How Do I Deal With Flashbacks?

[mightsurvive]

Hi
I get sooo many flash backs and cant cope with them even slightly. I end up a quivvering wreck. Usually i have several in a row. The only way i have found to get myself away from the point of no return is to slap myslef hard in the face and i know thats not good but there are worse ways and i dont want to go down that route. Slapping myself seems to be my only way at the moment. Unfortunately i cant do that in public so i was just wondering if there were any better ways to stop them getting worse and worse. I was on meds (effoxor xl / venlafaxine) but im off them now becuase i have a phobia about any sort of drugs including meds plus im trying to get pregnant. I was ok when i was on them - only one flash back every week or so but not they are back with a vengeance. Any advice at all would be apreciately greatly.

 

[waif123]

Hi mightsurvive.

there are plenty of ways to deal with flashbacks, if you search the forums for flashbacks I know you will find many different ways.

One method is to put your hand into ice, I have a bag of ice, already open, I just go to the freezer and dunk my hand in, doesn't take long to come out of it.

second method, is to feel a fabric, or something else similar, to remind you that you are not actually in the trauma again, but are somewhere safe.

another method is to try and fast forward,, rewind and pause the flashback, to give yourself a sense of control, kind of like watching a VHS tape. try this with a good memory first to practice.

Instead of slapping yourself maybe you could try yelling stop, very loudly.

And the last one is to not fight the flashback, the more you fight it, the stronger and more phobic of them you get. If you can't do anything of the other things, just let the flashback happen, remember it is only a flashback and this is not the real trauma, if you can try and do some deep breathing, and when it passes remind yourself again it was only a flashback.

Believe me I know these are hard to do a first but practice helps

good luck, and hang in there

 

[morgan]

Somewhere in these threads I wrote up a whole slew of grounding techniques under the title Breathing and Grounding. Maybe there's something you can use there.

One of the editors at the time mentioned putting it somewhere else in here. Maybe you should check with Anthony about it.

Anyway, grounding is one of the best ways to deal with flashbacks. I suspect that's the purpose for slapping yourself. Sorry I can't help more.

Take care, morgan

 

[Deleted member 541]

Talking to yourself, and telling yourself that your flashback is in the past and YOU are in the here and now helps. Tell yourself that you are safe, no one is hurting you. Holding ice in your hand helps. Strong odors like strong perfume. Keep your senses in the here and now. Touch things and FEEL them with your senses. Look at them, see the texture, feel the texture...Anything to spark your senses to keep your mind in the here and now.

 

[mightsurvive]

Awww Thank you Morgan. You already have helped. At least now I no that there are better ways to cope with them. I will do a search to find them so thank you very much. Actually i've just done a search now and have found the post you mentioned. I have pasted them into word and now have a list of an amazing 39 grounding techniques. I'm going to print them off and keep them with me at all times. So yes you have helped... very much so. Thank you ever so much. take care

 

[mightsurvive]

:thumbs-upThank you for those hints She Cat.
I especially liked the one about strong odours. I always carry perfume in my bag anyway so that is a very practical one for me. I just had no idea that i coudl use it to ground me so thank you ever so much. Take care.

 

[mightsurvive]

Hello Waif and thank you ever so much.

Theres some great ideas in there - thank you. I already do breathing exercises and it helps to keep me a little calmer about it but doesn't stop them. I'm going to try to fast forward and rewind the flashback too. I also wonder if it is possible to alter the ending of a flashback. Never thought about doing that.

As regards being phobic of flash backs I already am. I just don't think I can cope with the thoughts running through my head over and over again. I do know they aren't really happening but its hard to convince myself of that at the time because the images, feelings and sense of touch is so real. It's not happening but it feels like it may as well be. But maybe the grounding will help with that too.

Well I've got loads of ideas to get my teeth stuck into as regards grounding techniques now so the only thing I can do is to try and put them into practice and see what happens. Practice makes perfect I hope.

