Emotions are how we navigate life. We underpin decsions with reason. Sometimes with rationalization, but the ultimate decision is an emotional one. "I like that outcome more than this one"

But now that I'm digging out the trauma I am getting more frequent emotional playbacks. Call them flashbacks, call them intrusive memory. Most of the time not very strong, as I have fairly serious emotional blunting.

I can't tell if they are playbacks or real. Right now I try using the following tests:

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• Anything under 15 minutes -- discard as a flashback. So, just wait a bit. If it makes me really anxious or fearful, find a quiet place, tell myself "You're having an emo flash. It will pass"
• Anything that I can't tie to something happening. "I'm afraid. What am I afraid of?" This doesn't work with the generalized anxiety ones.
• Really complicated mixtures are likely flashes. E.g. fear, lonely, anger, shame as a single cluster seems unlikely. Normally I find that anger displaces fear, and anger is rarely with lonely.

Any other tips?