Thank you ❤️. It makes such a difference, to watch videos like this, to actually feel validated for these experiences, rather than ashamed or guilty, weak, bad, stupid, or "just making it up or imagining it", as they would say, for having these experiences. Learning not to feel ashamed for being you...and accepting the anger as well, which sometime even surprises me...the amount of anger I find, sometimes...so much anger, it feels crazy, because I feel like they stole part of my soul, and part of my life I can't get back; and it feels like even though they are not here in my life now, they still control me. However, I know the true power lies in me, and only me... it's just so damn hard... to face sometimes.... because it's so easy to just turn to tranquillisers or anything to numb it. But everyday is a new day, and a learning curve, and I'm thankful for the things that life has taught me, and the blessings it brought me and allowed me to experience, through the rain... Thankful for my blessings, always. 🌹
Wow the 2’s exercise is amazing! Thank you so much as I’ve done lots of CBT therapy for my Complex PTSD and Panic disorder due to longterm Narcissistic abuse during my violent childhood and subsequent marriage to a medically diagnosed Narcopath and have never been taught this grounding method. I’m battling severe panic attacks again almost daily and will try the 2’s exercise next time I feel panicked. God Bless you for your kind, wise and understanding approach to treating the aftermath of childhood abuse and trauma.
@@Serenityonlinetherapy Thank you so much for your well wishes. I finally think I am ready to face my traumatic past and really do the hard work to heal my inner wounded child. It’s been a long time coming but I’m feeling really positive now that I can use your excellent approach. You are a wonderful teacher and made me feel safe immediately. Thank you again!
I'm only using this info for a story to ensure I properly write a character with memory issues. This is a very informative video, I'm very glad that someone with so much professional experience is putting videos on here.
I have flashbacks.. Where I'm stuck in my 2yr old body. I was raped from 2 to 16. I get what you are saying about the other triggers I experience that too. But I can be sitting on the couch or laying on the bed reading or watching tv and suddenly I'm back in the old house in my small body and when it's over my body feels like it was physically raped again. The identifying two things doesn't help when I'm stuck in the old house in my lil body.. So the movie flashbacks do happen please tell me how to stop it but don't tell me they don't exist.. Here is what I wrote about it An Unprotected Heart I often wonder what the first memory of others are, and how often does it cross their minds. My first memory was when I was two. Its clear as if it were yesterday. Unfortunately it does not roam my thoughts like a memory. I am not sure what triggers it. I have my suspicions. But suddenly I will be trapped inside my 2yr old body unable to escape. I have today's mind yet I'm stuck in my small body confused by the pain I feel. Im in the old house in Green Valley. I can see the arch way and the old paint peeling off the wall. I can feel the old bedspread underneath me, the kind that had the burned out patterns. At that age I didnt understand sex. I only know it feels like my lower back is breaking and that my ribs are being pulled forward like they are going to break in two. I dont care what anyone thinks I didn't fully understand death, but my thoughts were "Im dying.. why am I dying ..I don't want to die". The fearful thoughts of dying are finally broken when I see his arm come across my vision. He reaches for the small black and white television at the foot of the bed. He turns the volume up. At that point I escape the flashback, I escape my two yr old body and I lay there for hours in the lingering pain that I know shouldn't exist.. I mean I'm fine right .. laying in my bed safely.. how can the past still hurt me? Why does my body feel the unbearable pressure and pain as if the rape just happened again? This sadly is my first memory. The start of my conscious identity. Who I am and who I will become. The memory .. or flashback.. or reliving hell, whatever term fits that haunts me more times than I want it to. The first of many unprotected and broken heart experiences to come.