Again thank you for all your help. Take care

 

[dljwhitewolf]

I know what you mean about slapping your face, I have to hit my chest so my heart regulates again. I mimic everything that entails the flashback, so if I was drowned and brought back to life, my heart will try to stop. Watched Schindler's List for eight seconds and went into a full blown flashback, had to call ems to get my heart shocked back. My friend, a vet, was in the front seat and saw the moniter jumping like crazy, flat lining, going very slow etc etc etc.
Finally they put the shock tapes on and bam.
I took them off when it stopped and the electric started burning my skin.
When mine first started it was like a flood gate opened. I couldn't stop them. There was no time to process because, boom, another one would emerge. The body can only take so much, medication helped me, xanax is my security blanket, as long as I have ten in a bottle, I can travel eons. Without them I am a quivering idiot.
I don't take them everyday, but have a script for 4 1. mg. a day prn.
I usually only take about three a week, but I need to know I have my stash. lol
Like a choco holic needs to have a candy bar lying around.
Try writing in a journal, and not reread it til after your dust settles.
I find when I write something down, it does not repeat itself in my mind like a song lyric that drives you crazy.
Group therapy may help, seeing that others have similar issues. Just knowing you aren't the only one in the boat makes the journey alittle more comforting,,,,,,, ;)

 

[mightsurvive]

Hiya Whitewolf
Yet more words of wisdom. I'm sorry to hear how bad your flash backs are. Luckily i dont mimic what happens in them i just end up screwing myself into a little ball and go insane. Sound like youve had one hell of a tough time with them. I know what you mean about getting them in a series. I have that too. I remember most of what happened to me through the flashbacks and one flash back just seems to trigger the next one... and the next one... and the next one.

I'm glad the meds help you and wish it was a route i was able to go down but i cant. I know i need them really - the doctor wants me back on them but im refusing. I still have some vallium left over so i have that as an option but again - too scared to take them no matter how hard things are. But yes, its nice to know they are there.

I have started a trauma diary which i have now had moved to private bacause i hope one day to pluck up the courage to invite my hubby here. I havent got very far with it but what i have done has helped with that bit.

I have always said that i would love to try group counselling but there is nothing around here. Its almost as if the world is saying - that doesnt happen to people from this area and that im the odd one out. I would love to meet people who have been through such trauma - not so we can all moan about what has happened but as you say to support each other and to help us realise that we are not alone. I am told the nearest group therapy is about an hour and a half's drive away. I would be prepared to travel that far but would mean that i would have to go during work time and im not sure how that would go down. Like a lead baloon i would imagine.

Than ks for your understanding, care and advice. It helps a lot. Take care

 

[dljwhitewolf]

Well, Anthony has taken care of our privacy, (thanks ant), and I used to be like you as far as the meds. go. I was drugged way to much during my trauma and thought no one is ever going to control me with meds.
Well my tune has changed. ptsd does change the chemistry in my mind, and I have way to many anniversaries thru out the year that I now take an anti depressant, propranolol that helps decrease my adrenalin only, no other side effects, and acts like a placebo if I dont need it. Does nothing.

And of course my xanies, to minimize the anxiety.
Well I'm still not sure how the chat room is working since I've come back on, last time it was open on sunday five pm my time.
Just a thought, maybe we can get a group going to chat so we can make our own therapy group,,,,,,,,,I'll make the coffee, you can bring the donuts, okay?
just a thought

 

[mightsurvive]

hehehe that would be nice. Weekends are fine for me and between 4pm and anytime in the early morning on week days are ok for me. I'm pretty flexible - i dont sleep much at all but guess there are a lot of us like that.

I'm ever so sorry to hear about what happened to you with the drugs - read it on that other post. There's certainly enough of us to set up a chat.

I always (until this post) thought i only had one trauma but i'm beginning to wonder now. Not sure this other one counts as a trauma though. When i was at school I was cooking dougnuts andthe fat blew up in my face. Was in hospital for a couple of weks and off school for months. Major self esteem problems. Certainly not anywhere near as bad as my main trauma. Maybe its something to consider.

You like cheescake? Mmmmmmmmm cheesecake lol

take care

 

[dljwhitewolf]

trauma doesn't have to be on purpose. It is anything that happens that shuts the brain down to boot it into a box marked, hell, or maybe just flashbacks for the future, I don't know what God marked on his, but I know what I have marked on mine, I keep changing it and the title gets uglier and uglier. Thank goodness for whiteout. I met a guy who said he was in nam, had some really good stories, I believed him, got him on the phone to my Sarge, after a bit the phone was handed back to me, Sarge just wanted me to know that the guy was ill, but not from nam, we gave him info on going to a ymca to get some care and sleep. Oh well, not all are crazy like me, some are born that way.
I consider myself legally psychotic when approached by danger. lol
I've often said, well, if I kill ya, they'll just send me to a psych unit, and I'm out of my xanax anyway,,,,,,,,so,,,,,,,
they usually back away, maybe its that crazed look I get in my eye, and when they are gone, I get a much needed laughing fit, and my friends if around, will say I'm a nut.
I think I'm really a pumpkin seed, but hey, lemons limes, they know I'm full of it.