Hello and good morning @Bunniekins @TAB @Ant7 and hope it's starting gently for you all.
Hi @cutiepiekitty so sorry to hear what you've been going through the last couple of days. It's no wonder you have been triggered and flooded by past events in the circumstances. I'm glad the pool offered you some support - they have a duty of care in the situation, but I feel you needing more support offline if you can possibly find it. Help lines will be open soon this morning and I'm hoping you've managed some sleep since posting.
I have complex PTSD and can deeply understand (I think) how you're feeling. Can you bring your psychologist ap't forward, or email them and tell them what's happening. Flashbacks are awful and people who tell you to get over it have no clue - some things change us forever. But that doesn't mean the flashbacks will last forever. I'm doing EMDR therapy with my current psychologist and for me it's really working to make memories much less likely to cause me to relive the event, and able to rationalise that I'm safe now and the event is in the past. Triggers happen less often and are less intense when they do, my feelings calm down much faster. This is after many years with other psychologists who basically just kept me in a holding pattern and safe from danger but I made no such progress as I am doing now. You might like to google EMDR or ask your pdoc about it. There is also a med I'm on that reduces night time flashbacks and nightmares, and particularly night panics, that you could ask your psychiatrist about. It reduces adrenalin response. It has also worked very well for me.
Sending my strongest wishes that you find some relief and that your self-care activities (like the colouring which I also do) are working for you. And when things get vivid remember to breathe, long slow and deep, it does help calm you in my experience. Thinking of you and sending deep care xx