@@ava198 Hi, Ava. What a powerful, powerful description of your flashbacks to being sexually abused at a very young age. It takes a lot of courage to share such experiences, but it also can be healing to do so. Now, to answer your question, you can't just use willpower to make flashbacks go away. They are triggered in a knee-jerk fashion and then wash over you, taking your mind and body back to your child self. Learning to recognize flashbacks for what they are - implicit memories of past trauma - and then learning grounding techniques to bring your mind and body back to the present moment is a practice that will help diminish the flashbacks over time, but they may never go away completely. What can happen, though, is that you can get very skilled at recognizing them, managing them, and returning to the here and now efficiently. Here is a brief article that outlines ways to learn to cope with flashbacks: www.realwarriors.net/ptsd/coping-flashbacks I wish you the best
Thanks for the concise and calming explanation. I'm mostly having flashbacks of past mostakes and grief over losing those that I loved. From the video, I gather that I have an implicit memories. Somehow, it keeps on recurring every other day and it's vivid. Hopefully this method will work.
I am a powerful adult and can take care of myself. I needed to hear this. When I see families together it puts me back to my narcisstic parents and now I have narcisstic adult kids so I cant get the closeness I crave. But yes being an adult I can reach out and find other caring people.
Flash back of the day ...... I went from me & my son being photographed by the photographer of the royal family & sun newspaper , having our make up done in this front room by a make up artist , winning a scholarship & making a career & future for us , when we moved here ....... to all those photos & work memories & education stolen & destroyed , to years later from consistent continued traumas & adversity, to then having my photos taken here to be a slave. I really did go from having real dreams to real nightmares ..... to me & my son just about having a few clothes left ...... just thought I would share my flashbacks & my very real reality today.
This is amazing! Just what I am needing. It's so clear about what is going on, how to recognize it, and how to start processing it. Thank you so so much!
Great video! Not only does it give me tools for my implicit flashbacks... I also run into therapists who assume every flashback is explicit. How to explain it to them? With this video :)
I've struggled with flashbacks, and I have been able to piece together that I was sexually abused by a family member and other people starting as early as 2 years old. Flashbacks are so scary, and this information is helpful so I can understand what I am experiencing.
Hi, Celeste. I'm glad my video was helpful. Learning to recognize and manage flashbacks along with learning and practicing good self-care will allow you to escape the prison of an abuse childhood. Best wishes!
On January the 4th 2022 I arrived home and opened the door to a face full of black smoke and fire I threw my 2 toddlers in the car and tried 7/8 times to get into the house to save my dog 🐕 I couldn't find him and sadly he passed away from smoke inhalation we lost everything and everytime I hear a high pitched noise I get flash backs of being in the burning house trying to find my beautiful boy I go stiff and my heart feels like it is going to break through my chest I shake and feel fear like I am glued to the floor and can't move I feel tremendous guilt that I couldn't save milo he was found in his bed curled up like he was sleeping we buried him in my mother in laws garden I visit him every morning I just feel so so broken I am trying to be strong for my daughters and husband but I feel like i need to scream and just let it all out
I experience implicit flashbacks way too often... One can say something innocent and I get angry at them or it saddens me to shit because of the flashbacks...
What if you have gone through years of therapy and work. You can identify the trigger, you know how to REACT in the situation... But once alone you break down and cry for ages because the thing that triggered you was from a narcissist who just wanted to be controlling and even at the age of 52 you are still unable to deal with this internally? I can react appropriately in front of others... but I will end up by myself at some point or in my dreams reliving the past and wake up panicked or crying.
Healing from trauma is a process that takes time, patience, and practice. The nightmares and tears are part of the process. They are ways of relieving stress and healing a wounded brain. If you think about it, I'm sure you have made progress with all the therapy and practice over the years in coping with such pain. One thought is this: is it possible you are still putting yourself in toxic situations which might be why you are still triggered so much? I wish you the best.
