What Does A Ptsd Attack Feel Like

The Difference Between A Typical Ptsd Flashback And An Emotional Flashback From C

What PTSD Is Really Like

When we hear the acronym PTSD, short for post-traumatic stress disorder, one of the first words that comes to mind is flashback. Though we may have some general ideas of what a flashback is, many of us dont know what its really like to experience one. Even if you live with flashbacks yourself, there can be a lot of variation from person to person, so its important to know the .

We wanted to shed some light on what kinds of flashbacks people with PTSD can experience and what its like to experience them so we spoke to Patrick Walden, LICSW, a trauma-informed treatment specialist who has been practicing in Western Massachusetts for 12 years.

He told The Mighty there are two major kinds of flashbacks: typical flashbacks and emotional flashbacks. He said the differences in these types of flashbacks often comes down to a diagnosis of PTSD or complex-PTSD .

PTSD is a mental health issue that can occur in people who have lived through a specific traumatic event or series of events like war, a serious car accident, sexual assault or natural disaster. C-PTSD, on the other hand, is the result of prolonged exposure to trauma over longer periods of time, often during the formative years of childhood.

Here are two types of flashbacks people with PTSD can experience:

The Importance Of Ptsd Treatment

Many people are unaware that untreated post-traumatic stress disorder can have a devastating effect for both those who have the condition and their loved ones. It not only affects relationships with your family, friends and others, it can trigger serious emotional problems and even cause health problems over time.

PTSD affects people of all ages. It can even impact the health of unborn babies when the mother is under constant stress.

Talking To Your Loved One About Ptsd Triggers

Ask your loved one about things theyve done in the past to respond to a trigger that seemed to help . Then come up with a joint game plan for how you will respond in future.

Decide with your loved one how you should respond when they have a nightmare, flashback, or panic attack. Having a plan in place will make the situation less scary for both of you. Youll also be in a much better position to help your loved one calm down.

How to help someone having a flashback or panic attack

During a flashback, people often feel a sense of disassociation, as if theyre detached from their own body. Anything you can do to ground them will help.

Tell your loved one theyre having a flashback and that even though it feels real, the event is not actually happening again.
Help remind them of their surroundings .
Encourage them to take deep, slow breaths .
Avoid sudden movements or anything that might startle them.
Ask before you touch them. Touching or putting your arms around the person might make them feel trapped, which can lead to greater agitation and even violence.

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Where To Get Professional Help For Flashbacks

Self-care techniques for flashbacks can be useful but might not be enough. You may need to get professional help. Speak with your healthcare provider about your flashbacks. They can refer you to the appropriate specialist such as a psychiatrist or psychotherapist to help you get the best treatment.

Another option is to contact SAMHSAs National Helpline. The helpline can provide referrals to support groups, local treatment centers, and community organizations. If youre a member of the military or a veteran experiencing PTSD flashbacks, you can also contact the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for assistance.

What Is Complex Post

The main symptoms of PTSD and complex PTSD are the same. But if you have complex PTSD you will have extra symptoms such as:

constant issues with keeping a relationship,
finding it difficult to feel connected to other people,
constant belief that you are worthless with deep feelings of shame and guilt. This will be related to the trauma, and
constant and severe emotional dysregulation. This means it is difficult to control your emotions

You are more likely to have complex PTSD if your trauma is linked to an event or series of events. The trauma will be very threatening or frightening. Most commonly from a trauma which you were not able to escape from such as:

torture
a long period of domestic abuse, or
a long period of sexual or physical abuse

What is the treatment for complex PTSD?

You may respond to trauma focussed therapies if you have complex PTSD. Please see the section below on therapies and additional needs for PTSD.

There is some overlap of symptoms for complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder . If you have complex PTSD you may benefit from certain treatments that help people with BPD.

You can find more information about ‘Borderline Personality Disorder’ by clicking here.

Arousal And Reactivity Symptoms Include:

Being easily startled
Feeling tense or on edge
Having difficulty sleeping
Having angry outbursts

Arousal symptoms are usually constant, instead of being triggered by things that remind one of the traumatic events. These symptoms can make the person feel stressed and angry. They may make it hard to do daily tasks, such as sleeping, eating, or concentrating.

Flashbacks And Panic: Signs Of Re

Everyday occurrences can trigger memories of the traumatic event. When the brain becomes reminded of the trauma, survivors of PTSD may re-experience the event itself, as if it were occurring in the present. Flashbacks cause the survivor to have a waking, conscious and often sensory experience of the traumatic episode, usually accompanied by visual or auditory immersions.

Intrusive thoughts can also represent the re-experiencing of trauma, as the survivors natural efforts to switch mental focus or block the experience fail. Another sign of re-experiencing trauma in PTSD is extreme psychological stress when triggers occur.

He or she may even experience physical sensations of re-experiencing, such as muscles freezing, profuse sweating, racing pulse or heartbeat, yelling, or running away when psychological or physical cues trigger the traumatic event.

