How I Was Taught to Deal with Flashbacks When in the Middle of One

PTSD can really knock the wind out of you at times.

I was in a year and a half, yes you read that right, of specialized trauma therapy when I lived in Florida. Every Tuesday at 11 am Amy and I would be in her office working on a variety of issues. At one point I began having major flashbacks. Not the fleeting thought kind. The kind that could last for hours. “Thankfully”, they seemed to happen more at night while I was trying to sleep. Being knocked out is usually the best way for your brain to get some much-needed work done while you’re out of your own way. Amy had a tapestry hanging on the way in her office. She had me stand in front of it and describe it in detail. It went something like this.

I see a silver chicken’s foot.

I see a dark-colored vaping pen.

I see a blue ink pen.

I see several seashells — one yellow, one blue, one clear.

I see the triangle from an Ouija board.

I see a pincushion.

I see a clear glass pitcher.

I see an old-fashioned shaving razor.

I see a hearing aid.

You get the drift. You refocus your mind on something other than the flashback. Then you describe it in detail. If memory serves, which it often doesn’t, the tapestry had a boat scene in it. So I counted the number of boats, described each, described the water, the sky, the people, etc. until the flashback had passed. Redirect your focus. Your brain can’t concentrate on two things at once.

According to PsychCentral:

Similarly, grounding techniques are often used for helping cope with flashbacks or dissociation. Common grounding techniques include learning awareness of the flashback as it is occurring and then choosing a grounding strategy to help redirect and refocus awareness. Grounding strategies often use the five senses to help redirect attention, such as holding an ice cube in your hand, turning on sounds of nature, sitting in a warm bath, lighting scented candles, or chewing mint or cinnamon gum. Since the effects of PTSD can differ for everyone, it is important to speak with a trained professional who can help with what works best for you.

This has helped me on more than one occasion. I hope it helps you too.