Remembering is like

[MakersDozn]

(Includes a description of how we experience flashbacks.)

We'd always thought of flashbacks as full-blown re-experiencing of the memory to the point where the person loses all physical, and cognitive sense of the present. Since this never happens to us, we assumed that we've never had flashbacks.

Not too long ago, while online, we ran across the term "emotional flashback." More recently, we ran across the term "emotional truth." We've always understood that people often retain memories as emotional truth even if the facts become unclear.

But it didn't occur to us until recently that emotional flashbacks were just as legitimate as emotion-based memory retention. We never made the connection between retained emotions and present-day recollection of those emotions. Nor did we realize the impact on emotion-based memories on how we function in the present day.

The flashbacks we do have are emotion-based. We retain a cognitive connection with the here-and-now but become overwhelmed by the re-emergence of stored emotions. It's like a panic attack in intensity, but without the sense of imminent danger. And it feels like an endless loop.

One of the things that's helping us is to validate our emotional truth, both past and present, and being open to letting go of reaction patterns that are no longer helpful to us. It's a long road, but we're doing what we can to move forward.

Charity (with Mary helping)