Coping with Flashbacks
A gentle explainer on what flashbacks are, why they happen, and a personal first-aid plan of grounding steps to use in the moment - for use alongside trauma-focused therapy.
Written by Tarun Vermani, Trainee Clinical Psychologist Last reviewed
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Coping with Flashbacks
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What a flashback is
A flashback is when part of a past trauma comes back as if it is happening right now. It might be an image, a sound, a smell, a physical sensation, or a wave of emotion. It can feel utterly real, as though you have been pulled back into the event. But here is the important truth: a flashback is a memory surfacing, not the event happening again. The danger is in the past, even though your mind and body are reacting as if it is here. Understanding this is the first step to coping with it.
Why it happens
During a trauma, the brain is overwhelmed and the memory does not get filed away properly, the way ordinary memories do. Because it was never fully processed, it can be triggered and come flooding back suddenly, often without warning. When that happens, the survival part of your brain reacts as though the danger is here now, setting off fear and the urge to escape or freeze. This is not you going mad or losing control - it is a normal response to a memory that has not yet settled. You may find it helpful to read this alongside the "Trauma and the Brain" handout.
It will pass, and you are safe now
Flashbacks are intense, but they are time-limited - they rise, peak, and pass, even when they feel as though they never will. At the heart of coping is a simple reminder you can return to again and again: "This is a memory. I am safe now." Saying it, even when it is hard to believe in the moment, helps your brain begin to separate the past from the present. You got through the original event, and you will get through this wave too.
My flashback first-aid plan
When a flashback hits, having a plan ready makes a real difference. Tick the steps you would like to use, and practise them with your therapist so they feel familiar before you need them. The aim is to remind yourself that you are here, now, and safe.
My personal reminders
It can help to spell out, in advance, the difference between then and now. When a flashback tries to convince you the danger is here, these reminders are your evidence that it is over. Fill them in with your therapist so they are ready when you need them.
| # | Then (what was true during the trauma) | Now (what is true today - I am safe, it is over) | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 |
Afterwards
Once a flashback has passed, be gentle with yourself. A flashback is exhausting, so give yourself time to rest and to soothe - a warm drink, a blanket, something kind and ordinary. It also helps to tell your therapist what happened and what seemed to trigger it, so you can make sense of it together. If you ever feel unsafe, please reach out straight away: in an emergency call 999, call Samaritans free on 116 123 at any time, or text SHOUT to 85258.
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When to use ‘Coping with Flashbacks’
‘Coping with Flashbacks’ is an interactive cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) worksheet, most often used in CBT for trauma and PTSD.
It is designed to be used within therapy rather than as a standalone self-help tool: a therapist introduces it, works through it collaboratively, and helps make sense of what it surfaces. You can preview the full worksheet above, then assign it digitally for clients to complete between sessions on any device — or download it as a print-ready PDF.
How it works
Most people work through it in around 10 minutes. It moves through six short steps:
- What a flashback is — A flashback is when part of a past trauma comes back as if it is happening right now. It might be an image, a sound, a smell, a physical…
- Why it happens — During a trauma, the brain is overwhelmed and the memory does not get filed away properly, the way ordinary memories do. Because it was…
- It will pass, and you are safe now — Flashbacks are intense, but they are time-limited - they rise, peak, and pass, even when they feel as though they never will. At the heart…
- My flashback first-aid plan — When a flashback hits, having a plan ready makes a real difference. Tick the steps you would like to use, and practise them with your…
- My personal reminders — It can help to spell out, in advance, the difference between then and now. When a flashback tries to convince you the danger is here, these…
- Afterwards — Once a flashback has passed, be gentle with yourself. A flashback is exhausting, so give yourself time to rest and to soothe - a warm…
Completed on the Formulate platform, your client's answers are saved automatically and shared straight back to you, so you can review them before the next session rather than waiting for a paper copy to come back.
The CBT approach behind it
In common with other CBT methods, ‘Coping with Flashbacks’ works by building practical skills to manage difficult thoughts and feelings in the moment. The aim is not positive thinking but a clearer, shared understanding of what keeps a difficulty going — and practical, testable ways to change it.
Because it is a CBT tool it stays focused on the here-and-now links between thoughts, feelings, the body and behaviour, and it works best as one part of a wider course of therapy rather than as advice or a diagnosis.
Evidence & sources
This worksheet is grounded in established cognitive behavioural therapy theory and practice. Key sources include:
- Ehlers, A. & Clark, D.M. (2000). A cognitive model of posttraumatic stress disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 38(4), 319-345. doi:10.1016/S0005-7967(99)00123-0
- Rothschild, B. (2000). The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment. New York: W.W. Norton.
For use alongside professional support
Formulate provides educational CBT resources for use with a qualified therapist. They are not a substitute for professional assessment, diagnosis, or crisis care.
If you need urgent help now:
- Emergency services: 999 — if you or someone else is in immediate danger
- Samaritans: 116 123 — free, day or night, 365 days a year
- SANEline: 0800 689 5555 — 4:30pm–10:30pm, every day
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