Flashbacks out of basically nowhere.

Hey @florencefifty

It sounds so incredibly jarring when a simple, mundane thought, like a chocolate bar, becomes a trapdoor into a very difficult past. Please know that you are not alone in feeling blindsided by this; our brains tend to store memories of survival and crisis in sensory folders (like smell, taste, and sound) that bypass our logic completely 💚

I wanted to offer some suggestions on things that might help at this moment.

• It can really help sometimes to tell yourself, "My brain found a link between a snack and a memory. I am acknowledging that the memory is really heavy, but right now I am in a safe place, and it is no longer that night."
• Since the memory is pulling you back to another city and another time, try to anchor yourself. Focus on the weight of your blankets, the sound of a fan, or even just the temperature of your room.
• If the replay loop just won't stop, you can always try to name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. It forces your brain to prioritise your current environment over the internal replay.

The fact that it started so innocuously doesn't make its impact any less real. Be gentle with yourself tonight. You've come such a long way from that street, and while the memory is loud right now, you are physically safe and in a different chapter of your life 💚