Flashbacks are defined as the memories of past traumas.  A flashback is often a memory that was repressed in order to promote the survival of the individual.  When a person experiences a flashback the flashback may take the form of pictures, sounds, smells, body sensations, overwhelming feelings or lack of feelings.  Flashbacks can occur in waking life or in dreams.  Flashbacks are terrifying because they feel real.  It’s as if the abuse is happening all over again.

The first step in dealing with a flashback is to get to a safe place.  Once you are there please consider the following:

Remind yourself:

• That you are having a flashback, the abuse is over.
• That the abuse is over and that now is the time you can safely express everything you were forced to repress in the past.
• That you are no longer a child.  You may want to say how old you are out loud.
• That your inner child is hurting.   Allow your inner adult to comfort your inner child.
• That you are safe, you are not in danger.
• That flashbacks are a normal part of the healing process – you are not going crazy. 
• That this too shall pass.

Imagine:

• The flashback is occurring on a television set and that you are able to adjust the sound, the color and if you should decide to turn it off you can.
• The flashback is a movie that can be rewound, paused, fast forwarded, played or stopped completely. 

Return to the present time and moment:

• Look around you.  Open your eyes.  What do you see?  Open your ears.  What do you hear?  What are you touching?  What can you smell?  Use your five senses to reconnect to the present.
• Hold an ice cube
• Blink hard and fast
• Stomp your feet and feel them on the ground.
• Breathe.  Focus on your breath. 

When the flashback is over you may want to record the experience on paper and ask yourself:

• Is there anything left to see? 
• What (if anything) triggered this flashback?
• How did I cope with this flashback?  Was the coping effective?