From what I discern from personal analysis. Part of our triggering, flashbacks, and memories of bad events are actually using a natural stimulant of our memory recall. Our memories are constantly being stimulated and active. Which it is normal for us to have past memories come up. I had to accept we just cannot do without our memory automatically functioning. We could not survive without it.
Unfortunately many of us have been dealt a bad deck of cads in life giving us bad memories. In traumatic events it is more intense and shocking.
What I have found that it is helpful though, is to have distractions. This is what I have done.
- I removed myself from what ever area I was in while having triggers/ flashbacks. (Do not run out of the area, walk slowly. This is so you do not connect the area with the flash having control over your environment)
Return to back to the area if possible when settled. It changes thought and distracts your thoughts.
- When distracting your thoughts and changing them. Refill the place of memory with good thoughts or do something that would give you a good memory. (e.g. treat yourself to something, go to a good encouraging, funny, or inspiring site on line, find comforting spots to go to, or create your own ideas that would give new good memories and thoughts.)
- Use and talk about your trauma experiences with people who need someone to understand. Use your experience as a knowledge to help or be there for others. This is important to recognize. So make sure you use time and place to make it useful to talk about.
From experience I have found speaking my thoughts to the wrong people have been very damaging. We should talk about it and we need to get it out. Nothing wrong with that. It is necessary. It is healing when you speak to others who need other that have been through the same experiences. It can be quite damaging if we tell people who don't really care who would only consider it as drama or negative, not understanding. Its a sad thing, but that is what many people have done and said to me.
So I hope that is helpful. It does not work every time. It has helped though and got me through. Especially stuck in social situations. You can do some of the things without people knowing, when having the problem in public also.
I cannot refer study on this. This is what I learned for myself. It worked for me. Hope it is helpful.
