PTSD flashbacks happen when you least expect them.
You’re going about your day, maybe getting coffee or just going through your phone and suddenly you’re not really there anymore.
For people living with post-traumatic stress flashbacks, this isn’t a dramatic exaggeration. It’s something that feels very real.
What Is a Flashback?
What is a flashback beyond the clinical definition? It’s when your brain can’t figure out that the threat ended.
During a flashback of traumatic event, you’re not reminiscing. You’re there. Rapid pulse, sweaty hands. You’re ready to run or fight.
Traumatic memory gets stored wrong from the start.
The amygdala, your fear center, goes haywire. The hippocampus, which normally timestamps memories, basically checks out.
So later, when something reminds you of that event, there’s no mental label saying “this already happened.” Your body just reacts.
People ask what are PTSD flashbacks like, expecting a simple answer. But there’s no standard experience here.
Understanding PTSD Triggers
PTSD triggers can be specific sometimes. They include:
- Smells
- Sounds
- Physical sensations
- Certain times of year
- Locations that resemble the original setting
- Relationship conflicts
- Random news footage
What are some common PTSD triggers depend entirely on what happened to you.
The triggers of PTSD rarely make sense to anyone except your nervous system.
PTSD Flashback Symptoms
PTSD flashback symptoms show up physically before you even register what’s happening:
- Your heart beats so hard you can hear it
- Sweat breaks out
- Breathing gets too fast or feels impossible
- Your whole body just tenses up
The psychological symptoms of a flashback hit just as hard:
- Everything around you feels fake or distant
- Terror arrives for no apparent reason
- You might go fully, completely numb
- You lose track of where and when you are
What do flashbacks feel like, exactly? It is tough to put into words.
Imagine time folding in on itself. The past isn’t past anymore. Your body responds to a threat that isn’t actually there, but try telling your racing pulse that.
Types of Flashbacks
Types of flashbacks break down into categories, though they overlap plenty:
- Visual: You see it happening again
- Somatic: Your body remembers even if your mind doesn’t
- Emotional: The feelings hit without any images
- Auditory: You hear voices and screams and explosions
All the types activate different areas of the brain, yet all of them have that common denominator of being absolutely beyond your control.
What Happens When PTSD Is Triggered
What happens when PTSD is triggered is your body hitting the panic button. Your sympathetic nervous system floods everything with stress hormones.
The thinking part of your brain, the prefrontal cortex, basically shuts down.
During a PTSD episode:
- Hours dissolve without warning
- You may lash out or hide without choosing to
- You see and hear illusions
- Words refuse to come
The PTSD trigger response happens faster than thought.
Post-traumatic stress flashbacks bypass every rational process you’ve got, which is why you can’t just snap out of it or think your way through.
The Mind-Body Connection in Trauma Flashbacks
PTSD and flashbacks prove that separating mental and physical health is artificial. Trauma flashbacks live in your muscles, your gut, your lungs.
Your nervous system reacts to a remembered danger just like to present danger since, in that moment, it is not able to discern between them.
By wishing hard enough, you cannot erase painful memories.
But brains rewire themselves, given time and the right conditions. New patterns can form. The episodes may be reduced in frequency, intensity.
What Does a PTSD Flashback Look Like to an Outsider?
When it happens, the person may suddenly freeze and fall motionless and silent. Their eyes become cloudy, or are fixed upon something that you cannot see.
Occasionally, there is trembling or crying. Nothing may flinch them. The difficult part is that they are not ignoring you. They simply cannot listen to you at that time.
Find Recovery
Waiting for the next PTSD episode to ambush you gets exhausting. Mental Health Counselor has therapists who actually understand trauma, not just theoretically but in practice.
Trauma-focused therapy and EMDR are tools that work when applied correctly.Get in touch with us at Mental Health Counselor PLLC to book a session.
FAQs
How long do PTSD flashbacks last?
It can last anywhere between a few seconds or what feels like forever. It depends on the individual and what triggered it.
Can you have flashbacks in your sleep?
Yes, in fact, we usually refer to those as nightmares. They work a little differently. They belong to the same problem, however.
Are flashbacks the same as panic attacks?
They are similar. Yet not identical. Panic attacks are sheer fear and they need not necessarily be reliving something. Flashbacks pull you back into the actual event.
Are flashbacks common to any of the people with PTSD?
No. There are those who experience nightmares. Some may have intrusive thoughts that are simply unstoppable.