There May Be More Going on Than You Realize
Sometimes you may have an emotional reaction that you don’t understand. You might suddenly feel anxious, without knowing why. Or you might find yourself enraged in a situation that doesn’t call for such an extreme feeling. Or you may find yourself sobbing in a situation and feel embarrassed, not knowing why that emotion came on so strongly. What's going on in these situations?
You're Having a Flashback
When someone has experienced a situation so traumatic that they have had to dissociate (and have amnesia for it), a stimulus that is reminiscent of the original threat, such as a certain sight or sound, will evoke an emotional reaction as though they are back in that moment.
A Full Flashback
Sometimes a person will have a full flashback; that is, it is though they are totally back in that moment. He is back in Vietnam, the bullets are flying around him, and he is terrified.
A Partial Flashback
More commonly, a person experiences a partial flashback. Partial flashbacks may consist of sensory aspects of the trauma. One person may see the scene of her rape; another may hear the sound of an explosion. And often the reaction is limited just to the feeling that one felt during the trauma.
For instance, when I worked in a VA clinic there were occasions when a party was held with decorations that included balloons. But we were careful never to pop a balloon. That sound would have triggered flashbacks for some of our patients, and they would have felt terrified. And a friend of mine, a veteran, found himself anxious and sweating at a July 4th celebration with fireworks. He figured out later that he had been having a flashback.
Rage As a Partial Flashback
What about the person who feels rage out of proportion to the situation, such as those who experience road rage? Surely, rage is an exaggerated response to a situation of inconvenience while driving. It is an expression of aggression, which is a response to a threat. It occurs when a stimulus resembles a previous threat that has been dissociated.
Sadness as a Partial Flashback
I remember a woman who inexplicably began sobbing during a movie and had to get up and leave. The movie triggered an emotional response that seemed far too intense for the scene itself. Something in the film—perhaps the music, the lighting, or a facial expression—had evoked her exaggerated response because it was associatively related to an earlier loss that had been so traumatic that she had to dissociate and develop amnesia for it.
Your Inner Guide Can Help
If you realize that your reaction to a situation is exaggerated, you can ask your Inner Guide whether it is a flashback. And if you don't understand that you reaction was exaggerated, your Inner Guide can let you know what is happening. Realizing the source of your distress and understanding that it is a reaction to a past event, will cause it to abate. If you don't yet have an Inner Guide, I will soon be offering a way for you to acquire one.
