Kara, just be strong, self talk is something you have to practice at, it took me months to catch on to that, I had that talk with my therapist, " are you sure I am doing this right, it isn't helping". As for the flashbacks, remember, you don't have to live it over that way, the way it happened again, change it, kick, run, scream, fly away. I will myself to fly away everytime I see the assult flashback. At first he would still chase me and catch me everytime and eventually my brain let go of that and now I fly away and leave him behind.