Flashbacks

[Podmog]

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I don't know what the medical advice would be on dealingn with them but could you perhaps see it as revisiting buried pain (both physical and emotional) but this time you have someone holding your hand while you go through it so that you are able to bravely face it in a way that means it does not become a buried pain tha t continually haunts you?

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i suffer the same thing.youve got my complete sympathy.i get the feeling of hands round my neck and other things.i dont cope with it so cant really offer any practical advice.just lots of sympathy and understanding x

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its not something which i can pin down to any particular time either.does it take you by surprise or can you see a pattern?ive woken up feeling strangled before

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me and DDi are having many flashbacks at the moment, all to do with the car accicents we have been in (one in DD1's case, 3 in mine, altho I flashack to two of them mostly!!)

it is very very hard sometimes to cope with, but DD1 has been referred to a teen psychologist, I am going to have CBT for my probs. paid for by the insurance co.

one thing tho that my psychologist said...

your brain needs to compartmentalise things into 'memories, coped with situations, stuff to deal with'

flashbacks are stuff you need to deal with, but mostly things that your brain can still make sense of.....does that make sense????

it is more often than not very scary to have flashbacks, but it should be viewed as positive as your brain would not give you anything that you cannot cope with.

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Podmog, Idon't have any very relevant experience but am worried that there is no-oone around on MN just now who is better-placed to help you.

I'm sure you are right that the counselling might bring this on, as you are revisiting the awful thing and breaking down some of the compartmentalisation that might have helped to numb you in the short term but is probably holding you back now.

It must feel weird and horrible. Do you have any relaxation techniques you could practice whilst going through these pains? Some way of lowering the stress and reminding yourself that this time you are in control, so that the pains gradually come to have more positive associations inaddition to the awful ones?

Podmog, I wonder if this might help? Very sorry if it's way off the mark - but it includes some useful CBT-type advice that might be adaptable to your situation.

Sorry to hear about this podmog, you have my total empathy. Flashbacks are awful. Totally different to 'memories', for those who don't really know what we are talking about. Unfortunately, flashbacks do occur in therapy/counselling, and for some people, me included) at others as well.

I cant pretend I have it sussed and it doesnt bother me any more, but I do remind myself 'this is a flashback, it isnt really happening now' although that is very hard when you 'feel' 'hear' 'see' and 'smell' things from the past

{{{{podmog}}}

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