Q Is there a way to come back to reality when a flashback hits? In that moment it feels like nothing works.
A Grounding techniques can help. Naming five things you can see and four things you can hear in turn, or focusing on the sensation of your feet touching the floor, brings your awareness back to the present time and place.
Detailed Answer
Grounding is a way of returning to present reality from a flashback or dissociative state. The 5-4-3-2-1 technique is a well-known example: slowly name five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch, two smells, and one taste, focusing on your present senses. Pressing your feet firmly into the floor, washing your hands with cold water, or holding an ice cube are also effective at quickly restoring a sense of reality.
Our Korean Medicine Clinic's Perspective
At Dongjedang, while teaching grounding techniques we also explain that stimulating Baihui (GV20) and Yintang (EX-HN3) can produce an immediate calming effect. Simply pressing the Baihui area firmly with your finger for 3–5 seconds at a time can help settle the heart-mind. We also teach simple acupressure for the Shenmen and Neiguan areas for everyday use.
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