Finally, persistent nightmares represent re-experiencing the trauma and in some cases, nightmares that cause the survivor to relive the event can be as traumatic as flashbacks.

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Take Care Of Your Body

The symptoms of PTSD, such as insomnia, anger, concentration problems, and jumpiness, can be hard on your body and eventually take a toll on your overall health. Thats why its so important to take care of yourself.

You may be drawn to activities and behaviors that pump up adrenaline, whether its caffeine, drugs, violent video games, driving recklessly, or daredevil sports. After being in a combat zone, thats what feels normal. But if you recognize these urges for what they are, you can make better choices that will calm and protect your bodyand your mind.

Take time to relax.Relaxation techniques such as massage, meditation, or yoga can reduce stress, ease the symptoms of anxiety and depression, help you sleep better, and increase feelings of peace and well-being.

Find safe ways to blow off steam. Pound on a punching bag, pummel a pillow, go for a hard run, sing along to loud music, or find a secluded place to scream at the top of your lungs.

Support your body with a healthy diet. Omega-3s play a vital role in emotional health so incorporate foods such as fatty fish, flaxseed, and walnuts into your diet. Limit processed and fried food, sugars, and refined carbs which can exacerbate mood swings and energy fluctuations.

Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder

What It Feels Like To Have PTSD

Disinhibited social engagement disorder occurs in children who have experienced severe social neglect or deprivation before the age of 2. Similar to reactive attachment disorder, it can occur when children lack the basic emotional needs for comfort, stimulation and affection, or when repeated changes in caregivers prevent them from forming stable attachments.

Disinhibited social engagement disorder involves a child engaging in overly familiar or culturally inappropriate behavior with unfamiliar adults. For example, the child may be willing to go off with an unfamiliar adult with minimal or no hesitation. These behaviors cause problems in the childs ability to relate to adults and peers. Moving the child to a normal caregiving environment improves the symptoms. However, even after placement in a positive environment, some children continue to have symptoms through adolescence. Developmental delays, especially cognitive and language delays, may co-occur along with the disorder.

The prevalence of disinhibited social engagement disorder is unknown, but it is thought to be rare. Most severely neglected children do not develop the disorder. Treatment involves the child and family working with a therapist to strengthen their relationship.

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Theres No Clear Cause Of Panic Attacks

Not every person who struggles with anxiety also has panic attacks, but there can be a genetic predisposition to them. People with anxiety disorders and mood disorders are at a higher risk, and panic attacks do tend to run in families.

Panic attacks are also associated with major life transitions , severe stress , and certain medical conditions. Panic attacks can be triggered by stimulant use, including caffeine, and withdrawal from medication.

What A Panic Attack Feels Like: 3 Science

Anxiety, Mental Health

Imagine waking up in the morning, driving to work, and going about your day when all of a sudden you feel a sudden rush of overwhelming, intense anxiety. You feel short of breath, maybe even dizzy, your heart is pounding harder than its ever pounded and you feel like you might just being going crazy or worse, like youre about to die. This is what it feels like to have a panic attack.

They are an insidious betrayal of your mental and physical capabilities that often occur at random times.

I experienced my first panic attack as a teenager. It was a crazy sensation that jolted me out of bed in the middle of the night, and I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest. My dad, an EMT in our small town, calmed me down enough to convince me that I wasnt having a heart attack or about to die. I went to the doctor the next day and after undergoing several tests to make sure my heart was functioning correctly, I was discharged with anti-anxiety medication and orders to take it easy.

Since that time, I have experienced dozens of panic attacks, which I now know arise in clusters for me during times of high stress. I got them in high school, during my first year of law school, and during the last year of my law practice when I burned out.

Read Signs And Symptoms Of Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Read Anxiety Disorders Could Be Caused By Being Exposed To Narcissistic Abuse

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Does Trauma Always Lead To Ptsd

Several studies have shown that a majority of people will likely experience at least 1 traumatic event in their lives but many of them will NOT develop PTSD
The chance of developing PTSD goes up if the trauma was very severe, chronic , or you were physically close to the event, that is, if the trauma happened right next to you or in front of you
Certain traumas are more likely to lead to PTSD than others. For example, you are more likely to develop PTSD if the trauma you experienced was a rape/sexual assault, combat exposure or childhood neglect/physical abuse

How To Know If You Have Ptsd

PTSD Symptoms may start to appear within three months after a traumatic event. For diagnosis, the symptoms must last longer than a month. The best method for determining if you have PTSD is to talk with a mental healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider might ask questions about your trauma, symptoms, and other problems that youre experiencing.

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Ptsd In Veterans Recovery Step : Get Moving

Getting regular exercise has always been key for veterans with PTSD. As well as helping to burn off adrenaline, exercise can release endorphins and improve your mood. And by really focusing on your body as you exercise, you can even help your nervous system become unstuck and move out of the immobilization stress response.

Exercise that is rhythmic and engages both your arms and legssuch as running, swimming, basketball, or even dancingworks well if, instead of continuing to focus on your thoughts as you move, you focus on how your body feels.

