I am having terrible flashbacks of the past which are

Question

I am having terrible flashbacks of the past which are fragmented in nature of
things I totally forgot. When I say forgot I mean it is like my life vanished
and it is coming back to me in pieces. It is creating great anxiety
[/topics-anxiety/].

Dr. Z · Accepted Answer

Dr. Z :

Hello I believe I can help you with your concern

Dr. Z :

I am so sorry that you are experiencing this, I can imagine how distressing this
must be for you

Dr. Z :

I would like to ask you a few questions, to get some more information, so that I
can better help you

Dr. Z :

May I ask for some details about the content of the flashbacks please?

Dr. Z :

Also when exactly did [/topics-did/] these "terrible flashbacks" start to occur?

Customer: They flashback began about nine months ago. The nature of the
flashbacks are short event from my childhood, teen and early twenties. I know
they are real events but for some reason am just remembering them. I
Dr. Z :

These events in the flashback, would you consider it good or bad?

Customer: Flashbacks are not good. I am left ith a thought of an episode as if a
person walks in, drops something in my lap, walks, out and closes a door.
Dr. Z :

Okay and you mentioned 9 months ago is when they started, did anything happen to
precipitate these flashbacks that you can think of? Stress [/topics-stress/]?
Unfortunate event recently happen to you?

Customer: Very stressful period work-related legal matter started to come to an
end with not a very fair ending, kids are moving out for school, day to day job
deals with homeless issues and a fear of the future starts to kick in. I fell
around that time and for about a week had to deal with two more episodes of
falling got a pretty bad bump on my head and went to my doctor who check me
over.
Dr. Z :

What did the doctor say when he/she checked you over? Did you have a brain scan
too?

Dr. Z :

Because sometimes seizures can cause these types of flashbacks and that is why I
am asking

Customer: No brain scan. Had no brain scan. Checked for broken bones and end up
having a bad sprain, bruises and a had problems with light. My daughter stayed
with me a few days and I took a couple of weeks off from work.
Dr. Z :

Okay well there a couple causes for these flashbacks. First off the flashbacks
are specifically called Involuntary Autobiographical memories. Since these
memories that you are having are not good, most likely they are related to a
traumatic period of your life. The injury to your head and the stress of your
life can cause a type of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder recurrence and the
flashbacks are actually repressed memories that your subconscious tried to bury
deep within your mind to protect your conscious.

Dr. Z :

Another possibility is that the injuries and falls were caused my mild seizure
activity in the brain that can trigger these types of flashbacks, a common
seizure disorder that can cause this is epilepsy.

Dr. Z :

I am leaning more toward the PTSD recurrent reaction because of the "not good"
nature of the flashbacks that you mentioned and the dissociation that you
experience while in a flashback episode.

Customer: It is not like a seizures. It is like I woke up. Heck I am in
Washington State and I once lived in Texas. I have two kids and no other family.
I just cannot explain it.
Dr. Z :

The head injuries could have caused damage to your long term memory center in
the brain and that is why you are having these involuntary autobiogrpahical
memories that are fragmented.

Dr. Z :

This is my most head injuries require a CT or MRI scan to rule out any Traumatic
Brain Injury [/topics-brain-injury/] (TBI).

Dr. Z :

Even the mildest of head injuries have been known to cause damage to the brain,
it just depends where the damage occurs in the brain, if there is any damage.

Customer: Okay then I will go with some of your reference on what it may be and
will attempt to find the necessary mental and or health assistance
Dr. Z :

Well I want to give you this great and thorough research article on the nature
of autobiographical memories that may shed some light for you.

Dr. Z :

http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/homepage/class/Psy394U/Bower/11%20Soc%20Cog%20Personality/XX%20Constr%20Life%20Stories/Autobio%20Mem-Conway.pdf
[http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/homepage/class/Psy394U/Bower/11%20Soc%20Cog%20Personality/XX%20Constr%20Life%20Stories/Autobio%20Mem-Conway.pdf]

Dr. Z :

Also what anxiety medications are you specifically taking?

I am having terrible flashbacks of the past which are

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