Tell yourself you are having a flashback and that this is okay and very normal in people who have been abused
 

Remind yourself that the worst is over - it happened in the past, but is not happening now. You survived the abuse then, which means you can survive and get through what you are remembering now.
 

Try some of these ways of "grounding" yourself and becoming more aware of the present:

Stamp your feet; grind them around on the floor to remind yourself where you are now, get up and walk around

Look around the room, noticing the colours, the people, and the shapes of things write down what you see or draw it.

Listen to the sounds around you: the traffic, voices, the washing machine, sing along with the stereo.

Feel your body, the boundary of your skin, your clothes, the chair or floor supporting you.

Try doing something tangible with your hands like playing with play dough or baking a cake.

Jump in a freezing cold shower or bath fully clothed if necessary.
 

Take care of your breathing: breathe deeply down to your diaphragm; put your hand there (just above your navel) and breathe so that your hand gets pushed up and down. You can also count - to 5 - as you breathe out and in. When we get scared we breathe too quickly and shallowly and our body begins to panic because we're not getting enough oxygen. This causes dizziness, shakiness and more panic. Breathing slowly and deeply will stop the panic.

Some people find lying on the floor and placing an object like a book on their stomach and counting as it goes up and down helpful.
 

Some people find it helpful to take control of the flashback, change what happens in it, what happened was real but you can choose to make yourself safe in your flashback, yell at your abuser, hit them back whatever you are comfortable with or helps you take control. This is quite hard to do and perhaps having someone around when you are trying it would help.
 

Get support if you would like it. Let people close to you know about flashbacks so they can help you if you want them to. That might mean holding you, talking to you, helping you to reconnect with the present, to remember you are safe and cared for now. Have a friend you can call or someone on IM who knows what you are going through who you can talk to even if it’s just about the weather. Talking about everyday things is better than talking about the flashback or abuse until you feel in a safer place.
 

Flashbacks are powerful experiences, which drain your energy. Take time to look after yourself when you have had a flashback. You could have a warm, relaxing bath or a sleep, a warm drink, play some soothing music, or just take some quiet time for yourself. You deserve to be looked after and pampered.
 

When you feel ready, write down all you can remember about the flashback and how you got through it. Look at what was happening before the flashback, events leading up to it. This will help you to remember information for your healing and to remind you that you did get through it (and can again).
 

Remember you are not crazy - flashbacks are normal and you are healing.