I'm sorry! It's so hard when things like that happen. But I also think you're pretty strong that you were able to complete business before running to the back room!

I was doing the grocery shopping one day, trying to find a particular kind of soup amidst 5,000 cans of soup, so I was really focused in hunting down the one I wanted. All of a sudden, a mans arm was reaching right across my face (to get a can of soup... I was in his way and hadn't heard him waiting for me to move apparently.)

It was a mega flash back for me. Once I caught my breath and was able to make my feet move, I grabbed my daughter and left my cart full of food sitting right there and left the store. Shook all the way home.

I felt incredibly stupid, but it just is what it is sometimes.

Peace comes... it just gets jiggled around now and then. Hang in there!

I hope so because I'm sick of this feeling!!!!!!!

I have been through that exact scenario before! Except i had to ask someone else to take care of it for me, i told them i was sick and ran to the bathroom. Kaye is right, you are strong for finishing your job before leaving!

I can't remember the smells but somehow my body does and whenever i come into contact with them i have flashbacks and get really panicky. I couldn't go to the mall for a year because there was this one little shop that permanently smelled like the guy who hurt me. But thats ok i don't like the mall anyways!

I work with someone that reminds me of the man that raped me. It took me a looong time to get over that one. I'm used to him now. I can look at him and see the guy I work with for himself now. I can talk to him and stuff. He doesn't remind me of him so much anymore. It is really freeing when you get to that point. There may be ppl that will remind you of your rapist, smells, ect..but it won't be all the time or as intense. You can learn ways to cope. It's great that you were able to cry.

Yeah...smells are the worst for me!!! I was at a bar shooting pool with some friends and this drunk guy started hitting on me. I was uncomfortable enough, but he got close enough so I could smell him. Apparanlty I turned really pale and went very still and quiet. I was in the middle of a REALLY bad flashback so I don't remember it...but my buddy had to act like he was my boyfriend to get the guy to back off and then took me home. THAT was not only terrifying but embarassing....sigh....sometimes there's no defense against this sort of stuff, but the good news is it does come less frequently and less dramatically as time goes by.

Imagine my horror when my now ex-husband started buying Lynx spray ......... the same brand that the ex who'd raped me used to wear :(

OK, there were many other reasons for us to split up; but in hindsight I think the body spray thing might have been more of a killer than I admitted at the time, even to myself.

not so much anymore now...but in the first few years afterwards I had to get of the bus a few times because there was somebody sitting on the bus as well that could have been the twin brother of one of my rapists.