Flashbacks of non-traumatic events?

Those are good points Ghost and something to think about - thank you

Cracked

After reading this thread I'm wondering why I ever thad the idea that flashbacks would be logical... that the trauma would result in a literal intrusive re-experiencing of the event. Becasue mine weren't I didn't know what they were and just thought I was nuts. Didn't have the courage to tell me T about them for 3 years

Perhaps its the difference between classic PTSD and complex trauma. My traumas were far too varied, numerous, and constant to create one repeated flashback with easily understandable content. Maybe thats why it was all so challenging to untangle and recognize in the first place.

Cracked I'm glad you've seen a positive change in therapy and I agree that its hard but very much worth it.

Thank you Son

Hugs

Cracked

My Dx was CPTSD.
Flashbacks come when we are ready to face them. We may not know how to deal with them at first, but part of our subconscious knows we need to.
It is very important with PTSD or any sort to NOT think that this can be sorted out by ones self. Therapy is KEY.
One

Son wrote:After reading this thread I'm wondering why I ever thad the idea that flashbacks would be logical... that the trauma would result in a literal intrusive re-experiencing of the event. Becasue mine weren't I didn't know what they were and just thought I was nuts. Didn't have the courage to tell me T about them for 3 years

Perhaps its the difference between classic PTSD and complex trauma. My traumas were far too varied, numerous, and constant to create one repeated flashback with easily understandable content. Maybe thats why it was all so challenging to untangle and recognize in the first place.

Cracked I'm glad you've seen a positive change in therapy and I agree that its hard but very much worth it.

You're absolutely right about the multi-event part of your post.. but even when it's a single event, the stress reactions can be pretty subtle and unpredictable. As far as the flashbacks go... they'req varied and unpredictable, but for all intents and purposes... the same between the two. Complex ptsd is actually not yet recognized as a distinct diagnosis, but there IS a general listing of traits which set it apart... A cut and past from wikipedia is:

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". It is this loss of a coherent sense of self, and the ensuing symptom profile, that most pointedly differentiates C-PTSD from PTSD.[7] C-PTSD is also characterized by attachment disorder, particularly the pervasive insecure, or disorganized-type attachment.[8] DSM-IV dissociative disorders and PTSD do not include insecure attachment in their criteria. As a consequence of this aspect of C-PTSD, when some adults with C-PTSD become parents and confront their own children's attachment needs, they may have particular difficulty in responding sensitively especially to their infants' and young children's routine distress—such as during routine separations, despite these parents' best intentions and efforts.[9] And this difficulty in parenting may have adverse repercussions for their children's social and emotional development if parents with this condition and their children do not receive appropriate treatment.[10][11]"
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There's something that onebravegirl posted here which needs to be addressed directly. "Flashbacks come when we're ready to face them". I know I"m risking yet another "grudgefest" from you by being this direct but that comment is absolutely wrong and it's a dangerous thing to tell somebody. Flashbacks are a manifestation from our subconscious to a stimulus which triggers memories of the trauma we're NOT EQUIPPED TO HANDLE yet. That conflict between waking and subconscious over those memories is the very basis of PTSD. One reason it IS true to say that therapy is key is because help, guidance and protection are needed while the patient gradually works things out. Behavior and flashbacks are uncontrolled behavior and often the patient is totally unaware.

My own diagnosis came after a flashback resulted in my being admitted to a V.A. hospital. The context of WHY the trigger was a trigger will take a long time to explain, but a person closely associated with and a cause of some of the events in my past "ambushed" me with a picture she knew would be upsetting... It was... but it also brought up associations with events unrelated to her. This flashback came in the form of a revisit emotionally to a time when I was in the Army, and preparing for a combat assignment... In this situation performing one's job despite the prospect of death is dealt with by circumventing the survival instinct. You focus your mind on the task and disconnect from the danger by pretending it doesn't exist.
In that moment, emotionally, I was again preparing for the possibility of death, as well as trying to cope with serious emotional pain from the woman. I was too disconnected torealize intellectually that I'd just made the decision to circumvent the survival instinct by making my actions an experiment to see if the myth of bathwater and bloodclotting was true. Somewhere, I knew that "I'm about to kill myself" might intrude... and I'd have to begin dealing with everything that I was "ready to face".