@@Serenityonlinetherapy how is this helpful? And what if she is? Do you recognize she's asking for deeper help? I'm 34 and diagnosed as BPD and was radically introduced to the truth of what this all is, me experiencing myself through the vast world pushed out through my mind. That alone will make somebody want to put a gun to their fucking head. My sister just killed herself. Last month 6 months after her birthday. I'm 18 years older than her. We come from an extremely broken family with a horrific past. No types of therapy help. Throwing me in asylums and putting me on medication doesn't help. Is suppresses me more. Why wouldn't you think that we are putting ourselves in toxic situations? And don't you think we've actually sit and cried and can't stop crying over that? I'm just not understanding how you can say that and then wish somebody the best. I'm really not understanding the logic behind yours.
this is helpful. i had ptsd for 17 yrs. had been a normal healthy girl and everything changed when i was 19 w ptsd symptoms. my dad raised us and he had serious ptsd and raged daily. it messed even the strongest smartest of the children up. all today are addicted and briken. i am the only girl and the only one who sought help. sad.
![Digital Circus Episode 4 [TRAILER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/abZtsmMUbJo/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you ❤️. It makes such a difference, to watch videos like this, to actually feel validated for these experiences, rather than ashamed or guilty, weak, bad, stupid, or "just making it up or imagining it", as they would say, for having these experiences. Learning not to feel ashamed for being you...and accepting the anger as well, which sometime even surprises me...the amount of anger I find, sometimes...so much anger, it feels crazy, because I feel like they stole part of my soul, and part of my life I can't get back; and it feels like even though they are not here in my life now, they still control me. However, I know the true power lies in me, and only me... it's just so damn hard... to face sometimes.... because it's so easy to just turn to tranquillisers or anything to numb it. But everyday is a new day, and a learning curve, and I'm thankful for the things that life has taught me, and the blessings it brought me and allowed me to experience, through the rain... Thankful for my blessings, always. 🌹
Joanne Campbell. You're very welcome. Best wishes on your journey to healing and recovery!
Joanne Campbell your comment was therapy in itself additional to the video. love you and love the video
Joanne Campbell
🙏🏻👍🏻❤️😔
Wow the 2’s exercise is amazing! Thank you so much as I’ve done lots of CBT therapy for my Complex PTSD and Panic disorder due to longterm Narcissistic abuse during my violent childhood and subsequent marriage to a medically diagnosed Narcopath and have never been taught this grounding method. I’m battling severe panic attacks again almost daily and will try the 2’s exercise next time I feel panicked. God Bless you for your kind, wise and understanding approach to treating the aftermath of childhood abuse and trauma.
You're welcome. I wish you the best in your recovery.
@@Serenityonlinetherapy Thank you so much for your well wishes. I finally think I am ready to face my traumatic past and really do the hard work to heal my inner wounded child. It’s been a long time coming but I’m feeling really positive now that I can use your excellent approach. You are a wonderful teacher and made me feel safe immediately. Thank you again!
@@prettypuppy6752 You're welcome!
I'm only using this info for a story to ensure I properly write a character with memory issues. This is a very informative video, I'm very glad that someone with so much professional experience is putting videos on here.
I'm really happy to hear that you want to portay a person as accurately as you can.
I'm glad my video was helpful. Best wishes!
I have flashbacks.. Where I'm stuck in my 2yr old body. I was raped from 2 to 16. I get what you are saying about the other triggers I experience that too. But I can be sitting on the couch or laying on the bed reading or watching tv and suddenly I'm back in the old house in my small body and when it's over my body feels like it was physically raped again. The identifying two things doesn't help when I'm stuck in the old house in my lil body.. So the movie flashbacks do happen please tell me how to stop it but don't tell me they don't exist.. Here is what I wrote about it
An Unprotected Heart
I often wonder what the first memory of others are, and how often does it cross their minds.
My first memory was when I was two. Its clear as if it were yesterday. Unfortunately it does not roam my thoughts like a memory. I am not sure what triggers it. I have my suspicions.
But suddenly I will be trapped inside my 2yr old body unable to escape. I have today's mind yet I'm stuck in my small body confused by the pain I feel. Im in the old house in Green Valley. I can see the arch way and the old paint peeling off the wall. I can feel the old bedspread underneath me, the kind that had the burned out patterns.
At that age I didnt understand sex. I only know it feels like my lower back is breaking and that my ribs are being pulled forward like they are going to break in two. I dont care what anyone thinks I didn't fully understand death, but my thoughts were "Im dying.. why am I dying ..I don't want to die".
