Flashbacks

@Sydrid hi Bonnie, my names Lola💗 welcome to our cups family 💗 trauma in all it's forms is so hard to deal with 🙁 the mental impact from it really does take it's toll😥 and flashbacks are terrifying, I'm sorry your dealing with all this too. What helps me is music, I play constant music all day and night, it helps me drown out the voices. A bit of self care and remembering what I'm grateful for helps, doing the little things that make me smile. But most of all this site helps me the most. I really hope this site helps you out alot too 💗gives you a giant tiny hug 💗 right here for you💗

@Sydrid

Hey, first of all, I just want to say I see you. What you're feeling is real, and it's valid. Trauma has a way of embedding itself so deeply that even when we're "out" of the cycle, it can still feel like we're trapped in it. The brain is always trying to make sense of things, to find meaning or logic in experiences that were never fair or deserved in the first place.  

I know that frozen feeling all too well the way the past can creep up and wrap around you, making it hard to move, to think, to be And the exhaustion that follows? It’s crushing. It makes even the smallest tasks feel impossible. But you’re not alone in this. You are not broken for struggling.  

For me, when I feel stuck in that place, I try to remind myself that my thoughts are not my reality. They’re echoes of a past that I survived. Some days, grounding techniques help holding something cold, focusing on deep breathing, naming things I can see, hear, and touch. Other days, I just need to let myself rest without guilt. Burnout from trauma is real, and healing isn’t about forcing yourself to “move on” but learning how to exist with the past without letting it consume you.  

If flashbacks are pulling you under, maybe try journaling not necessarily to analyze, but just to let the weight of those thoughts out of your head. Sometimes, I’ll also put on music, a podcast, or a show that feels safe to help pull me out of that spiral. And on the worst days, I remind myself of one truth: have survived 100% of my hardest days And so have you.  

You are doing so much better than you think. Keep reaching out, keep taking it one step at a time. You’re not alone in this. And you deserve peace.

Thank you so much for this response! Screenshotted and saved for present and future reference. Your in-depth advice truly resonated with me. I see you too :)