abuse and flashbacks

[nerth]

i have recently started getting severe flashbacks, its never really happened before and when it happend i completely lose sight of where i am.

i feel very weak and i think and i know i should jsut get over it, plenty of bad things happen so why am i letting it control my life.

i was just wondering if anyone else has or is having similar problems and whether they can give me any advice.

[Kara396]

Flashbacks are normal and if you've been a victim of abuse or rape then your mind might just be letting you remember these things again. You need to talk to someone you trust and come to terms with what happened. It may not be easy and it could take awhile. I hate to say it, but you never fully recover. But you can be happy. Stay strong. PM me if you would like to talk.

[~CourageousSurvivor~]

Hey there,

Flashbacks are normal and a lot of people who suffer from some type of traumatic event can experience them. I know that there is a part of you that wants to move on from everything that has happened but it doesn't work like that. Healing from trauma is something that takes time and effort. I know it can be really frustrating but give yourself time to heal and you will see a difference.

I get flashbacks off and on too. There are days when the flashbacks are really bad and then there are days when they are not. My therapist tells me that the reason my flashbacks are bad is because I am in a stage of recognition. What she means is I have remembered the abuse and now I am start to recognize it and experience the effects of it. She has told me on numerous occasion that as time goes by and I start to heal the flashbacks will not be as extreme. My therapist has even told me that eventually I might not have flashbacks and if I do they will be really rare and will not effect me the way they do now.

I was told about the grounding kit and I am going to give you a link for it. I know that when I am struggling with flashbacks I turn to this and it helps.

Here is the link:

http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f80-mental-health/t3497-dissociation-you-making-grounding-kit/

Also, when I know a flashback is coming on I don't fight it. I just let myself experience it. I find that when I try to prevent the flashbacks it ends up being worse. However when I let it come, while still intense, it has less pull.

I also journal about the flashbacks I have. It can be REALLY hard to do but it helps because it is like I am letting it go. When I journal about the flashback it really does give me a sense of release. It doesn't make the intensity go away but it does feel good in a way.

Another thing is after a flashback you might go through a stage of depression but don't let that get you down too much because the depression will pass. Whenever I have a flashback I usually fall into a depressive stage. At times this stage is so intense I don't know what to do but I keep reminding myself that it will improve and it eventually does. You can get through it. Remember the worst is behind you and that person cannot hurt you again.

Lastly, are you talking to a professional about all of this? I know that is a hard thing to do but it can really help with the healing process. I know that my therapist has helped me with the healing numerous times. I can go in there and feel safe and she allows me to talk about the abuse without feeling any type of shame. She has a lot of compassion for me and she truely does care which helps. If you are not getting help for this I would suggest that you consider doing so because it really could help.

I hope this helped and if you need ANYTHING feel free to pm me.

Jenna