As we enter another week of uncertainty and anxiety around the COVID-19 pandemic, it might be helpful to know about the concept of Emotional Flashbacks, a psychological phenomenon that seems to be affecting many of us.

A thread

Emotional flashbacks are “intensely disturbing regressions [‘amygdala hijackings’] to overwhelming feeling-states,” often originating in childhood.

It’s when your is transported to unsafe, traumatic times, even if *intellectually,* you know you’re not actually threatened now.

Being stuck in an emotional flashback can bring up intense fear, panic, shame, depression, etc.

You feel small, vulnerable, and helpless. All that effort/years spent building a life seem to get washed away as you feel trapped, forced to re-live the worst moments of your past.

I’ve noticed a lot of friends/tweets talking about elements of this lately.

The pandemic is surfacing a lot of old experiences, e.g. oppressive boredom/loneliness, neglect/abandonment, and abuse.

But flashbacks CAN be managed, here’s how:

First, recognize the signs and say to yourself, “I am having a flashback.”

Acknowledge the feeling, (“I feel afraid”) and ground yourself (“... but I am actually safe. I am in the present, not trapped in my past”).

Remind yourself that you’re an adult now, and that you have far more capabilities, resources, and power – to draw boundaries, protect yourself, have control of your own life.

That’s cause for celebration & gratitude

Ease back into your body. Try to relax, take deep breaths, find comfort in a soft blanket, etc.

Be patient with yourself. Recovery takes time (even in “normal” times), and experiencing flashbacks doesn’t mean there’s anything “wrong” with you.

Lastly, lean on your support networks. Shame makes it difficult to reach out, but there will always be someone to help.

(Therapy, if it’s available to you, is of course another great resource.)

We don’t know how much longer this pandemic will last, and can’t even begin to estimate the mental health impact of the global population.

In the meantime, we can be kinder and gentler, to others & ourselves. Hopefully, learning to recognize and process flashbacks will help

The above is adapted from “Complex PTSD” by Pete Walker, Chapter 8, “Managing Emotional Flashbacks”

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