What is an emotional flashback and how does it influence depression?
We have all seen flashbacks in movies portrayed as visual memories of
a past event triggered by a current experience. In films, flashbacks must
be visual but the underlying aim is to express emotions around a past event.
Flashbacks though are not necessarily visual or even on the conscious level
but rather just a feeling or sensation that appears to come from
nowhere, triggering our emotions.
People who suffer from depression are often victims of such flashbacks. If
we are not conscious of these triggers from the past, we may end up acting in
quite an inappropriate and even destructive manner.
Take a person who felt rejected by a parent in childhood. As an adult a certain
tone of voice similar to that parent’s voice may cause an emotional flashback
of such feelings as being a burden, unwanted and powerless. The tone
of voice in this case has a similar effect as the loud noise that brings up flashbacks
of violence for a veteran of war. This memory and the feelings
it brings up, of feeling unworthy and powerlessness, can be a contributing cause
of depression.
People who are depressed often talk of the feeling of falling into a hole. This
‘hole’ can be a type of flashback of a very painful ‘emotional’ memory, often
a type of trauma. The concept of emotional flashbacks can help people to understand
and gain a sense of control over these very strong emotions that appear to come
from nowhere.
We all have flashbacks, probably much more frequently than
we realize, and most of the time they are pleasant memories. It is only when
they interfere with our life that we need to bring them up and verbalize them,
and recognize that they are not part of us but belong to our past. This is difficult to do alone and
may require the help of a therapist. There are many different approaches. What
is important is to find a therapist with whom you feel comfortable with and in
whom you have confidence. It is important to remember that depression is a complex
illness with many different possible causes both emotional and physical. Varied
treatment plans need to be assessed by a professional.