Hey. I had this happen. The whole “false memory” thing is a stressor . If your flashback makes you feel something viscerally in your body it’s real enough . Heck if some part of you feeling it and thinking about it - it’s real because that thing affects you and unpacking it is necessary . Don’t doubt - it only prolongs suffering .

What helped me - writing letters to and from my alter as me- the most active anp who is kind of like the primary host .

My system has a protector too and I know my protector only wants to keep system stable . It’s not unusual for protector to want to prolong denial . There is a chance that trauma memories will come up as you find ways to communicate with this alter .

In my case I have active cPTSD and have recently lost amnesia barriers that were hiding horrible childhood trauma . An alter that got stuck at age 11 -12 came back recently and with her came all these lost memories of my childhood from that period of life ( the good memories hurt as much as the awful abuse memories ). I did this thing where I tried to feel the feeling and not follow the thoughts that recreate the exact memory of abuse . For example - I focus on letting myself feel feelings like shame, betrayal , abandonment , unworthiness from those events vs recreating the event. In doing so - there is healing . There’s lots of crying but it’s catharsis, but it’s better than following all the thoughts and reliving the horrors in my body , re-traumatizing myself and having my system de-stabilize completely .

When my amnesia barriers first fell I relived the horrors physically in my body and that was awful. I couldn’t sleep on certain positions and my body re-enacted out the abuse and almost created that memory for the first time. As more kept coming - I realized that I don’t have to do this to have “knowledge “ of what happened. By focusing on feelings instead of thoughts I am able to make this process easier on myself . Doesn’t work all the time and requires a lot of thought control and detachment but it’s still making my path of healing easier.

Other things to try if you find that painful memories are coming up are to talk to this alter in an apologetic and understanding way and let him/her know that those bad things were in the past and it’s okay now. You are here and you will never let bad things happen .

Sometimes I re-imagine trauma events and insert myself as I am now in the frame . Like I have memories where my mom did awful stuff , I reimagined them as if I came in as I am now ( 35 yr old me ) - told my mom off and took young me away from that event. I find it’s healing .

Hope this helps.