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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a complex mental health condition that can significantly impact an individual’s daily life. Among the most distressing symptoms of PTSD are flashbacks, which are involuntary and vivid recollections of traumatic events. If you are someone who experiences flashbacks, you are not alone, a lot of people go this confusing and disorienting experience. In this article, we’ll explore what flashbacks are, how they manifest, and how they can be effectively managed to help you regain a sense of control in your life.
Flashbacks are a hallmark symptom of PTSD and involve re-experiencing a traumatic event in an intense and distressing way. These episodes can occur suddenly and feel as if the trauma is happening all over again. According to Brewin et al. (2015), flashbacks can encompass a range of sensory experiences, including visual, auditory, and somatic sensations.
Flashbacks can be triggered by a variety of external and internal cues—perhaps a certain smell, a particular phrase, or even specific environments can bring back the distressing memories associated with trauma. Unlike regular memories, flashbacks are intrusive and often appear uncontrollable.
I remember a particular client who came to our office seeking support for PTSD resulting from sexual trauma. This client experienced physical flashbacks that manifested each time they attempted to engage in intimacy with their partner. The distress would arise suddenly, with bodily sensations of pain and tension overwhelming them, making it impossible to continue. They described feeling as though their body was reliving the traumatic event, even though their mind recognized they were in a safe and loving environment. Each time they would have to stop in the middle of their sexual connection because it would reoccur.
As I listened to this client’s story, it became evident that their nervous system had stored the traumatic experience at a physical level. Their body responded to intimacy with the same fight, flight, or freeze response that had initially occurred during the traumatic event. This response was automatic and outside their conscious control, highlighting the deep connection between trauma and the body.
Through our work together, we focused on somatic therapy techniques to help the client reconnect with their body in a safe and gentle way. Utilizing methods such as Trauma Release Exercises (TRE) and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, the client was able to gradually release the physical tension associated with their trauma held in the pelvic floor of the body. Over time, they re-established a sense of safety and trust within their body, allowing them to engage in intimacy without being overwhelmed by flashbacks.
Most people see Hollywood movies of war veterans or people with trauma in films who have visual flashbacks. They get triggered and then relive a past event like they were there. While this does happen to some people, it is actually very rare. Research suggests that most survivors of war and sexual trauma experience flashbacks primarily as physical sensations rather than visual images. Survivors may feel sensations such as touch, pain, or pressure in areas of the body that were affected during the traumatic event. According to Priebe et al. (2013), individuals with PTSD related to childhood sexual abuse frequently report bodily memories, which can lead to confusion and distress.
Physical flashbacks may manifest as:
Understanding that flashbacks are not just mental images but can be felt physically is crucial for survivors to process their experiences and seek appropriate therapeutic interventions. As often people feel really confused about what is happening to them when they have these intrusive experiences.
Intrusive memories often accompany flashbacks and can be triggered by reminders of the trauma, such as specific smells, sounds, or situations. Survivors may experience distressing thoughts, nightmares, or sudden emotional reactions, which can make it difficult to engage in daily life activities (Malmo & Laidlaw, 2010). The emotional toll of these memories can lead to heightened anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation.
When we start to feel a flashback we will tend to start dissociating I order to get away from it. But it doesn’t even feel like a choice. You can feel suddenly like your out of your body and unreal. Like your observing reality at a distance but it doesn’t feel like your high or at peace it just feels distant, numb, as if your wearing earplugs. If you’ve never had a flashback it can be hard to explain what its like to someone as it feels so surreal.
Most clients tell us that the most frustrating thing is that they often feel like mental health professionals really don’t actually understand dissociation.
It is important to recognize that untreated PTSD tends to worsen over time. Without proper intervention, flashbacks and intrusive memories can become more frequent and intense, affecting mental and physical well-being (Wang et al., 2019). Seeking therapy with a trauma-informed professional is crucial in breaking the cycle of dissociation and understanding how to come back to consciousness.
At Seattle Trauma Counseling, our therapists specialize in trauma recovery using somatic-based methods to help clients process and release stored trauma in the body. We utilize approaches such as Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and Trauma Release Exercises (TRE) to address the physical manifestations of trauma and stop flashbacks from recurring. These techniques focus on reconnecting the mind and body, allowing survivors to process trauma through movement and body awareness rather than relying solely on talk therapy.
The concept of trauma completion movements is central to somatic therapy. When trauma occurs, the body often enters a state of fight, flight, or freeze, and these responses can become trapped within the nervous system. Through intentional, guided movements, clients can complete these interrupted responses, releasing pent-up tension and facilitating a sense of safety and control. Sometimes these movement just happen automatically within therapies such as EMDR or Brainspotting methods. When you see these movements happening it is as if the body is trying to finish something it did not get to do, such as push away an attacker. Therapists should understand that it is important that we incorporate these movements into our work to help clients reclaim their bodies and let go of repressed emotion that is stored in the body.
Research supports the importance of trauma completion movements in PTSD treatment. Studies have shown that movement-based therapies, such as dance/movement therapy, help trauma survivors integrate fragmented experiences and achieve emotional regulation (Levine & Land, 2016). The ability to physically complete responses that were previously frozen during traumatic experiences allows the nervous system to reset, offering profound relief from distressing symptoms. Ogden et al. (2006) Somatic psychology emphasizes that sensorimotor approaches to trauma therapy allow for the reorganization of body sensations and movements, which can reduce hyperarousal and dissociation in PTSD clients.
By facilitating movement-based interventions, Seattle Trauma Counseling provides clients with an opportunity to reconnect with their bodies in a safe and supportive environment. These interventions empower survivors to reclaim agency over their physical and emotional well-being. Trauma completion movements are not only therapeutic but also transformative, offering a path toward lasting healing and resilience.
For individuals who are part of 12-step recovery programs, trauma symptoms can sometimes become more pronounced over time. Many people who have done the 12 steps for many years have reported to us that while they feel very supported and loved in their community they often feel that their trauma symptoms get worse over time by retelling their stories over and over again in meetings. This makes sense since every time we tell our story we may have to relive traumatic events again and again. At some treatment centers I worked at clients would complain about talk therapy saying I know why I do what I do can you help me to stop doing it. Studies indicate that while these programs provide essential support, they may not address the deep-seated trauma that requires professional therapeutic intervention (Bourne et al., 2013). Therefore, it is essential to combine community support with professional somatic therapy to achieve long-term healing.
While professional help is essential, there are several self-help strategies that can empower individuals to cope with flashbacks:
Flashbacks can be incredibly challenging, but it is important to remember that healing is actually possible. With the right support, including professional therapy, you can work towards reclaiming your life. At Seattle Trauma Counseling, our therapists have a lot of real world experience both seeing and helping people move out of dissociative states. We are here to support you on your healing journey.
Levine, B., & Land, H. M. (2016). A meta-synthesis of qualitative findings about dance/movement therapy for individuals with trauma. Qualitative Health Research, 26(12), 1621-1634. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732315589920
Ogden, P., Pain, C., & Fisher, J. (2006). A sensorimotor approach to the treatment of trauma and dissociation. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 29(1), 263-279.
Remember, you are not alone in this journey, and help is always available.
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