Flashbacks are More Than Just Memories

We all have memories, and we can all remember the bad stuff that happens. It is there, etched permanently onto our brains. It resides with us. As the days, weeks, months and years go by, the memories fade, but they are never totally lost. At least not the really horrific ones.

As hard as it can be to remember the painful events, the fear, the nausea, the lack of control, the helplessness, there is something that is even worse than a memory. Many victims and survivors of rape (and abuse) have to deal with flashbacks. The APA (American Psychological Association) defines flashbacks as:

Flashbacks are considered one of the re-experiencing symptoms of PTSD. As the name implies, in a flashback, a person may feel or act as though a traumatic event is happening again.

A flashback can vary in severity. A flashback may be a temporary occurrence, and a person may maintain some connection with the present moment. On the other hand, during a flashback, a person may lose all awareness of what is going on around them, being taken completely back to their traumatic event. Similar to a dissociative episode, during a flashback, a person may also lose track of time.


Basically during a flashback you feel like you are back during the time of the trauma. It isn't just that you are remembering it. You are THERE. It is dibilitating. It is scary, not only dealing with the flashback, but also the fear of them.

It can get to the point that you go through life wondering where you will be when the next one strikes. Will you be home alone or out in public?

Luckily there are ways to help minimize flashbacks. Many patients have a trigger. For me, it is the smell of the cologne the men were wearing that night, or seeing a man that resembles the bf that abused me. I have learned to recognize my triggers and to deal with them so I can minimize the severity.

There are lots of ways to cope. The biggest step is to tell someone, enlist help. A burden shared is a burden lessened. I have also learned that I need to find something to help me stay in reality, for example holding onto ice. I get so focused on the cold that I lose focus on the flashback.

The ice may not help you. Your therapist can give you many other coping strategies, and you have to find what works for you.

Just take heart! Just as you survived the rape or abuse, you can survive the flashbacks. As horrible as they are, it is not real. You survived and your mind is playing games with you. Pray, ask the Lord for help. Turn to Him, He loves you and He will get you through each flashback, just as He got you through the original trial.

Flashbacks are more than just memories, but they are not the real thing, you survived.