As you learn to cope with what happened to you and the memories of it, the flashbacks should ease or subside. To cope with the flashbacks :
1. Know your triggers
Is there something, person or place you can identify that is triggering your flashbacks or other PTSD symptoms? List them down and grow familiar with what is triggering and what is not. This will help you both deal with triggers and limit your exposure to stressful situations. here is a post about dealing with triggers :
2. Early warning signs
Flashbacks can feel like they happen all of a sudden but there may be early signals that can help you identify when you may experience a flashback. Do things around you start feeling fuzzy or distant? Do you feel like you’re dissociating? Perhaps keep a journal of when you have flashbacks. This may help you identify a pattern in where and when they occur.
3. Grounding techniques and mindfulness
Here are posts on
I also encourage you to set up a comfort box.
Other examples of grounding techniques are simple activities that stimulate your senses:
Sound : Listen to some loud music. Try to focus on the lyrics and sing along or at least voice out the words.
Taste : Bite into something with a strong taste or something very hot or cold such as a peppermint candy, a pepper, an ice cube, or a lemon
Touch : grab an object near you taking note of its size, weight, texture….etc.
Sight : take inventory of your surroundings. Count tiles on the floor, count books on a shelf, name each object around you.
Smell : sniff something with a strong odor such as ginger, peppermint….etc.
4 . Have others help you
Do you have a close friend, peer, trusted adult, or family member who can help you? Perhaps make a safety plan with them and give them information on how to help ground you or how to best support you.
If you have a therapist or psychiatrist I encourage you to ask them for help and information too.
Best wishes!
