It's very hard to imagine what it's like to have PTSD, or most mental disorders for that matter. Even with all the info available, you often have to experience it to get it.

Personally I've experienced panic attacks. The "I feel sick and I'm convinced I'm going to die" kind. Before, I just didn't understand what it was to experience one, especially the part about being overwhelmed by emotions or feelings that have no reason to be.

I know it's not really like PTSD, but with my limited knowledge of PTSD I feel like there are similarities.

I lived in fear of the next attack, not knowing when or why it would happen, with nothing I could do to stop it. I've been unable to leave home for weeks at a time because I was afraid I'd have an attack. I've been unable to take on responsibilities or make long-term plans and commitments. I've had to avoid physical effort because the sensation of my heart beating faster (like when I'm running) could cause an attack.

I'm guessing PTSD can probably impact your life in the same ways. But the actual experience of a PTSD attack is still a mystery to me.

Would you be willing/able to explain what it's like, especially when you have flashbacks (do you always have flashbacks when you have a PTSD attack or are they different things?).

Are flashbacks a full hallucination, where you see and hear things that aren't real, or are they more like past emotions, sensations and memories that come back to you and seem like they're currently happening?

And if flashbacks are like hallucinating, are they as vivid as you see in movies? Do you really feel like you are in a completely different place? Or is it more of a mix between reality and hallucinations (for example, do you realize where you are, but you see events/people that aren't real around you?)

I'd love to get a first-hand explanation of these experiences, it would be very educational.