Can a flashback be back to an emotion rather than a memory of an experience...

[HereSince1628]

I just went through another emotional crisis with the SO surrounding helping her with the computer.

Not to put her down, but she's somewhat phobic/resistant to learning technology. As she gets frustrated she gets vocally hyperbolic saying things like "I never should have bought this!...I'll just throw this away!...Help me!...You can never explain anything!...I'll just throw this away, so I'll just have to left back in the dark ages looking like an idiot!"

It's become quite a problem for me. I want to help her, but I often don't know anymore than she does. It makes me extraordinarily anxious and emotional. It ties my intestines into knots, and I feel overwhelmed with a fight or flight response, I find myself in a space where all I desperately want is for her to "shut the fuck up!" and stop the tirade and _that_ sentiment quickly sends us into conflict

So, after the last one an hour ago I was contemplating the experience bad behavior and self-loathing about that, and after asking myself for the thousandth time why she + me + a technology problem ALWAYS goes that way. And a thought crossed my mind--Is it possible to flashback into an emotion rather than a memory?

[mopinko]

1. i dunno, but for years

DH and i couldn't change a lightbulb together. and the emotion underneath it was trust. i would get especially frustrated about stuff that i knew way better than he did. but the situations where we were closer to equal did have a different feel.

so, i think the answer is yes.

[BainsBane]

2. Scientific studies show that memory is linked to emotion

Which is why we tend to remember moments of pain or great joy over mundane experiences. The emotion you felt with your SO during the computer instruction might have been somewhat similar to the experience about which you had the flashback. Even if not the case, emotion is clearly linked to memory and PTSD especially. I saw a program on PBS about this a while back.

[HereSince1628]

3. I always thought of flashbacks in terms of memories that relived trauma

It never registered with me, and maybe it's an error to frame it so, that a flashback could be returning to a previous traumatic emotional state.

I've often felt like I snap into subroutines of personality that are emotionally/rationally limited...maybe this is also, or instead, a snapping into a previous traumatic emotional state???

And when I say trauma I don't necessarily mean a physically or emotionally abusive event, but something that generates extremely high anxiety or fear.

I've never run into anything about while poking around the internet in search of clues to understanding myself.

[BainsBane]

6. This is the series I saw

http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/topic/ptsd

It is called This Emotional Life. The link above is to the episode or part on PTSD, but it was a three or four part series, very interesting.

You also might want to look at the archives for the radio show the Infinite Mind. It's no longer in production, but they still have online podcasts available.

http://www.theinfinitemind.com/index.html

http://www.theinfinitemind.com/mindprgm.html

[HereSince1628]

8. Thanks, I'll watch those.

[fizzgig]

4. i don't see why not

i can't quite form fully coherent thoughts yet as i just started my first cup of coffee, but having an experience that takes us back to negative emotions rather than a specific memory makes perfect sense to me.

[get the red out]

5. I have had those

I have even had them triggered by a particular (ironically peaceful) weather situation that was going on during a particularly wretched and painful part of my life. It is a particular feeling in the air in the middle of winter when it is damp and perhaps has snowed a little bit. It can trigger some very real feelings of anxiety that I am certain relate to that time period.

[HereSince1628]

7. Thanks for sharing

I really haven't any idea what might be underneath such a thing, if it actually is the thing that is underneath this particular aspect of my problems.

[olddots]

9. our memories are so spotty

if only we could insert a disk that had captured the moment but I think we embellish and exaggerate things for drama or tone things down to protect ourselves .maybe what you're seeing that's the emotional part is hiding the memory scene like something frustrating in the past you felt helpless about.
So its frustration about frustration -shit I feel that daily .