The Vu's

Presque vu, French for "almost seen", is also known as the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon. The failure to retrieve a word from memory combined with a partial recall and a nagging feeling that the retrieval of the word is imminent. 

Jamais vu, "never seen", is the phenomenon of experiencing something that you recognize in some way, but nonetheless seems utterly unfamiliar. 

Both are often associated with the more well-known déjà vu, "already seen", the sensation that something currently being experienced has already happened, whether it actually has or not.

All of these can occur to some degree and regularity in a healthy brain. But, more severe or prolonged forms of them are often associated with brain damage or illness.

Survivors often experience life during and after trauma tangled up in an emotional braid similar to the phenomenons of the three Vu's.

There is a lot of overthinking and active imagining which happens when facing trauma, as both a part of stress and hopefulness. We dream and rationalize. We study worst case scenarios and best possible outcomes. We adjust to current situations as we struggle to heal. We think happy thoughts and give in to the misery of worry. We are altered by the idea of pain and loss.

We imagine so much so often in thinking about the idea of our crisis, that when faced with the actuality of it, we can feel overwhelming emotional sensations which resemble the Vu's.

Feelings like we have done this or been here before, or that what we almost know is about to be fully understood or explained, or that even though it should be familar because we prepared for it, it is beyond our expectations or understanding.

Fear and pain can set our emotions on an almost conductive edge, where any stimuli can over stimulate and expand out quickly without warning. 

Our thoughts can play havoc on our expectations and actually alter how we cope with our realities. Our truths can be so big that to fully face them we need to take them apart and give the pieces a surreal dream quality. It is a normal reaction to damage and part of coping during healing.

Accept the different Vu's of surviving your trauma, crisis, or illnesses. Embrace these tumultuous triplets.

Recognize there are things we are meant to see, things we will know again, and things we will never quite figure out. 

Allow your emotions to help you adapt to your reality and aid in your healing.