How I Was Taught to Deal with Flashbacks When in the Middle of One

PTSD can really knock the wind out of you at times.

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I was in a year and a half, yes you read that right, of specialized trauma therapy when I lived in Florida. Every Tuesday at 11 am Amy and I would be in her office working on a variety of issues. At one point I began having major flashbacks. Not the fleeting thought kind. The kind that could last for hours. “Thankfully”, they seemed to happen more at night while I was trying to sleep. Being knocked out is usually the best way for your brain to get some much-needed work done while you’re out of your own way. Amy had a tapestry hanging on the way in her office. She had me stand in front of it and describe it in detail. It went something like this.

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I see a silver chicken’s foot.

I see a dark-colored vaping pen.

I see a blue ink pen.

I see several seashells — one yellow, one blue, one clear.

I see the triangle from an Ouija board.

I see a pincushion.