So yeah.. Bravegirl. go ahead and start locking my threads and posting pissy comments, but if you try and censor THIS I"ll make a stink about it. You don't know what your talking about, which isn't a crime.. But telling people that "uncontrolled" reactions mean they're ready to face it is unconscionable. This embarassing story is an example of how. And by the way... Complex ptsd IS recognized in literature but there's no criteria set to diagnose it. Why, is because the traits that distinguish it from classic PTSD closely resemble BPD.

Sorry to have upset you Ghost.
In what I said, I wasnt making a point that if you have a flashback you can or should be able to deal with it on your own.
Flashbacks are indicative of a wound. A wound that needs to be tended to. The subconscious brings it up when it feels it needs to be addressed. Therapy like you said-is Key. We need guidance through this or things can get seriously WORSE.
Where I was coming from when I said what I did, was also in connection to a danger that PTSD survivors needs to beware of. Some self help books that are available to do with trauma contain exercises, These can be dangerous to a person who may unintentionally activate a flash back they are not ready with. This is why there are Therapists who Specialize in Trauma. They have a more fined tuned way of guiding people as they are ready.
My point was that it is always best try and deal with the flashbacks you do know of, before trying any type of exercises that could stir up more that you are not ready for.
Ghost, I have no intention of getting Pissy with you, or fighting with you at all. This is a support forum, not a place to attack one another.
In the future though, if you have an issue with me, Please Speak to me directly.
In efforts to let this thread move on, I will leave it at that.
One

nobody is immune to being misinformed or lapses in judgement in whst they post Brave. but ptsd is a disorder directly linkd with violent death, horror, and self destruction. your role as an administrator on this site lends validity to what you say. in this case I dont think coming down like A ton of bricks is inwarranted. andthr snub about censoring is because I've seen what appears to be a bias against people with posts that you dont like to hear. maybe im wrong but safety trumps your hurt feelings.

To my mind you are disrespectful and out of place. One more post like this and you will be banned.

happens all the time..

First my brain has been altered. I have the PTSD brain. Memories go into the awake thought areas. Their not suppose to be their. That area is for the here and now. Its for the present. My brain has been altered. So anything can end up in their. Its just the way it goes.

Memories that are not worked out can appear. These are important memories. They might, Slide in from the sides, like a slide from a slide show. They feel really good to me. Its part of my memory that is attached with independent thought and feelings. It means Im healing and getting memory back. No more dissociative amnesia. Thats where its headed. And that sounds great to me...

PTSD is a protectant. It is to protect me. Keep me safe so I don't see , remember , or feel anything... Important memories are hidden. Their not all trauma shock memories. ITs possible that they were memories of times that were so good and had joy. The joy was to painful to remember because it is past tense and I cant get that joy back. Possibly its about apart of me that was buried that represents a time I really had it going on. Possibly a time of continuation beyond the trauma that put me out in the first place. When my memories were buried, all of them were buried. Good and trauma memories. So it s good when any of these memories and feelings come back.

Omni, what you mention reminds me of an illustration.
Traumas are like things that are hidden in a dark room. With out a light, we stumble and fall over them. But with the help of a Therapist it is possible to shine a light on each obstacle and examine it carefully, until it hold no fear any more. Then we can move onto another corner or area and after a while, we know what all is in that place.
Before I was diagnosed, I had this habit. Any place I moved into I had to pain the walls. I needed to know every crack and flaw in the walls of the house for myself. I think subconsciously that is what my mind wanted to do with my traumas. Examine them all so that they didnt hold me in terror anymore.
Therapy was the best investment I ever made in myself. It was so scary and ugly and painful so much of the time but now I look back at it all as the most worthwhile thing I ever could have done for myself.
Keep up the good work Omni.
PTSD isn't an enemy it is the bodies way of getting your attention on very painful wounds that need care.
One