Episode 3

When the Past Invades the Present: Understanding Flashbacks and How to Ground Yourself

Published on: 17th November, 2025

WHEN THE PAST INVADES THE PRESENT: UNDERSTANDING FLASHBACKS AND HOW TO GROUND YOURSELF

You're sitting in your living room, completely safe, and suddenly you're not. Your heart is racing, your hands are shaking, and your brain is convinced you're back in that moment you've been trying to forget. Welcome to flashbacks where your nervous system collapses time and treats the past like it's happening right now.


In this episode, we break down exactly what flashbacks are, why they happen, and most importantly how to bring yourself back to the present when you're caught in one.


WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

- The difference between memory flashbacks and emotional flashbacks

- Why your brain confuses past and present (the neuroscience of temporal confusion)

- How your hippocampus loses track of time during trauma

- Why flashbacks feel physically real—because to your nervous system, they are

- Practical grounding techniques: 5-4-3-2-1 sensory method, timestamp orientation, physical grounding, and breathing strategies

- Why "just breathe" doesn't work and what to do instead

- How to care for yourself after a flashback passes

- Why flashbacks don't mean you're broken or going backward in your healing


This isn't about stopping flashbacks overnight or pushing through them. It's about understanding what's happening in your body and brain so you can respond with tools instead of panic.


If you've ever felt transported back to a painful moment, felt overwhelmed by emotions you couldn't explain, or wondered why your body reacts so intensely to seemingly small things—this episode will help you make sense of it all.


SUBMIT YOUR STORY OR QUESTION:

Have you experienced flashbacks? Want to share your story or ask a question? Send written letters or voice messages to letters@alottogrowthrough.com or visit ALotToGrowThrough.com


CONNECT WITH A LOT TO GROW THROUGH:

Website: ALotToGrowThrough.com

Instagram: @altgtpodcast

Threads: @altgtpodcast

YouTube: A Lot To Grow Through

Facebook: A Lot To Grow Through


RATE & REVIEW:

If this episode helped you understand your flashbacks better, please leave a rating and review. Your support helps others find their way here.


CONTENT ADVISORY: This podcast discusses trauma, flashbacks, PTSD, and mental health topics that may be activating for some listeners. Please practice self-care and use grounding techniques if needed while listening.


A Lot To Grow Through is a podcast about real healing, real conversations, and no filter. Hosted by Artis Desjardins, this is a space for thoughtful conversations on healing, growth, and the art of becoming. Here, you'll understand you have to grow through it, not just go through it.

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About the Podcast

A Lot To Grow Through
Real healing. Real conversations. No filter.
Mental wellness isn't a destination. It's a sophisticated, ongoing practice of understanding ourselves; our patterns, our pain, our potential.

A Lot To Grow Through returns after four years as a space for nuanced conversations about the inner work that transforms us. Hosted by Artis Desjardins, a mental health advocate committed to elevating the discourse around healing and growth, ALTGT is designed for listeners who value depth, intelligence, and intentionality.

Each week, you'll find:

Solo Reflections - Artis explores frameworks, philosophies, and practices that inform meaningful growth, offering perspective shaped by years of personal healing work and extensive study of psychological approaches.

In-Depth Conversations - Dialogues with therapists, researchers, authors, and individuals whose experiences offer genuine insight. These aren't surface-level interviews—they're substantial explorations of complex topics.

Listener Dialogues - Your questions, reflections, and experiences become part of our shared exploration, creating space for collective wisdom and meaningful exchange.

ALTGT approaches mental wellness with the depth it deserves. We don't oversimplify. We don't offer quick fixes. We don't reduce the healing journey to soundbites or platitudes.

Instead, we create space for honest discourse. We honor nuance. We value substance over sentiment, understanding over uplift, depth over speed.

This podcast is for people who read deeply, think critically, and approach their healing with both heart and mind. For those who understand that growth is complex, transformation takes time, and the most profound changes often happen quietly.

If you're seeking meaningful conversations about what it means to heal, to grow, and to become you're in the right place.

New episodes weekly. Subscribe for thoughtful listening.

About your host

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Artis Desjardins