Try to notice the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, for example, or the rhythm of your breathing, or the feeling of the wind on your skin. Many veterans with PTSD find that sports such as rock climbing, boxing, weight training, and martial arts make it easier to focus on your body movementsafter all, if you dont, you could injure yourself. Whatever exercise you choose, try to work out for 30 minutes or more each dayor if its easier, three 10-minute spurts of exercise are just as beneficial.

The benefits of the great outdoors

Pursuing outdoor activities in nature like hiking, camping, mountain biking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, and skiing can help challenge your sense of vulnerability and help you transition back into civilian life.

What To Do When You Get A Panic Attack

Getting a panic attack can be scary. When a panic attack comes on, your focus should be on calming yourself down. During a panic attack, you can follow the steps below to manage your symptoms:

Dont try to stop it from happening.Trying to stop your panic attack may only intensify your symptoms.
Bring your focus to your breathing and slow it down. Take deep, controlled breaths and count them if that helps.
Focus on other senses and sensations around you. You can hold on to something soft like a pillow or run your hands along something textured like a cardigan.
Remember that you are not in danger. During the panic attack, remind yourself that the symptoms you are experiencing are not fatal and will soon pass.

After a panic attack, you might feel ashamed or silly. But, its important to remember that panic attacks are out of your control. Prioritizing self-care after a panic attack is also essential. Self-care can take the form of a day off from work, a long bath, or journaling. If you continue to stress over it, that might only trigger another one shortly after.

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What Happens During A Ptsd Flashback

What happens, specifically, during a PTSD flashback is individual. That said, according to mental health charity Mind, the general things that happen during a PTSD flashback include:

Seeing full or partial images of the traumatic event
Noticing any sense that is related to the trauma
Feeling physical symptoms that you experienced during the trauma, such as pain or pressure
Experiencing the emotions that happened during the trauma

Flashbacks can last a second, minutes, hours or even longer.

How Is Ptsd Diagnosed

What Does a PTSD Flashback Feel Like?

A psychiatrist will diagnose PTSD through a mental health assessment. Your GP should carry out an initial assessment to decide what care you need. Your assessment should include information about:

your physical needs,
your social needs, and
risk.

As part of the assessment they will decide if you need to be referred to the community mental health team . You should be referred to the CMHT if you have had symptoms for more than 4 weeks. Or your symptoms are very bad. A CMHT is part of the NHS. They are a team of mental health professionals.

Doctors use the following manuals to help to diagnose you:

International Classification of Diseases produced by the World Health Organisation , and
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual produced by the American Psychiatric Association.

The manuals are guides which explain different mental health conditions.

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Flashbacks And Triggers: Ptsd Symptoms

A trigger is something that sets off a memory or flashback which mentally transports a person back to the event of her/his original trauma. There is not one set trigger for all people suffering from a trauma different people have different triggers.

What is trauma?

Trauma is characterized as physical or emotional damage caused by an assault.

Trauma typically results in the following feelings and symptoms:

Feelings of shock, anger or fear
Feel helpless because you could not prevent the assault
Have nightmares or flashbacks about the assault
Trouble sleeping and concentration
Think that you did something to cause the attack
Feel embarrassed about telling your family and friends
Feel any or all of the above, whether you were physically injured or not

Overtime, if the trauma persists, specifically for over a month, then the victim may be diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress .

What are triggers?

Triggers are events or situations that produce very uncomfortable emotional or psychological symptoms like anxiety, panic and hopelessness. Triggers can take many forms. They may be a physical location or the anniversary of the traumatic event. A person could also be triggered by internal processes such as stress.

What are Flashbacks?

If you realize that you are in the middle of a flashback, remember the following tips:

To prevent further flashbacks, it is important to identify what your triggers are so that you know when flashback is coming and can therefore prevent it.

What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Ptsd

People with PTSD have symptoms of , , and that include many of the following:

Intrusive thoughts or memories of the event

unwanted memories of the event that keep coming back
upsetting dreams or
acting or feeling as though the event is happening again
heartache and fear when reminded of the event
feeling jumpy, startled, or nervous when something triggers memories of the event
children may reenact what happened in their play or drawings

Avoidance of any reminders of the event

avoiding thinking about or talking about the trauma
avoiding activities, places, or people that are reminders of the event
being unable to remember important parts of what happened

Negative thinking or mood since the event happened

lasting worries and beliefs about people and the world being unsafe
blaming oneself for the traumatic event
lack of interest in participating in regular activities
feelings of anger, shame, fear, or guilt about what happened
feeling detached or estranged from people
not able to have positive emotions

Lasting feelings of anxiety or physical reactions

trouble falling or staying asleep
feeling cranky, grouchy, or angry
problems paying attention or focusing
always being on the lookout for danger or warning signs
easily startled

Signs of PTSD in teens are similar to those in adults. But PTSD in children can look a little different. Younger kids can show more fearful and regressive behaviors. They may reenact the trauma through play.

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