Connection between flashbacks and life stress?

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struggling with flashbacks all of a sudden. I wonder if there is a connection between being stressed for other reasons and how frequently I relive my rapes?

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In my non-professional opinion - yes. It's just another form of PTSD. I was molested starting at age 7, which was a long time ago, and it still affects me from time to time. I'd only really just gotten my head around the idea that I wanted to be a girl when the molestation started. That really fucked with my head. I've only really started to deal with severe depression, a triggering event can knock me down completely. I won't get into how far down I go, many of you have seen some of the effects already.

"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin

My experience with flashbacks and disassociative episodes.

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I hope that you do not think I am too blunt in my reply.

The best way to reduce or eliminate Flashbacks and disassociation is to get your mind off the past and on to other things.

You can do this by working to encourage other, serve others, go for walks, take hot baths, light scented candles, any thing to get your mind going somewhere else. This is called radical distraction in counseling circles.

When I was first coming out of the fog, I would start talking about myself to other people and they would say, "Gwen, it is not about you." It only took a few times of hearing that and I began to understand that I could change my own self, my own life, and I did not have to wait for external forces to change me. I had the power within me.

I have to tell you that I was beaten until I thought I might die and a few times I thought I might die. When I ran away from home to escape him, I was repeatedly butt fucked over several days. Even though it has been 50 years or so, my anus still leaks at times.

A lot of people helped me, and in time I learned to reach out to others and help them and that made me feel better about myself.

At this time in my life, I am happier than I ever have been. The flashbacks have stopped and disassociation episodes seldom happen.

So, it is up to you. You are in charge of your own recovery. People who say that things like PTSD can never get better are just bullshitting themselves.

yes, but not the way you think

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I think you are triggering the flashbacks on your own. As a person who was molested and who had suffered trauma I am amazed and the frequency and the severity of your "flashbacks". I think you, perhaps subconsciously but something tells me it is not, induce flashback like symptoms so you don't have to deal with issues at hand. Though I don't have a PhD, I studied enough psychology for my bachelor's to know that the frequency in which you have them is not on par with those suffering from PTSD. Also, I notice the environment when you have these "flashbacks" are always the same, and it is always when you are talking to people who will poo-poo you through the moment. If you want the flashbacks to lessen, I would lessen contact with people who bring the onset and are not vital to your existence. I would also seek professional help instead of posting on facebook and on here to find the answers.

Ask yourself some important questions. "What am I gaining when I suffer a flashback?" (I have a few ideas but you need to come up with the answers yourself). "How can I gain what I am looking for another way?"

I know it's harsh, but it's done out of friendship and caring.

Katie Leone (Katie-Leone.com)

Writing is what you do when you put pen to paper, being an author is what you do when you bring words to life

Stress as a trigger

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D. Eden's picture

I can only tell you two things on this subject:

1) Medical science has shown that stress can be a trigger for many issues, physical, mental, and emotional in nature. Stress results in many direct health issues like ulcers, high blood pressure, heart attacks, etc. - but it has also been demonstrated to lower one's resistance to other illnesses as well.

2) As to stress inducing flash backs - all I can tell you is that for the most part my PTSD is under control, but when I am under severe stress, whether work related or personal, my nightmares tend to start visiting me again. What's worse is that because I worry about having them, I simply don't sleep. I lie in bed for hours wide awake, unable to turn off my mind and rest.

Funny that you should mention this - I haven't gotten more than two hours of sleep for the past four days as I am unable to fall asleep, and when I do, I wake up after about an hour and can't get back to sleep. Knowing what causes it helps, as it allows me to work on reducing the stressors in my life, but somethings are simply beyond our control to stop.

I would suggest speaking with someone, a professional, about your flashbacks. There are many new methods in use that can help. One of the few good things to come out of any war is the advances in medicine. The past few decades, basically since the Vietnam Conflict, medical science has made great strides in understanding and dealing with PTSD. Simply recognizing it for what it is was a huge step toward helping those of us who have suffered with it due to the things we have seen, the things we have had inflicted on us, or, God help us, the things we have done to our fellow human beings.

I sincerely hope that you find peace. I know that I am seeking it, both within myself, as well as with my friends.

Dallas

D. Eden

Dum Vivimus, Vivamus

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