The fearful thoughts of dying are finally broken when I see his arm come across my vision. He reaches for the small black and white television at the foot of the bed. He turns the volume up. At that point I escape the flashback, I escape my two yr old body and I lay there for hours in the lingering pain that I know shouldn't exist.. I mean I'm fine right .. laying in my bed safely.. how can the past still hurt me? Why does my body feel the unbearable pressure and pain as if the rape just happened again?
This sadly is my first memory. The start of my conscious identity. Who I am and who I will become. The memory .. or flashback.. or reliving hell, whatever term fits that haunts me more times than I want it to. The first of many unprotected and broken heart experiences to come.
@@ava198 Hi, Ava. What a powerful, powerful description of your flashbacks to being sexually abused at a very young age. It takes a lot of courage to share such experiences, but it also can be healing to do so. Now, to answer your question, you can't just use willpower to make flashbacks go away. They are triggered in a knee-jerk fashion and then wash over you, taking your mind and body back to your child self. Learning to recognize flashbacks for what they are - implicit memories of past trauma - and then learning grounding techniques to bring your mind and body back to the present moment is a practice that will help diminish the flashbacks over time, but they may never go away completely. What can happen, though, is that you can get very skilled at recognizing them, managing them, and returning to the here and now efficiently. Here is a brief article that outlines ways to learn to cope with flashbacks: www.realwarriors.net/ptsd/coping-flashbacks I wish you the best
Thanks for the concise and calming explanation. I'm mostly having flashbacks of past mostakes and grief over losing those that I loved. From the video, I gather that I have an implicit memories. Somehow, it keeps on recurring every other day and it's vivid. Hopefully this method will work.
Practicing mindfulness will help with this as well. Here is the link to my Mindfulness Playlist: ruclips.net/p/PL_wjG-62KkusrRNsHeH_E0x9dux8c6eBp
I am a powerful adult and can take care of myself. I needed to hear this. When I see families together it puts me back to my narcisstic parents and now I have narcisstic adult kids so I cant get the closeness I crave. But yes being an adult I can reach out and find other caring people.
The distinction between explicit and implicit memories is really helpful. Thank you.
You're welcome, Cassie! Best
Wishes!
Flash back of the day ......
I went from me & my son being photographed by the photographer of the royal family & sun newspaper , having our make up done in this front room by a make up artist , winning a scholarship & making a career & future for us , when we moved here ....... to all those photos & work memories & education stolen & destroyed , to years later from consistent continued traumas & adversity, to then having my photos taken here to be a slave.
I really did go from having real dreams to real nightmares ..... to me & my son just about having a few clothes left ......
just thought I would share my flashbacks & my very real reality today.
This is one of the best explanations of flashbacks on RUclips.
Thank you! I wish you the best.
Wow. I thought I was the only one who had a father like this....
Sadly no 😔
This is amazing! Just what I am needing. It's so clear about what is going on, how to recognize it, and how to start processing it. Thank you so so much!
You're very welcome! Best wishes for your healing and growth!
Yet another fantastic video, thank you. You explain so much, so clearly.
+Janis Deitsch Thank you, Janis! I'm glad you enjoy my videos.
I am glad you found my video helpful. Thank you for your kind feedback. Best wishes!
Great video! Not only does it give me tools for my implicit flashbacks... I also run into therapists who assume every flashback is explicit. How to explain it to them? With this video :)
I've struggled with flashbacks, and I have been able to piece together that I was sexually abused by a family member and other people starting as early as 2 years old. Flashbacks are so scary, and this information is helpful so I can understand what I am experiencing.
Hi, Celeste. I'm glad my video was helpful. Learning to recognize and manage flashbacks along with learning and practicing good self-care will allow you to escape the prison of an abuse childhood. Best wishes!
this really helped me gain some understanding to the things i feel on a regular basis
Perfectly coincides with what I theorized about this by just observing myself.
