What is a flashback?
Our mind has an amazing capacity to remember, but in the case of trauma, this ability can feel like a curse. When we experience events with intense emotions (fear, distress, pain), our brain can store those memories in a way that allows it to access them quickly to help us avoid similar situations in the future.
When those memories return suddenly, involuntarily, and intrusively, they are called flashbacks. In other words, a flashback is the "intrusive re-experiencing of traumatic experiences in the present".
Although the exact neurological cause is unclear, flashbacks can be very disturbing and seriously interfere with the well-being of those who experience them.
What does it feel like to have a flashback?
Flashbacks are experienced in many different ways. Some survivors describe them as repetitive images or sounds that appear suddenly. Others relive the event so vividly that they struggle to distinguish the memory from what is happening in the present.
For most, a flashback is a distressing experience. They are often triggered by triggers and can lead to other symptoms such as panic attacks or dissociation. Flashbacks can leave a person with feelings of fear, anxiety, shame, or uncertainty about how to prevent it from happening again. Regardless of the outcome, these recurring memories are a constant reminder of the pain they still carry with them.
The relationship between flashbacks and childhood trauma
It is very common for people who have experienced childhood trauma to experience flashbacks, even years after the trauma has ceased. This is because trauma continues to affect the brain, keeping the limbic system (the part of the brain that seeks safety and avoids pain) in a state of hypervigilance.
This hypervigilance began during the trauma when the limbic system was trying to protect the child. Since then, it remains on high alert, looking for any signs of danger. When it associates a detail from the present with a traumatic memory, it can trigger a fight, flight, or freeze response.
In those moments, the memory is so vivid that the limbic system links the sensations of the past (sight, sound, smell) with those of the present. The frontal lobe (the analytical part of the brain) struggles to communicate and separate the past from the present. The result can be a flashback, where the memory seems to be occurring in real-time.
Due to this disturbing nature, survivors may live with high levels of anxiety, avoiding places or situations for fear of experiencing another flashback.
