Flashbacks

Yesterday, after doing some homework from my therapist, I went to bed and had the following experience. I was awake, but all of a sudden I saw quick bursts of pictures and sounds, as fast as someone flashing through a deck of cards. It was like split second images of my room, part of a body, a sound, emotion or feeling. Each image never lasted long enough to remember it. It lasted a couple minutes. About 10 minutes later it happened again. I tried to retain the memory of the flashes, but forgot them immediately afterwards.
I think I was seeing pictures or hearing sounds from moments I was "present" during sexual abuse. Most of the time I disassociated from what was happening. Some were of me being little, some as a teen.
This is not like other flashbacks I had - usually they are more emotional and body feelings. Has anyone else experience this? Were these flashbacks?

yes that was a flashback.

i dont get flashbacks like that though, i get flashbacks in what is called a body memory, where i feel scared, tense, like I want to flee, but I don't see images.

Thanks for responding... other flashbacks for me have also been body memories and they have been hard for me to believe.

IM SORRY YOU HAD YOU GO THROUGH SEXUAL ABUSE, AND NOW FLASHBACKS.
I have them also, and at times they can be so real and take you right back. Do you ever feel like that small child again? Not just with the flashbacks, but feel helpless and very alone?

Are you doing anything to help you cope with the flashbacks? Becuse I know they can be just as bad as the abuse itself.

Flashbacks can occur also in nightmares, there are so many forms...and seems like you have the lot of them.
I hope they cese even a little.

May I give you a little support hug?

I am working with a good therapist, had an appt. this morning. It's hard to face all this but I gotta do it! Again thanks!

I'm not sure if what I have been experiencing are flashbacks or not. But for instance, today, at work, my manager said something and my reaction was completely at odds with what actually happened. I felt scared, humiliated, ashamed, scared, and I felt like running, running so far...

I've read the other thread on flashbacks here and have just spent intense time literally bawling, sobbing until I thought my chest was going to explode. This has happened before.

I have no memories of sexual abuse. I do know that there was a lot of sexual abuse in my extended family, and when I was little they had access to me. I just don't remember anything. I do know that red hair terrified me as a kid and as an adult it repulses me, and I often wonder if something happened.

About ten years ago I was struck by a sudden image of two older boys grabbing me outside of the school. I remember the swings, the scuffle, the orange leaves on the ground. I remember the darkness and the feeling of being alone. It was a vivid memory but nothing else to it.

Lately, i.e. the past two years, I have experienced many of these crying outbursts, where I feel like a little kid, sometimes terrified and just completely filled with anguish and pain, the tears come so hard that it feels like my eyes are going to squeeze out and roll across the floor.

I have been diagnosed with PTSD and have received some treatment for it... but these body memories never came up, really - we just talked about the overt trauma - bullying, neglect, witnessing violence.

I'm going to spend a little more time perusing the threads here. Thanks for listening.