They're not experiencing a new incidence of trauma, they're reliving one. A more "physical" corollary would be the "ghost" limb sensation for someone who has l

They're not experiencing a new incidence of trauma, they're reliving one. A more "physical" corollary would be the "ghost" limb sensation for someone who has lost one. That person doesn't lose their limb every time the sensation comes and goes away -- it was lost before and after the incident. It may be painful sure, but who says that recovery and healing is without pain? One of the leading methods of treating PTSD being studied is having combat veterans relive a similar incident through a controlled environment.