Do you ever have flashbacks (may trigger)?

[Abby Rose]

Since I was a child I have undergone two extended periods of abuse, the first of which was when I was six to seven and it was at the hands of my teacher, the other was when I was twelve to fourteen and it was by my psychiatrist. I took me a long time but I thought I came to terms with these incidents, and although I knew I can never fully be ok with what happened I thought I was strong enough to move on with my life. However over the past few months I started remembering stuff that I thought I forgot about both incidences, but particularly the first one.

Since then I have started having these flashbacks first when I was asleep in the forms of dreams and then it started happening when I was awake, during the day. It's as if I am a child again and every so often I am reliving the moments in a few seconds. Now the flashbacks are getting more frequent and more vivid to a point where I can actually see the room, the people, and even the furniture as if it was yesterday. Although I know at this point that I probably wasn't as at peace with these times in my life as I once thought I was, but I still have no idea what triggered it, and more importantly I have no idea how to stop it. I am at a point now where I simply blink and it is like it is happening all over again and it is starting to destroy me emotionally and I feel powerless to stop it.

 

[lost_child]

Hi Alexis,

I also get flashbacks, sometimes just a still image, then a movie when I'm watching myself (or the "child") and other times when I'm back there reliving the whole experience including the physical pain that was felt. I do feel for you as I know how distrubing flashbacks are.

Something I try to remember to do is:
Bang my feet
Clap my hands
and then pour cold water on my hands and wrists

All awaken the senses.

Also, repeating your age, date and time can help..

However 9/10 I can't break the FB and have to run its cause so to speak.

If you need to talk please feel free to PM me.

thinking of you.

Lost xx

here's a link, that I have found very useful when i first started getting flashbacks.

http://www.mental-health-matters.com/articles/article.php?artID=154

 

[Alaina]

Hey girlll.
I get flashbacks too.
A few years back I was raped, and I also survived some incest in the family.
The flashbacks I have are terrifying. I always see a man coming over me and BAHH. Oooh, I scream.

 

[ish_me153]

I have flashbacks when I'm sleeping...I remember when I was in FC and this other fosta kid used to abuse me sexually. He gained my trust, then abused it by making me suck him off and have clothes-sex with him...and then there's this other situation from last year that's really vivid. I'd only just come out of FC and was at home for a couple of months before my brother started to molest me. What made it worse was that when I did tell my mum, she didn't believe me...just because there was no f*cken evidence that he'd done anything to me. Only one person believed me, and that was my teacher. It was funny, because she knew me more then my mum does now...she was the one that asked me if something was happening at home, and if I wanted to talk about it. But that was at my old school, and so now I can't say thanks to her for being there for me :missyou: Ms. W and I hope you know how grateful I am towards you.:girlpower all the way

 

[resistance]

Yes I still get flashbacks.

 

[RySp123]

All ptsd suffers have them sooner or later in life under diff. forms.

 

[gentlelady]

I too, have flashbacks. They do not care when or where they hit. the intensity varies. It is important to learn how to ground yourself when possible. Your mind is trying to process what happened. They are not pleasant. I am sorry you are having to deal with them. I am here if you need someone to talk with or maybe even some ideas about dealing with them. I hope they ease off soon. take care. :hug:

 

[CivicSI]

I have really bad flashbacks too. I had a really abusive boyfriend a year or so ago. Sometimes when I am with my current boyfriend (who is actually a very great guy) I have horrible flashbacks to where my ex forced me to do stuff. Sometimes I start crying and hide it, I don't want to hurt my bf's feelings or make him think there is something wrong with him. But yes, I defly have flashbacks.

 

[xXWhateverItTakesXx]

Yea, I get flashbacks. They come on at any time and I just freeze >_<

Happens a lot at school, its really hard to cope when it all comes flooding back. I'm to weak to block them out :sad:

 

[alimar]

I am currently suffering some flashbacks from some abuse – one off sexual assault when I was about six years old. It was not a family member, a complete stranger who approached me as I was playing out.

I have in the past had thoughts on it over and over again and confided in a psychologist back in 2005 about it but when he wanted to talk about it I stopped going.

Now again I am thinking about it, going over it in my head and trying to make sense out of what actually happened.

I don’t want to discuss it with my parents since I think they think I have long forgotten about it but that is not the case and every now and again I cannot stop thinking about it, but I think I am ready to open up, find out what happened (I have a way of doing that via the local paper, since it was printed on the front page but my mother would never let me read it).

I think it’s also the major underlying fact why I cannot get close to anyone.