What Is Flashback?

[Meadowsweet]

I can remember times of attack like a its a police report, very factual, but without much emotion. But I have instances of intense anxiety where I feel that I will be attacked in the very near future, and my mind races trying to come up with something I can do or say to stop it from happening. In my panic, I sometimes end up asking people what they or others are feeling or saying about me, because Im afraid that anyone saying the wrong thing to the wrong person could incite an attack.

I think of a flashback as being an intense memory of an incident, or re-living it in detail. But this isn't a memory of the moment of attack - the extent of the fear feels like Im facing an attack, but I relate it to more current situations. So Im confused about what this is and what flaskback is. At a psychological assessment I was asked if I experienced flashbacks, and I wasnt sure - so I explained as best I could and the man wrote something, but didnt tell me what this was. So is this a flashback or something else please?

 

[chw52]

Well this happens to me a lot. There is generally a "trigger" in my case that causes intense anxiety and sometimes paranoia. My triggers are sometimes very specific like certain smells, the list varies. There was a trigger in your case if i was guessing. Once I have a trigger like that i become unsafe very quickly. I can suggest when this just happens out of the blue try to identify what the trigger was that may have been the cause of your anxiety. Once you identify the trigger you can work on not having such a reaction to it. Your idea of a flash back is correct. I think of these types of reactions more fight or flight early warning systems. I hope this makes sense.

 

[Meadowsweet]

Thankyou for your reply.
Those feelings of imminent danger are almost constant. I keep away from people now if I find Im feeling suspicious of them because, understandably, people take it the wrong way when Im asking questions. But Im aware of the intensity of my anxiety and certain triggers create more intensity that others. But those triggers can be as daft as soimeones tone of voice or an attitude, so theyre pretty impossibkle to avoid.

 

[a3a2]

After I was in counseling for a while, I realized I had flashbacks, but never recognized tham as such. Seemingly out of the blue, I would be gasping in terror, or in a paniced run. When my husband would react, demanding what was the matter, I could only stand there dazed, because what I knew was there, was not there at all.

After a few years of counseling, and my recognizing them for what they were and recognizing triggers, they have almost completely subsided.

 

[Meadowsweet]

Its good to hear that your symptoms are so much better now. I am between being diagnosed and getting therapy. Unfortunately one of my problems is that Im constantly looking at words, tone of voice etc as a safety mechanism and this leaves me with lots of questions. I think in reality, I have to wait and see what the therapist says.