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When Does An Invasive Memory Become A Flashback?

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Ive been in a few distrubing moments where my memories manifested almost like a flashback, but not sure. It must have been years since i had a moment where i felt like i was back in a certain time or place and forgetting where i really was.

But heres a few scenarios.

1. A repressed memory popped up where my mother picked me up and lifted me over the rail of a bridge almost 100 feet above a freeway, and my feet were kicking so my mom would put me back on the ground. This happened when i was 5 or 6. Although i wasnt reliving the moment, just a disturbing memory, my feet were kicking around, although i was laying in my bed.

2. I had a teacher once pin me to the ground, grab my knee and slam it on a solid floor 5 times. I couldnt walk until later that night. When this memory comes up, i often flinch over the thought, and if nothing is touching my legs, its like i can feel the warmth of a hand right over my knee, as if someones going to grab me and do that again. I often react by grabbing my own knee to stop the sensation or i move my legs, often into an awkward position.

3. Sometimes i find myself thinking of a disturbing memory, gets me seriously dissociated for the moment, and i cant shake it no matter what i do, so im practically daydreaming about some traumatic event that happened to me. Sometimes the emotions around that memory surface too so i get pretty irritable or my facial expressions and voice suddenly take an overly serious tone to suppress my emotions. This actually happens a lot at work. although i can usually still keep the work pace going, i still tend to slow down and cant do precise work, for example i might keep forgetting which button to press on the till.

4. I used to work on the kill floor at an abattoir. Ive seen a few mishaps where some pigs have endured undue suffering, or where ive been trampled by a couple pigs that are around 300 lbs. One time one trampled me and it pushed the electric stunner within an inch of my face. I find that everytime i hear a sound close enough to a pig screeching, my heartrate goes up and i hyperventilate for a few seconds, then the f*cking memories come back. Also ive had some mornings i woke up to the sounds of screaming pigs.

Are any of these situations considered flashbacks or is this just intrusive memories and me just physically reacting to a memory?
 
I use 'flashback' for any intrusive memory that causes distress or impairment. So all of your examples are flashbacks in my thinking.

I tend not to have 'Hollywood flashbacks' where I completely lose awareness of the current moment, and I experience a movie of my past.

I do experience emotional flashbacks, where vulnerable feelings paralyze my right leg, or other feelings paralyze my arm or my throat.

I tend to use 'flashback' when the memory hits me suddenly, and when I can tell that it isn't truly appropriate to the current moment.
 
Sounds a hell of a lot like flashbacks to me. The legs kicking and feeling a hand on your knee may be best described as body flashbacks, but I don't get those, so I'm not sure?
 
An intrusive memory becomes a flashback for me when I cannot move, talk or think. It is like a time machine in a way. I am reliving the memory but able to process more of what happened.
 
Hi Charleh, those are definitely flashbacks. You can have an awareness of where you are and still be in a flashback. Those are horrible memories and horrible things that happened to you. I'm so sorry you had to go through them and it makes sense that you would still have flashbacks even if they are not as severe as they used to be. They are still really intense. I hope you are able to see a therapist to help you with them.
 
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