Triggers

It can feel like trauma triggers are liable to pop up anywhere – much like a hidden landmine in the middle of your day, poised for you to step on, ready to send your mind and body reeling, and wreak havoc on the rest of your day. A whiff of perfume or cologne, the scent of alcohol or gasoline, the sound of feet shuffling across a floor, a gunshot, or a firework…all of these are somewhat common triggers for people who have experienced trauma. Situations can act as triggers as well. Driving in cars, visiting hospitals or doctors’ offices, or receiving any unwanted physical touch can cause a trauma victim to feel claustrophobic, trapped, and vulnerable to their past traumatic experiences.

Triggers can even look like people…first responders, doctors, inebriated people. Or they can be tied up in specific emotions like feeling abandoned, left out, or ill.

Anything that causes us to feel the same feelings produced by trauma is a trigger, and because triggers are so intensely personal, they can’t be predicted or assumed. Just as certain smells or sounds can cause us to revisit happy times in our past, our senses can take us back to past trauma in the blink of an eye. 

Because our bodies react so suddenly to fear in order to protect ourselves from harm or even death, triggers “work” far before our minds can reason with the situation at hand. So when our senses feel threatened, we perceive we are threatened, even when there is no danger at hand.

What does it mean to be “triggered”, really?

Because our bodies react so suddenly to fear in order to protect ourselves from harm or even death, triggers “work” far before our minds can reason with the situation at hand.

The term “triggered” is unquestionably a buzzword these days. We hear it in reference to anything that brings us discomfort, unease, anxiety or any negative emotion at all. And yet, while we’re throwing the word around somewhat haphazardly, it’s important to remember that actual triggers do exist and for people who have experienced serious trauma. In fact, in a recent study, 46 people who had lived through a traumatic experience kept a daily diary for a week and recorded a total of 294 triggers in that seven day period. This means that on average, each participant had 6 moments during the week that pulled them into the past and caused them to relive, even if momentarily, their trauma. The traumatic experiences they had survived washed back over them, painful memories flooded their mind, and the Fight or Flight sensations that possibly kept them alive got flipped like a switch, causing their central nervous systems to buckle down and tighten up. The complexity that lies beneath a trigger keeps it feeling like the past is a very real and present danger.

How to Release the Trigger

Being “triggered” is not something that can easily be shrugged off, like the feeling of being annoyed. However, it is possible to work through triggers and learn to manage them. But the work takes time, grace, and patience and it can be necessary to pursue therapy to help deal with the layers of emotion beneath a trigger. However, if you find yourself experiencing occasional triggers and you need some easy, simple ways to cope, trying to regain control over your senses can be key. If you find yourself starting to feel like you’re spinning out when you come in contact with a trigger, try stepping away for a moment and calming your central nervous system.

1. Take several deep breaths. Sounds simple, but there are scientific reasons why breathing deeply replenishes oxygen, slows your heart rate, and grounds you in the moment.

2. Look around yourself and name 5 things in the room. Describe those items simply.

3. Remind yourself that what you’re experiencing is normal and is simply a physical reaction to something that is no longer happening. 

It’s ok to relive your past trauma, and giving yourself permission to do so is important. You simply need to learn how to remember appropriately by creating space for healing and growth. Your mental and physical health depend on it.

Put It Into Practice

Make note of a few questions to ask yourself the next time you feel a trigger beginning to threaten you.

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The answers to these questions will ground you, comfort you, and connect you to where you currently are and not to where you have been in the past.

1. What am I feeling right now? Giving definition to your emotions helps tamper their effect.

2. How is my body feeling? Which words describe your physical symptoms?

3. Where am I? Describe your physical location.

4. What is the current date & time? Bring yourself into the present reality of your situation.

Other Interesting Reads about Trauma

Verified Reliable Sources for the Content in This Article:
“How to Identify and Overcome Trauma Triggers” by the Matthew Boland, PhD and Stephanie A. Wright, RN, BSN