#flashback links

Hi love, thank you for coming to me for advice- I’ll do my best to help you out today! :)

I do have some links on flashbacks and some helpful information :)

How to cope with flashbacks:

Take yourself to a safe place

This may be in your home, curled up on the settee with a warm quilt around you, or in the bath, or in your favorite chair, or at a good friend’s house. Go wherever you need to go, in order to feel safe and where you know you will be safe. If you are not able to go to a safe place at the time of the flashback, remind yourself that what you have experienced is a memory, take several deep breaths and promise yourself that as soon as you can, you will take time out to explore the flashback in more detail.

Don’t fight the flashback

Although this may feel difficult, try to breathe deeply and let the memory surface. Using alcohol, solvents, drugs, food and/or self-injury etc. to bury the feelings from a flashback can actually add to and prolong the trauma of recovering buried memories. It can be hard to change these familiar coping mechanisms and old habits die hard, however it will be very helpful to you in the long run if you can manage to avoid coping with flashbacks in this way. If you try to ignore or push away emerging memories they are likely to feel stronger and more powerful as they fight for recognition.

Ground yourself

Remind yourself of the day, date, time etc. Look at your surroundings, where you are right now. Remind yourself of how old you are, where you live etc. Try to let part of yourself stay in the present while, at the same time allowing yourself to remember your past.

Remind yourself that this is a memory

This is a memory of something that has already happened to you and you have survived it. Reassure yourself that you are not being hurt in the present, even though you may feel as though it is happening now. It is important that you keep on reminding yourself that you have come through this experience and that you are now on the road to recovery.

Give yourself space and time to recover

Reliving memories can be a painful and exhausting experience. It may take several hours or days for you to feel okay again. If you need to rest, sleep, cry or be angry, give yourself permission to do so. Don’t jump up and try to do something else straight away.

Write about your memory

If you feel able to, write down what you remember from the flashback. This can help to ‘get it out’ of your mind by putting it on paper. This can also be used as a diary or journal of your recovery. Useful things to write about may be:

What you remembered

Sounds

Pictures

Sensations

Smells

How you felt at the time

How you feel now

Comfort yourself

(source)

Flashback Links-

Coping with Flashbacks | Psych Central

Coping With Flashbacks

flashbacks & grounding techniques - GET.gg

Coping with Flashbacks Relaxation Script

Coping with Flashbacks:

Ideas for coping with flashbacks | Self injury support