Practical guideTraumaMental health1 minute read
Flashbacks: what they are and what to do
When the past floods the present. A short guide for the moment it happens and for afterwards.
A flashback can feel like being pulled back into something. Sometimes it is a vivid scene. Sometimes it is only a feeling: sudden fear, shame, or the urge to run, with no picture attached.
In the moment
- Tell yourself: this is a memory, it is not happening now
- Name five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can touch
- Press your feet into the floor and notice the pressure
- Breathe out slowly, longer than the breath in
- Say your age and today's date
Afterwards
Flashbacks are exhausting. Be gentle with yourself for the rest of the day. Eat something, drink water, rest if you can.
Some people keep a short note of what happened just before. Patterns often show up: a time of year, a kind of argument, being touched unexpectedly.
When to get more help
If flashbacks happen often, if they stop you from working or sleeping, or if you feel unsafe afterwards, speak to a doctor or a trauma informed clinician. This is very treatable. If you ever feel you might hurt yourself, use the crisis lines for your country.
