Six Signs You Might Be Experiencing Emotional Flashbacks

Aarón Blanco Tejedor from Unsplash

By Maxine Y. Dolma

May 21, 2021

What and Why

Emotional flashbacks are unprocessed traumatic memories. These memories are hardwired into the brain when trauma occurs, making it difficult to heal from them without professional help. Emotional flashbacks are triggered by something around you that makes your brain recall the traumatic memory. You might not consciously remember the memory, but your brain and enteric nervous system do.

An emotional flashback can feel like a panic attack, or make you feel shaky or unable to think clearly. It can be intense, sudden, and impulsive. You might feel out of control or not understand what you’re experiencing.

Six Signs That You Experience Emotional Flashbacks:

You Experience Uncontrollable Rage

Your reactions to non-threatening situations are extreme. Think: your partner gently nudges the dog while asking it to move and you fly into a rage. This is called hyper-arousal.

If you’re hyper-aroused, you’re in fight mode and it’s hard to think objectively because your brain is telling you that you’re in a life or death situation and you’ve got to fight your way out.

You Numb Out

You feel numb. You’re unable to have an emotion or a coherent thought for a few hours or days. You’re in freeze mode. Your brain has gone into survival mode and is telling your body to wait out the danger by not reacting.

You’re Not in Your Body

Dissociation is zoning out or leaving your body when feeling overwhelmed by a traumatic event or a trigger. This is your brain going beyond survival mode, according to Dr. Stephen Porges, Distinguished University Scientist at Indiana University, and the director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium.

The World Feels Unreal

Derealization/depersonalization feels like you’re watching yourself from outside of your body. It can also feel as though what’s going on around you doesn’t feel quite real. You can also feel like both at the same time.

You Emotionally and Mentally Shut Down

When your brain goes into survival mode, the front part of your brain where reasoning takes place is shut down in order to help you survive. Same if you shut down emotionally; your brain is in survival mode because its triggered. It is telling you you’re not safe and it’s best not to feel right now.

You Feel the Urge to Panic and Run

Your brain is in flight mode. Your brain and body interpret the trigger with terror. Your amygdala has released adrenaline and is telling your body and conscious mind that the best way to handle this situation is to panic and run.

Healing Is Possible

If you realize you have emotional flashbacks, talk with a trauma-informed therapist that specializes in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing(EMDR) therapy, Somatic Processing, or Lifespan Integration.

Each of these therapies works by desensitizing triggers and processing traumatic memories through the body, which rewires the brain. Healing triggers and traumatic memories takes time, but it’s worth it. You’re worth it.

If You’re in Crisis

Please contact National Alliance for Mental Health(NAMI)

1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or info@nami.org

The NAMI Help Line can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.– 8 p.m., Eastern Time USA

Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) 1-800-656-4673 or RAINN’s online support chat www.online.rainn.org.