New symptom while being in a flash-back

[Givrali]

Ok I had to spend about 1h with my abuser. I only had to spend about 15 minutes alone with him and he acted normal. Being alone with him was enough to Trigger flash-back.
I got the usual symptoms I experience during and after but in another came : wanting to vomit.

Does new reaction to flash-back it common occurrence? How to deal with flash-back wanting to vomit ?

 

[Charbella]

I’m so sorry! An hour can be an eternity. Why did they leave you alone at all?

I often feel like I want to vomit when I’m stressed out it’s usually one of my first symptoms. Now that I know that generally I can calm my stomach. I’ve never actually thrown up that I can remember anyway.

I usually use distraction when it comes up and if I’m home laying in the fetal position while watching TV to distract helps.

 

[Givrali]

Ok I watched Disney + and eat a cake (most positive thing i can do is eating lot of sugar) and symptoms went aways

My educator has to handle 8 people he already postponed an activity to be with me for most of the contact time. Since I wasn't triggered thanks to his presence I said myself the relative sense of safety spending time with abuser without flash-back would protect me long enough to finish what my abuser and had to do

I’m so sorry! An hour can be an eternity. Why did they leave you alone at all?

I often feel like I want to vomit when I’m stressed out it’s usually one of my first symptoms. Now that I know that generally I can calm my stomach. I’ve never actually thrown up that I can remember anyway.

I usually use distraction when it comes up and if I’m home laying in the fetal position while watching TV to distract helps.

I planned the whole day off to calm myself after having to spend time with abuser. Also lately I found a new coping mechanism: rocking back and forth. I'm autistic but don't remember ever done that once I instinctively done that some time ago and it relieved me. So I'll add it to my usual coping mechanism

Thanks for answering me I'll add your coping to my list

 

[Lilac98]

I've felt sick and once been sick cause of anxiety around people. It's cause I don't breathe properly when I'm really anxious. You probably cause a new symptom cause you were with them. Maybe you were just more anxious than normal.

 

[Givrali]

I've felt sick and once been sick cause of anxiety around people. It's cause I don't breathe properly when I'm really anxious. You probably cause a new symptom cause you were with them. Maybe you were just more anxious than normal.

Maybe

 

[Friday]

It’s part of the body’s reaction to the sympathetic nervous system (fight & flight) kicking on… the digestion system (part of the parasympathetic nervous system, rest & digest) shuts off. Sometimes quite violently (puking, pissing, &/or shitting yourself). Other times it’s far more mild; a nervous stomach, and the increased need to use the bathroom.

The digestive system is the 2nd biggest energy suck, after ratiocination (the ability to sit, stand, move… and not just be a human shaped puddle.). Ratiocination gets amped UP when the sympathetic nervous system turns on, and slammed down when the parasympathetic takes over (like when your sick, and even something right next to you seems really far away / too much effort to reach).

Digestion gets shut off when the sympathetic turns on, and also when the immune system decides it needs that energy directed elsewhere.

It’s part of why most people have difficulty eating when they’re under stress, anxious, etc. Their mouths get dry, their stomachs get jumpy, anything they do eat either sits like a rock or makes them feel like throwing up.

The disordered eating that so often comes along with PTSD is largely owed to the increased levels of stress & anxiety.

***
Long story short? Makes total sense that you felt sick to your stomach whilst dealing with your abuser, flashbacks, etc.

 

[Givrali]

It’s part of the body’s reaction to the sympathetic nervous system (fight & flight) kicking on… the digestion system (part of the parasympathetic nervous system, rest & digest) shuts off. Sometimes quite violently (puking, pissing, &/or shitting yourself). Other times it’s far more mild; a nervous stomach, and the increased need to use the bathroom.

The digestive system is the 2nd biggest energy suck, after ratiocination (the ability to sit, stand, move… and not just be a human shaped puddle.). Ratiocination gets amped UP when the sympathetic nervous system turns on, and slammed down when the parasympathetic takes over (like when your sick, and even something right next to you seems really far away / too much effort to reach).

Digestion gets shut off when the sympathetic turns on, and also when the immune system decides it needs that energy directed elsewhere.

It’s part of why most people have difficulty eating when they’re under stress, anxious, etc. Their mouths get dry, their stomachs get jumpy, anything they do eat either sits like a rock or makes them feel like throwing up.

The disordered eating that so often comes along with PTSD is largely owed to the increased levels of stress & anxiety.

***
Long story short? Makes total sense that you felt sick to your stomach whilst dealing with your abuser, flashbacks, etc.

that would make sense if I always has this problem when having flash-back. I had years of trigger from this kind of truma and I never feel sick in my stomach. I'm just wondering how common it is to develop new symptoms about falsh-back because I more a physical and emotionnal flash-back and never "second-brain" kind of.. flash-backer ? ( yeah I love inventing new words)

But I guess I'm more stressed than before and being alone for the first time with him (the condtions he used to need to abuse me) badly trigger me

first time since years I mean

 

[Rose White]

@Friday very interesting!

Ratiocination gets amped UP when the sympathetic nervous system turns on, and slammed down when the parasympathetic takes over

I noticed that when I’m fawning I’m very “willing” to sit perfectly, stand, turn my attention, attune, serve, move for the person, almost jumpy. I hadn’t thought about how fawning is a stress reaction, even though I’ve heard the four F’s thing, for some reason I separated fawning out—probably because I did it so much that I didn’t see it as a reaction, just “being the best version of myself.”

So when I’m fawning, chances are my sympathetic system is amping up because it senses danger. This also makes sense why in college I would go to a social event and then return home and go catatonic picking my skin.

Maybe I can start to ask myself what danger I sense when I’m fawning. I was at the dog park this morning fawning with an older man and then another friend showed up and he left then she told me that he is a narcissistic schizotypal alcoholic, she knew because she dated him. I felt myself getting SO pulled into him when I was talking, even thinking about dating him even though he smelled like my dad . Anyway, after she told me what a creep he actually is it made so much sense why I was getting pulled into him because I was conditioned to feel comfortable and familiar around narcissists. And my fawn response—MAYBE—in the future might be able to help me understand the kind of person I’m talking to.

Anyway, sorry to derail the thread. Sounds like OP’s question was resolved. Your biology post really got me thinking. Would like to say something about the thing but I think I’ll just leave that for another time

 

[joeylittle]

Does new reaction to flash-back it common occurrence?

I think a new reaction (what sounds like a more intense one) following direct exposure to your abuser makes sense. It's likely you were under more stress - assuming you don't see your abuser regularly?

 

[Givrali]

I did my best to cut links with him. People around me never mention him without I mention him first. I said him to never contact me first.
I saw him like 5 times in 3 years all related to relatives dying. All times the meeting with him were short and I was in a social setting (at least three others people around us) the last time before yesterday I wasn't feeling safe at all but because my curator isn't informed in ptsd so was little help against him.
The effective last time I was feeling safer because my educator is informed about what happened and ptsd in a general way but had to leave because he had other obligations and I said him it'll be ok

When I lost my protector the feeling last a bit but once ot was gone the feeling was terrible