When someone is experiencing flashbacks, it’s crucial to seek appropriate support and treatment to manage these distressing experiences. Flashbacks can be a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and can significantly impact a person’s daily life. Here are some avenues for help that can be explored:
- Professional Therapy: Seeking professional help from a therapist or counsellor who is trained in trauma is often the most effective approach. There are several different therapeutic approaches that may be helpful:
- Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT): This approach focuses on identifying coping strategies and future-oriented goals, which can be particularly useful for regaining confidence and moving forward from a crisis. It encourages clients to think about how they have managed to cope in the past and how they can get through the present and the future.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT helps individuals to accept their thoughts and feelings, rather than fighting against them. It also encourages clients to focus on their values and build a meaningful life despite their difficult experiences.
- Havening Techniques: This approach helps to reduce the emotional intensity of traumatic memories by using touch and distraction. It aims to depotentiate the encoded traumatic experience by targeting specific neurons in the brain. Havening can also help to implant positive outcomes by using imagery.
- Internal Family Systems (IFS): This approach helps to integrate the different “parts” of the self, which may be fragmented due to trauma. It helps to bring awareness and acceptance to internal experiences and reactions.
- Medication: In some cases, medication can help to manage the symptoms of PTSD, including flashbacks. This can include antidepressants, mood stabilisers and anti-anxiety medication. Medication is not always necessary, and is most helpful when combined with therapeutic approaches. It can help to calm a hyperactivated system and create a space for emotional processing to occur.
- Self-Help Strategies: In addition to professional help, there are self-help strategies that can be used in conjunction with therapy or as needed to help manage flashbacks:
- Grounding Techniques: When experiencing a flashback, grounding techniques can help to bring an individual back to the present moment. This can include focusing on sensory details (e.g., what you see, hear, smell, touch and taste) or using breathing techniques.
- Mindfulness: Practicing mindfulness can help to increase awareness of thoughts and feelings in the present moment, without judgment. This can help people to observe their flashbacks rather than becoming overwhelmed by them.
- Self-Compassion: It is important to practice self-compassion and understanding when experiencing flashbacks. This involves recognising that it is okay to feel these feelings, and treating yourself with the same kindness you would offer a friend.
- Self-Soothing: Find ways to comfort yourself during or after a flashback. This could include listening to music, taking a warm bath, or engaging in other calming activities.
- Challenging Negative Thoughts: When experiencing a flashback, try to challenge any negative thoughts that arise. Ask yourself if there is evidence to support those thoughts, or whether they are a result of trauma.
- Journaling: Writing down thoughts, feelings and experiences can be a useful way to process difficult emotions, and make sense of flashbacks. You could also try writing the dream in the third person initially and then moving to writing it in the first person to get more comfortable with the experience.
- Support Groups: Connecting with others who have experienced similar traumas can provide a sense of validation and community. These groups can offer a space to share experiences, learn from others, and feel less isolated.
- Lifestyle Adjustments: There are some lifestyle changes that may be helpful:
- Sleep Hygiene: Getting enough sleep is important for overall mental health. Nightmares may be linked with trauma, so creating a good sleep routine may be helpful.
- Healthy Diet: Eating a balanced diet may assist in managing symptoms.
- Exercise: Regular physical activity can reduce stress and tension in the body.
It is important to seek help as soon as possible to prevent symptoms from worsening. It is also worth remembering that healing from trauma takes time, and the person should be patient with the process.
Summary: Flashbacks are a distressing symptom of trauma and PTSD, and there are many ways to manage them including various forms of therapy, medication, self-help strategies, and lifestyle changes. It is most helpful to acknowledge your feelings, use grounding techniques, and be compassionate with yourself during flashbacks. Seeking professional help is crucial, and there are many different approaches that can be beneficial in managing flashbacks, such as EMDR, ACT, Havening and Somatic therapy. These treatments can help you to process the traumatic memories that are causing flashbacks, and move towards healing.
Tags: flashbacks, trauma, PTSD, therapy, EMDR, ACT, Havening, Somatic therapy, grounding, mindfulness, medication, self-help