Flashbacks are intense memories accompanied by images and emotions that make you feel like you’re re-experiencing a traumatic event. They are common symptoms of PTSD and other trauma-related conditions.

Flashbacks are involuntary, intrusive, and distressing events that occur while you’re awake. They can manifest as images or memories that bring back emotions, like fear or anxiety, and they can cause physical reactions like elevated heart rate, sweating, pain, or rapid breathing.

Flashbacks can be different for each person. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR), they are usually brief episodes that can involve any or all of your senses, and often cause both emotional and physical distress.

Sensations during a flashback may include:

  • disorientation
  • fear or panic
  • anxiety
  • dread or sense of doom
  • crying
  • feeling frozen or immobilized
  • sweating
  • nausea
  • chills
  • trembling
  • rapid heartbeat
  • rapid breathing (hyperventilation)
  • muscle tension
  • chest pain

As the flashback progresses, it’s possible to hear, see, smell, or feel things that aren’t really there but are associated with the memory the flashback is bringing on.

You may also become disoriented or confused during a flashback. In severe cases, it’s possible to completely dissociate, meaning you disconnect from the present moment and place, and feel like you’re back at the moment of trauma.

Are flashbacks and nightmares the same?

Flashbacks and nightmares from trauma are both types of intrusive symptoms, but flashbacks happen when you’re awake, and nightmares happen when you’re asleep.

Trauma-related nightmares occur as your brain replays memories during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. In flashbacks, your brain experiences a phenomenon known as “mental time travel,” where it loses track of whether it’s in the past or present.

Recognizing the signs of a flashback in a loved one can help you provide support as soon as possible.

Signs someone may be having a flashback include a combination of the following:

  • sudden changes in behavior that don’t align with the situation
  • disorientation or confusion (inability to recognize where they are or who is with them)
  • panic or extreme fear without apparent cause
  • pleading, yelling, or defending themselves from something you cannot see or perceive
  • crying uncontrollably
  • trying to escape, hide, or flee the situation or place
  • visible sweating
  • sudden pale complexion
  • not responding to others
  • appearing distant or staring off into space

Flashbacks are part of the DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD, and acute stress disorder. This means that they are part of the core symptoms a doctor looks for in order to reach a diagnosis.

But other conditions that are often related to early trauma may also manifest with flashbacks, even if these are not required symptoms for a diagnosis. Some conditions that could present with flashbacks include:

Certain types of flashbacks can also be caused or triggered by substance use, as in hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD).

Trauma-informed therapy is the gold standard of treatment for many conditions featuring flashbacks. It incorporates strategies from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and prolonged exposure therapy, among other therapy frameworks.

By treating the underlying cause of flashbacks, you can experience relief from these intrusive memories. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 40% of people diagnosed with PTSD recover within a year after receiving treatment.

When flashbacks are severe, a doctor may prescribe medications to help regulate chemicals in the brain that contribute to intrusive thoughts and feelings that promote flashbacks.

Even after treatment, it’s possible for flashbacks to return during times of high stress or with intense reminders of trauma. Consider discussing these events with a mental health professional to develop coping strategies as well as recognizing possible triggers.

Flashbacks are a type of intrusive symptom seen in several trauma-related conditions. These memories can make you feel like you’re reliving a traumatic event from your past.

Flashbacks are commonly associated with PTSD and related conditions, but respond well to treatment and support. It’s possible to experience flashbacks again after treatment, particularly during times of high stress or from intense trauma reminders. Developing coping skills and managing stress can help prevent the recurrence.