Trauma and Emotional Flashbacks

Emotional flashbacks can be a moment of intense feelings that we’ve had in the past, linger memories of the past in which we feel the emotions of that time, feeling stuck in an old dynamic, or feeling doomed to repeat an old dynamic. Emotional flashbacks can also manifest as dreams or feelings of being haunted by our past. When stuck in an emotional flashback, we can feel unsafe, angry, or hopeless. Sometimes, emotional flashbacks can include physical sensation and memories of how a specific touch, situation, or conversation made us feel. Emotional flashbacks do not necessarily include visions and can come with sudden shame, terror, or worthlessness. It includes feeling small, trapped, or unsafe. Also very common are feelings of overwhelming anxiety or fear of abandonment. If you have a sudden surge of emotions known as emotional flooding without knowing why, it could be an emotional flashback. Being flooded with rage, anxiety, fear, sadness, confusion, guilt, or a whole host of emotions is common. Emotional flashbacks are normal after experiencing a trauma.

Taking a moment to center yourself and reminding yourself that you are safe before exploring what you are feeling can help provide clarity. To reinstate a feeling of safety, using the 5 senses can help. Having a visual image that feels safe also helps. This can be a picture or memory of a time in your life that felt safe or happy. Having a safe sound can help, such as music dialogue from a favorite movie or book, or simply a favorite sound like water or animal noises. For touch and scent, having a cloth, fabric, stress ball, or plushy to touch and your favorite or a soothing scent can help. For taste, having a mint, candy, flavor drops, nuts, or anything as long as it is a flavor that makes you feel in control can be very grounding. By using all 5 senses, we calm the activated nervous system and reduce stress chemicals in our brain and body. This helps to bring us out of the past and into the present. Having the time and space to use our sense triggers also signals to the brain that we are in control, not the trauma.  If you don’t have sense triggers currently, setting them up is worthwhile so that they are available in the future. What we can do in the meantime is concentrate on physical sensation. Focus on how our feet feel on the floor. Notice the light levels in the room. Breath slowly and deeply.

Once we have regained our center of calm and safety, we can explore what the key emotion in the emotional flash back was. It may be a mix of emotions. Doing our best to separate them and examine them individually is the most powerful tool for regaining our power. If you can’t completely tease them apart, that’s okay. Choosing an element to focus on and disassemble will help. Acknowledging the circumstances for what they were and the loss of power for what it was can show us how far we have come. If you are still in a dynamic that is traumatic, let today be the day that you make a plan to change your circumstances. With enough time and a solid plan, we can change our life. Once we are out of traumatic dynamics, we can heal our mind and our nervous system. Understanding what triggers emotional flashbacks is a big part of protecting our peace. We are survivors, but there is so much more to us than the worst thing that happened to us. You can have more good days than bad and live a life free from trauma.