Nice observation and awareness!
Very good tips! A concisely accurate explanation of flashbacks also. Thank you, God bless
You're welcome! Best wishes!
The best one yet. Love to you Counselor Carl
Thank you so much!
This is excellent advice and I am applying it to my life. It really helps. Thank you Counselor Carl.
Brilliant video! Helped the fear of my flashback lessen.
Thank you! I'm glad my video helped!
Thank you
You're welcome, Paola! Best wishes!
Thanks for sharing Carl 😊
You're welcome!
Thankyou for sharing 👍🏻🙏🏻❤️
You're welcome!
Great video. Thank you.
You're welcome!
On January the 4th 2022 I arrived home and opened the door to a face full of black smoke and fire I threw my 2 toddlers in the car and tried 7/8 times to get into the house to save my dog 🐕 I couldn't find him and sadly he passed away from smoke inhalation we lost everything and everytime I hear a high pitched noise I get flash backs of being in the burning house trying to find my beautiful boy I go stiff and my heart feels like it is going to break through my chest I shake and feel fear like I am glued to the floor and can't move I feel tremendous guilt that I couldn't save milo he was found in his bed curled up like he was sleeping we buried him in my mother in laws garden I visit him every morning I just feel so so broken I am trying to be strong for my daughters and husband but I feel like i need to scream and just let it all out
Hi, Tasha. I am so sorry for the loss of your beloved Milo and the tragedy and trauma you and your family experienced.
I experience implicit flashbacks way too often... One can say something innocent and I get angry at them or it saddens me to shit because of the flashbacks...
What if you have gone through years of therapy and work. You can identify the trigger, you know how to REACT in the situation... But once alone you break down and cry for ages because the thing that triggered you was from a narcissist who just wanted to be controlling and even at the age of 52 you are still unable to deal with this internally? I can react appropriately in front of others... but I will end up by myself at some point or in my dreams reliving the past and wake up panicked or crying.
Healing from trauma is a process that takes time, patience, and practice. The nightmares and tears are part of the process. They are ways of relieving stress and healing a wounded brain. If you think about it, I'm sure you have made progress with all the therapy and practice over the years in coping with such pain. One thought is this: is it possible you are still putting yourself in toxic situations which might be why you are still triggered so much? I wish you the best.
@@Serenityonlinetherapy how is this helpful? And what if she is? Do you recognize she's asking for deeper help? I'm 34 and diagnosed as BPD and was radically introduced to the truth of what this all is, me experiencing myself through the vast world pushed out through my mind. That alone will make somebody want to put a gun to their fucking head. My sister just killed herself. Last month 6 months after her birthday. I'm 18 years older than her. We come from an extremely broken family with a horrific past. No types of therapy help. Throwing me in asylums and putting me on medication doesn't help. Is suppresses me more. Why wouldn't you think that we are putting ourselves in toxic situations? And don't you think we've actually sit and cried and can't stop crying over that? I'm just not understanding how you can say that and then wish somebody the best. I'm really not understanding the logic behind yours.
thank you so much very helpful
You're welcome! Best wishes!
Thank you so much... 😢💗
You're weclome!
Thank you this helps so much.
You're welcome! Best wishes!
i have problems with these from my wives narcissistic abuse thanks carl
+Mark Edwards You're welcome!
It's terrible every day
love this
Kelly Sunflower Thank you!
this is helpful. i had ptsd for 17 yrs. had been a normal healthy girl and everything changed when i was 19 w ptsd symptoms. my dad raised us and he had serious ptsd and raged daily. it messed even the strongest smartest of the children up. all today are addicted and briken. i am the only girl and the only one who sought help. sad.
Kelly Sunflower Good for you! Best wishes on your road to recovery!
This happens quite a bit
Good advice. Take this advice with a Joint and a Xanax and you'll be good to go. Promise!
There are better ways to cope and heal than a "Joint and a Xanax," although they may have their utility at times. Best wishes!
Thank you
You're welcome, Hanna!