, vivid and intense that I would go into a panic attack or have startle response just from seeing images in my mind and as if before my eyes. My flashbacks had improved considerably over yrs. but, now I'm doing something different, I'm owning, sharing and confronting my trauma and hoping to heal, and now the flashbacks have returned quite regularly, at times, but nothing to the intensity that they once were. Not yet.

Two things that have helped me are simply one knowing, remembering and accepting that the flashbacks are very normal for PTSD. And, the other is much of my trauma involves having been helplessly forced to live, when young, and know selfish and insensitive abusers, ie. past family memb. and people they'd regularly invite in. Family who abused one another in many ways as a way of life. I couldn't stomach them, or any copies of them. So now, living safely with husb. and kids and deciding who I will know and who I won't and whose allowed in our house helps tremend. Provides less stimulus, and provides security and decreases flashbacks, even nightmares, unless of course I'm willingly confronting trauma, but again nothing anthing like it use to be.

I use to have this body memory as a kid. Had no clue as to what it was then. My big toe on my right foot would burn, sting and hurt like heck. It's since gone away, but I'm pretty sure in my adult yrs. I came to know what it was caused from. When I was about 9yrs. old, I was asleep on our couch when my eld. sister thought it would be funny to light and hold a lighter to my big toe-nail. She did so until I woke up screaming and crying.

Anonymous, your life can improve greatly. You'll see, you keep doing the next right thing. Make and keep that commitment to yourself to heal, learn about you PTSD and grow in time, and all despite all circumstances, and I truly believe you, and your life will come together for you and all in time. I've seen too many true miracles to believe any different. Keep up your willingness and good work anonymous, you may not see it, but there's great hope for you, and even despite normal nasty, horrific flashbacks, that too, can improve. :hello:
 
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