Flashbacks from being inpatient
 

Basically what the title says. I'm having a lot of difficulty with flashbacks from being an inpatient, how I felt and how I was treated and just the whole situation was really traumatizing for me. Even though it happened about a year and a half ago now.

It doesn't help that I have to go to the same building every few weeks (but now I do get a month break for over christmas at least) to see my psych.

Lately I've been very suicidal again and I think that may be triggering the flashbacks as I'm in a similiar place as to when I was last admitted.

I also get these from IP too. They are quite distressing. It helped me to talk through them with my therapist and try and make sense of why they did certain things. Do you have someone you can talk through things with?

Hi inblack,

I had the same thing happen to me for a long time since after I left hospital. For me it helped to write down how I was feeling, so I kept a journal to write my memories in. It helped me get them out of my head and then I felt like I could move on a bit. (Sometimes I think the memories kept coming back because I was worried on a level that I would forget what happened).

Have you discussed this feeling with your psych? They may be able to help you find ways to come to terms with the memories and give yourself some room to move on.

Also, I've found mindfulness and grounding into the present moment useful when I'm having hospital flashbacks - to remind me I'm not in hospital any more. So I focus on something in the present - like a toy, or a table, etc - and focus on it intently to bring myself into the present and distract from the memories.

I hope you're okay and able to help distract/ground from and also process these memories.

x

Got nothing useful to say but I get this a lot too. x

I struggle with this too. Well, it is getting easier and less of a struggle but still.

I find it hard to explain to people how things affected me so badly and often their response is simply 'it's in the past, you need to move on' which is true but feels insensitive and, well, I ask how? All those memories do not just disappear overnight.

I'm sorry I can't help other than to reassure you you are most definitely not alone. If you find talking it over with someone will help, that is something to try.

Take care. :)

I thought I was silly for having these but seeing that others have them makes me feel that tiny bit better.

I feel a lot of anger about being sectioned and being an in-patient, this was a year ago. I agree, you can't just "forget it because it's in the past" but as time is going on i'm thinking about it a little less. Was there anything positive at all about this time?

Thanks everyone. I do have a psychiatrist I can talk to about it. I'll be seeing her in a months time so I guess I'll bring it up then.

I do feel better not being the only one.