Flashbacks

[chloe40]

I'm still having flashbacks of my time in ICU, even though I have been home 4months now. It can happen at anytime during the day and especially when I get into bed at night.

Please can you suggest anything to rid these awful feelings.

Chloe

[Sepsur]

you may need some professional help - EMDR & CBT therapies are very effective treatments for things like trauma flashbacks & PTSD - why not join a support group too - there is nothing like talking with others who have experienced the same 😊

[chloe40 in reply to Sepsur]

Thank you so much for your reply.

I have just received an appointment to see the ICU psychologist, several weeks late, but I really don't feel I want to go through the nightmare again and feel it will only prolong the problem.

Many thanks

Chloe

[Sepsur in reply to chloe40]

have you asked to visit your ICU - it helps to chase those ghouls out of the shadows - well it did in my case

[Back_to_reality in reply to Sepsur]

Yes, visiting my bed helped me. I was able to see the real life objects and compare them with what I thought I was seeing.

I still get flashbacks two years on. They're now infrequent and manageable.

Read through the different threads here. Different people have different ways of dealing with it. Personally I found therapy useless and found that dealing with those flashbacks as they occurred was most effective. It wasn't easy and there were many sleepless nights but I've been mostly able to stitch my mind back together.

There are still a few breaks there hence the infrequent flashbacks and I still have nightmares but those aren't related to what I witnessed at the time. Probably just stress.

[chloe40 in reply to Back_to_reality]

Thank you for your reply Back_to_reality

Its really helps me feel less alone.

I was isolated for the period I was admitted and also admitted twice more, again in isolation, so its been really traumatic at times.

[chloe40 in reply to Sepsur]

The thoughts of that really turn my stomach

[CLM68 in reply to chloe40]

I found the ICU therapist assigned to me really helpful as they were able to help me understand certain things linked to my coma. I also found going back to the ICU helped me to put things into perspective and understand what actually happened to me. You have only recently left ICU and your mind and body will take time to recover, how long varies from person to person. I am 8 years after my stay and if I get too tired then I can have flashbacks. Certain noises can still act as triggers but this is all vary rare now. I also found things to distract me, especially at night, the best for me was having a kindle to read.

[chloe40 in reply to CLM68]

Hi CLM68

I didn't really think it was still early days, so if that's the case, it eases my mind so that given time, I'll be a good deal better.

A Kindle! why didn't I think of that, I have one too, thanks so much. I agree, distraction does help.

Hmm... triggers, that's something I haven't given any thought to, but I will now.

Thank you

[Copse77]

time is a good healer and the more time goes on these feelings will lessen.

[chloe40 in reply to Copse77]

Thank you Copse77

I'm sure your right, I am trying to distract my mind with as much as I can

but you never know when these thoughts pop into your head, but time will heal.

[Grooming in reply to chloe40]

Hi Chloe40 i came out of icu in October last year and I’m still having flashbacks, Sepsur told me about a group which is CC-SN which I think might help there’s lots of people on there that are experiencing the same feelings as us

[chloe40 in reply to Grooming]

Thanks very much Grooming

I'll certainly look into this right now, thank you!

[chloe40 in reply to Grooming]

Yes, they have a lot to offer

Thank you!

[Grooming]

your welcome Chloe, they do a zoom meeting on a Thursday evening 7.30 which might help

[chloe40 in reply to Grooming]

Thanks so much!

[NSMOD]

everything that has been said is right for each individual. I’m my case I told my wife and close friends about them with as a much detail as I felt each person could take. Two and half years later I tend not to get flashbacks and if I do they are more like remebring a film I saw years ago. It will get better

[chloe40 in reply to NSMOD]

Thank you NSMOD

I have told my family and that helps but they can't fully understand, that's only natural.

It's reassuring to know that it will slowly fade, many thanks!

[NSMOD]

good luck Chloe stay strong and positive. It will pass 👍

[chloe40 in reply to NSMOD]

Thank you so much!

[Ta-thanx]

It will improve over time, how much time is a tricky one.

I was in ICU in 2010 and can still get the odd flashback that can be triggered with a sound, sight or smell. They are nowhere near as bad as they used to be, and to be honest they are more of a confused memory than a flashback.

A thing which triggered anxiety in recent years, namely 2020 was seeing all of the coverage over the pandemic and scenes from inside ICU departments on the news, this did bring it back with a bang, which took me by surprise to be honest. And then getting diagnosed with Liver Cancer in November 2021 and having to visit Hospitals again, even though I don't hear all the noises from ICU, I've been in plenty machines some which are very claustrophobic and intimidating at first, but I'm sort of getting used to this now.

This made me start looking into things again and how I found ICU steps, I also found out about the Diary thing, unfortunately when I contacted the Hospital patient liaisons and they got in touch with the ICU, they only started doing diaries in 2013. I did speak to a nurse from ICU and she told me about a group called ICU Afternoon tea, she said it's a very relaxed way of listening and talking to others. But again due to Covid restrictions they had been stopped too, but where looking to start them up again. But in my usual way backed away from it.

The thought of going to visit ICU still makes me feel strange, and I have no idea if it would help or not, would probably help but the doubt is a big hurdle.

So in short it will get better over time. 🙂

[chloe40 in reply to Ta-thanx]

Many thanks for your reply Ta-thanx

That's really helpful.

I must say I had an instant reaction when you mentioned the noise of the machines, oh my goodness, it took me back instantly and I hadn't even thought about that before.

It's reassuring to know that given time, it will pass.

Chloe