How Do I Know If I’m Having Flashbacks?
How Do I Know If I’m Having Flashbacks?
A flashback is more than remembering something upsetting.
The short answer
It is a form of involuntary re-experiencing where something from the past can feel unusually present again. You may see an image or scene, feel sensations connected to what happened, or temporarily react as though the danger is happening now rather than remembering it as something that already happened.
Flashbacks do not always mean completely losing awareness of where you are.
They can vary in intensity.
You might:
- suddenly see vivid images from what happened
- feel pulled back into a particular moment
- experience physical sensations connected to the event
- briefly lose your sense that the experience is in the past
- feel like you are back there rather than simply thinking about it
The important distinction is the “here-and-now” feeling.
Research describes post-traumatic flashbacks as intrusive memories with a particularly strong sense of re-experiencing the traumatic event in the present. (PubMed)
Flashbacks and upsetting memories are not exactly the same.
An upsetting memory can appear unexpectedly and cause a strong emotional reaction without necessarily being a flashback.
Intrusive trauma memories are typically involuntary, emotionally charged, and often involve vivid sensory impressions. Flashbacks are generally understood as a more immersive form of re-experiencing. (PubMed)
So:
“I suddenly remembered what happened”
is not necessarily the same experience as:
“For a moment, it felt like I was back there.”
That distinction can help make sense of what you are experiencing.
Flow’s perspective
How Flow looks at it.
We look at what happens when the past suddenly feels present.
We pay attention to what set it off, what you experienced, how present you remained, and what helped you reconnect with where you are now.
Flow’s approach
How Flow works with it.
We work on helping the memory stay connected to the past instead of repeatedly taking over the present.
Depending on what is happening, treatment may involve EMDR, parts-informed therapy or dissociation-informed care.
The goal isn’t to erase the memory.
It’s to be able to remember what happened while still knowing and feeling that it isn’t happening now.
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