What are examples of emotional flashbacks?

[sanmagic7]

morelia, sorry it took so long to respond to your question.  these past 2 months have been a blur.

when i feel frozen/paralyzed, it feels like i can't do anything, especially anything constructive, can't do anything about how i'm feeling, can't distinguish one emotion from another, can barely move or think about what's going on around me. 

those have been times of great stress, an overwhelming trigger or actual event.  it's like my brain has shut down and i am unable to figure anything out about what is happening.  i usually just play computer games during the day, watch mindless tv at night.  eventually it goes away, but not because of anything i do to help it disappear.  in that state, i'm beyond helping.

it's a very disturbing feeling, one that i can't articulate, so i also often eat to help mask the disturbance.  otherwise, i'm virtually still. as of i'm actually paralyzed.  that's just my experience with that feeling.  however it manifests itself, i believe it's not a happy one at all.   

[Boatsetsailrose]

San magic body work helps me , grounding and rooting anything to 'get in my body more
Also techniques to get into the rational brain ( left side) and out of the emotional brain

[sanmagic7]

i'm actually going thru an episode today, and this morning i did breathing, stretches, even 1/2 xanax cuz i thought i was gonna have a panic attack.  i thought writing here would help, but it hasn't.  i also walked this morning. 

so thanks for the tips, blueberry.  it seems like i did a lot of physical stuff, but it only helped for a minute.  my feet are both planted on the ground, i can feel them, but nothing is helping.  my chest feels like it's about to burst.  and i responded to several posts, getting into my brain/thinking side, but the feeling is overwhelming even that.  i'm new to feeling this fear, and i hate it.

[Boatsetsailrose]

Hi San magic
Sorry to hear you are experiencing this ...
Have you got pete walkers 13 steps to flashback management ...
Remembering that panic reaches a point and then drops ... for me it's often the fear of it that is worse
Try this breathing exercise to help calm the nervous system - breathe in for 4, hold for 6 and breathe out for 7
if possible get out and walk
Call someone and talk
Remember this too shall pass though it doesn't feel it
Sending you my thoughts and a hug 🤗

[Gromit]

Hi,

I am new to the idea that I might have CPTSD. I've read a bit about emotional flashbacks,..................it was triggered by a loud voice and resulted in a pounding heart, a hot, flushed face and an intense feeling of possibly panic that caused me to freeze. I think it was only a couple of minutes long

Wow, I have just found this after being on OOTF for a few months. This you have described is what I get every time my OH is cross about something.

I have just got Pete Walker's book on CPTSD (my counsellor has never heard of CPTSD) & I had what can only be described as a massive trigger this week. Well, it was a couple of triggers on a really stressful day, the second being at the doctors where I had an emergency appointment. The receptionist wasn't sure if I had an appointment, didn't believe me and I just got overwhelmed, crying. They offered me a private room until the doctor was ready. They assumed it was because of the reason I was there, but it wasn't, it was these triggers. This had never happened before, I am very good at controlling myself.

This is all new to me but what everyone has said in response to you is making so much sense. It helps to make sense of the weird and disabling feelings I get.

[Healing Finally]

when i feel frozen/paralyzed, it feels like i can't do anything, especially anything constructive, can't do anything about how i'm feeling, can't distinguish one emotion from another, can barely move or think about what's going on around me. 

those have been times of great stress, an overwhelming trigger or actual event.  it's like my brain has shut down and i am unable to figure anything out about what is happening.  i usually just play computer games during the day, watch mindless tv at night.  eventually it goes away, but not because of anything i do to help it disappear.  in that state, i'm beyond helping.

it's a very disturbing feeling, one that i can't articulate, so i also often eat to help mask the disturbance.  otherwise, i'm virtually still. as of i'm actually paralyzed.  that's just my experience with that feeling.  however it manifests itself, i believe it's not a happy one at all.   

Hi all  - I love being able to get support from you all when I'm hurting!  Here I am again, feeling exactly like SanMagic7's quote.    I am still struggling with how to get out of the EF once I am in it.  Sometimes the negative effects (poor self-image, can't think, can't feel, don't want to do ANYTHING but crawl into bed) would be released once I knew what triggered me, but many (many) times I have no clue what triggered me and I can't seem to shake my paralysis; like today.

I know it has to do with work, and that's the tough part, there are so many things that can trigger me!  When I'm feeling GOOD I'm an excellent team player, but when I'm feeling BAD I just don't want to play, in fact, I can't even smile when I walk by someone.  I take EVERYTHING personally.  UGH.  Haven't I been though enough?  Why do I have to WORK on this??   

OK, just posting this is helping me to feel better.  Thanks all for being there. 

[Healing Finally]

I just want to add that what also goes along with the paralysis is the deep seated belief that I'm not worthy.  So, it's like I can't work through the pain as I don't feel worth working through the pain.  SHEESH  - BUT then when the EF finally subsides, I feel my worth again and I'm back to "normal"