Name and Observe, Engage and Rewrite

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Engage and rewrite:

The third technique takes immersing and observing one step further and allows you the opportunity to engage with the flashback and rewrite the memory. This can be useful to break out of the mental rut the flashback keeps you in, and to give yourself some power over the memory. Again, however, you will only want to do this when you have plenty of time and access to supportive people. You can do it entirely in your head, but it works even better if you write it down.

For example: “This flashback is about the time I left everything behind and got on a plane to move to Las Vegas. But this time, instead of moving across the country without a single thought, I’ve decided to fully research my plan and all of my options. Where will I live and with whom? What will I do for work? Which moving company should I hire and how much money will it cost? How long will it take to save up this amount of money?”

Rewriting the memory in my logical mind gives me a sense of perspective and control, and helps me see how far I’ve come in managing my illness.

You might be thinking this all sounds well and good in a perfect world, when you can just choose to think a thought or not, and set aside ample time to deal with your feelings. I get it; that is not always possible. So there is one other component that will help you to successfully handle your bipolar flashbacks. It’s called containment and it is the key to these steps, especially steps 1 and 3.

Containment works by recognizing the fact that you will have flashbacks, then choosing ahead of time how you will respond to them. Containment can be done mentally with guided imagery, or physically with an actual container. The guided imagery is best approached with a therapist, so you may want to ask your therapist if this is something they can help you with. Essentially you will visualize a container in which to put your distressing thoughts. It could be a simple box or a trunk with a lock on it.

Once you put the thoughts in there and lock them up, you can rest assured that they will be there to handle whenever you are able. To be clear, containment is NOT repression. In containment, the point is to compartmentalize your difficult thoughts, memories, and emotions so that they can be dealt with in manageable chunks. Here is an example of a guided imagery for containment.

If you want to have a physical reminder, you can also set up an actual containment box, which can even have a lock on it. You can then write your flashbacks (or the emotions and thoughts they evoke) on paper and lock them in the box. Then you can choose when to open the box and tackle them one by one over time.

These are just a few ways I have found to handle my bipolar flashbacks. They may not work for everyone, but if you’re interested in trying them, I recommend starting with the help of your therapist. I’d also love to hear about other ways you have learned to handle your bipolar flashbacks.