Does everyone with PTSD have flashbacks?

[Alicat]

Just wondering cos I have most of the other symptoms but not the flashbacks. Things remind me of the situation and I feel sick and extremely anxious. I avoid the oncology ward I was on and the sounds of the lift makes me feel terrible.

I get anxious sometimes when sitting in my kitchen (where I overdosed)

[eternally optimistic]

Hi Ali

I am fortunate that I dont get flashbacks, my mind has blocked that one good and proper. Not sure if that is good or bad.

I am sorry you are suffering at the moment.

Have you had any help from your GP, counselling or taking some controlled meds?

Hope you start to feel good soon.

Take care.

[Alicat]

Thanks Jackie.

Well, after it first happened I paid to see a counselling psychologist. I didn't get much help otherwise but that might be because I'm good at pretending I'm ok. She stopped private work over a year ago so I haven't seen her for about 1.5 years. I did see a counsellor over summer. It helped temporarily but I need more. I also did a mindfulness course last February but I think that's more for people who are over depression.

My last GP surgery were hopeless. Not just my opinion, lots of people I know say the same. I went to talk to one dr when I had bad anxiety and she said 'it's ok because you're going on holiday at the end of the month' and then gave me a 'coping with anxiety' booklet. Not helpful seeing as I've read so much and I'm actually training to be a counsellor!!

Anyway, I changed dr's surgery last June and I recently went to see one of the drs there and spoke to her about it. She was absolutely brilliant and has referred to IAPT to see a psychologist. I saw my GP the other day and he asked me if I wanted to go on medication and I said I'd think about it.

I was on medication after surgery but weened myself off it a couple of years ago when I was ok.

Are you on medication?

Thanks for replying.

[annette1]

Hi Alicat
I was diagnosed with ptsd 3yrs ago & have just completed 2yrs of trauma therapy, although my psychologist was excellent she did persuade me to take meds to help with my anxiety an to help me through therapy. As she explained there is no point in suffering if you dont have to. Try to see taking meds as something your body needs like a diabetic. I was very reluctant at the time but now i understand the value of them.

In saying all that meds do need to be used in conjunction with good trauma therapy, the meds do help you to keep your anxiety undercontrol. Before therapy & meds i was just running out of control, feeling like life wasn't worth living, therapy is incredibly hard but very worth the effort, I am in recovery now & life is so much better.

I wish you well & hope you can get some professional help soon.

[zo3096]

No I dont think so as I have been diagnosed with PTSD but do not have flashbacks - I have every other symptom in abundance.

I have too been counselling now since October (too scared to take the meds) but have never heard of trauma therapy. What is it and how do you get referred for it?

[Alicat]

Thanks everyone.

I have had quite a bit of counselling, but I think I needed to stick with a pscyhologist rather than a counsellor. Counselling has its place but not for mental health issues such as PTSD.

I am going to ask my GP about medication but I'm just scared after a bad experience with Citalopram. I tried it when I was in hospital, couldn't cope with the side effects so they took me off after a week. They denied that I was having withdrawl symptoms becaue 'they weren't in my system'. Well, they obviously were to have been giving me the side effects in the first place!! :doh:After that I had a week of severe anxiety, blurred vision, shakes and panic attacks. :ohmy:

[annette1]

I quite agree with you Alicat, there is a huge difference between a counselling & psychologist.
My counselor was lovely, a good listener & gave me some coping strategies to manage my panic attacks but after 6mths she reailised my problem was more than depression & she suggested I go for more intense therapy.
Working through my traumas with my psychologist has been very hard, she delved much deeper into my symptoms & past getting to the root cause of them. Initially i was afraid of doing this but her support, understanding & the safety i felt in her company kept me going. We used an eclectic approach to trauma therapy, emdr, talking, focusing & exposure therapies, changing them as we broke through some barriers & new material surfaced.

To anyone with PTSD, when you feel ready please try trauma therapy it really has been life changing for me.

[iNurtureTheOdd]

More than actual visual flashbacks (even though I do have those), I have body memories, which means my body remembers (flashes back) without my mind necessarily being aware. So, I will feel certain horrible physical symptoms that for a long time made me so scared that I was deathly ill or something, but after a lot of therapy, and medical tests to rule out anything physical, I came to understand that these body memories were a form of flahsbacks.

Hope that makes sense. :)

[Alicat]

Thank you!

[FRANKIEISBACK]

I get flashbacks and intrusive thoughts

[playman44]

hi, my hole body can have all the physical symptoms of dying ,without dying,causing terrible panic and anxiety, not on meds yet but i am thinking of it