Flashbacks

[Ariel]

I am not a sufferer of PTSD myself, but fiance is, and regularly goes into flashbacks. I don't really understand what happens, so I was wondering if people could explain what happens when they flashback? Hopefully this way I can understand a bit more and potentially help more.

Also is there anything else that people associate with there PTSD? My fiance also has hallucinations, is anyone similar?

Thank you to anyone that replies, it would really mean a lot :)

 

[wife of]

When you say hallucinations do you mean of a fantasy nature or do you mean of things he has witnessed in the past?

For my husband a flashback is as follows.

He says he feels as though he sees the edges of his vision go a bit "wobbly" and then the surroundings morph into a past military situation,he sees nothing of the real world,the sounds,smells tastes and look of all he sees is very realistic.

He can reach out and touch a wall that is not there,to anyone looking on this is very odd,but to him he can actualy feel the composition of the bricks in the wall.

occasionaly he can tell what was occuring in the flashback but most of the time he has no Idea of what was happening whilst he was in his alternative reality.

He never knows what has happened in actual reality during these events.

Coming out of one is very confusing for him,confusion can last for a couple of hours after the event. He often believes it to be the year of his events and refuses to accept what year it is,how old he is,that his reflection is his etc.

On the whole these are very scary events,both for him and anyone witnessing one. For him they are every bit as traumatic for him as the original event.

 

[Orsino]

^ She means things I've witnessed in the past and people from the past. You've pretty much described what happens to me in some of mine for the exception of mine is not something i've developed from time in the military. I find it difficult to explain them to her myself because I just can't find the words. Although being a sufferer for quite a while its still very hard for me to overcome personally and I thought it may be more helpful for her to talk to some people on here that are able to explain it a bit more.

 

[Rick A.]

As a 'combat veteran' I can totally relate to your mans 'demons' ... I've done the 'same-same' in public and I'm so embarrassed afterwords. My woman usually is with me to cover my 'six'. Stay with him ... He's a blessed man to have you by his side. Peace ~

 

[JD99501]

For me I "flash" to a point in time my son was alive. Then flash back to this reality. So for one period of time he is totaly alive and I am talking to him the next I am here and back to this reality of him being dead. This can happen many times in a row. Sometimes for hours. Most of the time all I can do is cry and scream. One moment alive the next dead, alive then dead, alive then dead. My friends have described times I don't remeber where I am talking as if he was there. Then suddenly coming to and not knowing where I am.

 

[simplekindofgirl]

Ariel- welcome to the forum. It is wonderful to have you here in support of your fiance. I am sorry that either of you (all of you actually) needs to be here.

Flashbacks are extremely difficult. And they can create an overwhelming response of feeling a variety of things including (but not limited to) embarrassed, angry (rage even), hopelessness, fear, anxiety, despair, confusion- all of the things that lead us to be diagnosed with ptsd in the first place. It is reliving the experience, seeing it as though it is happening again, and again- living in it. And it does look bizarre to the people who are around us.

This is a great place to become acquainted with all aspects of PTSD. It is not easy to be a sufferer, and it is not easy to be a supporter. But it gets easier with understanding. Good on you for standing by his side and for wanting to help him.

 

[Ariel]

Thank you all of you for your replies :)

 

[john1963]

They suck, and leave you helpless