Getting Into the Feels: #Triggered
*Reminder, while these posts are not designed to replace or serve as therapy, I do hope you find them educational and insightful. If at any point in reading these posts, if you start experiencing distress or the lightbulbs start turning on that what you’ve learned needs a further dive with a professional, the Therapists at True North will be happy to help you with your needs. You can contact True North Counseling and Development at 859-740-7374.
Trigger Alert! Trigger Alert! Trigger Ahead!
Welcome again to the Blog series on Getting into the Feels. Today, I am going to focus on triggers and hopefully bring more clarity as to why you might be noticing more trigger warnings on social media and through other media outlets.
For background information, when I am talking about triggers, I am referring to the social and environmental components of our lives that serve as the catalyst or start of a series of emotional reactions, specifically based in anxiety. In today’s terminology, feeling triggered is often referred to as one’s visceral response to material that brings up any uncomfortable memories or emotions. But today, I am keeping the focus on traumatic stress and how triggers show up.
As a refresher, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is characterized by the following criteria according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Psychiatric Disorders 5th Edition:
An individual was exposed to death, threatened death, or actual/threatened serious injury or actual/threatened abuse/violence. An individual may also be exposed indirectly by witnessing the event or hearing details of the event.
The traumatic event is reexperienced in some way, through nightmares, flashbacks, unwanted memory recall etc…
The individual avoids trauma material by suppressing memories, feelings, thoughts, or environmental reminders of the traumatic event.
The individual experiences an inability to recall aspects of the trauma, experiences negative thoughts/assumptions about self or the world as a result of the event, experiences exaggerated self-blame or towards others for the cause of the event, may experience isolation, or may have reduced difficulty of having positive emotional experiences.
The individual also experiences any of the following: irritability, hypervigilance, heightened startle response, difficulty concentrating, difficulties with sleep.
So in this context, a person would feel triggered by having increased anxiety, panic, physiological tension or uneasiness, increased heart rate, and increased irritability in response to something in the environment that prompted reminders of the original traumatic event. A common example of this is thinking about a war veteran who hears a car backfire and becomes triggered believing that they are back in time of war thus ducking under cover to avoid being hit by a perceived weapon. Another example might be, an individual is walking through a department store in the perfume section. They smell a scent that is similar to or is the exact same as the scent worn or exhibited by a perpetrator of violence. This person becomes panicked believing that the perpetrator is present with them; the individual’s anxiety skyrockets, and they try to avoid future abuse and harm by exiting the shopping center.
So if feeling triggered is generally referring to a PTSD reaction…why are we seeing so many trigger warnings in the media?
Quite simply, we are seeing more trigger warnings because we are trying to inform the public about what they are about to see and experience. We may never know someone’s internal battles, so it is a sign of respect and inclusion to cultivate consent in our society. When so many aspects of life can be out of our control and many trauma survivors are faced with abuse/horrific events against their will, the very least we can do is acknowledge the potential harm and how aspects of what we post/see through the media may result in discomfort for someone else. By doing so, we give these individuals power and choice.
If I do experience a trigger that results in significant physical and emotional distress, what can I do?
People differ in what works best for them, but I highly recommend sensory grounding. If you recall the five senses: sight, hear, taste, smell, and touch, you can utilize these sensations to your advantage even when you are in full panic mode. Locate various soothing or sharply different sensations or physical experiences that can ground you into the present moment. For example, if I cannot get a trauma image out of my head, try grabbing visual stimuli that is pleasing to you (e.g., pictures of kids or pets or a calm nature scene). If your body is feeling tense or jumpy, try working out that energy with a stress ball, fidget toys, or going for a walk/run. If a noise unsettles you, try locating your favorite music or calming sound like ocean waves. Keeping your senses in the here and now helps your brain reorient itself to the present time thus creating distance from past experiences and current ones.
Triggers can arise with or without warning; additionally, some triggers make logical sense and some are random. But, whether it makes sense or not, that drastic rush of panic and distress is a response to real or perceived danger consciously or subconsciously. Through practice of adaptive thinking skills, coping strategies, and professional mental health services, it is possible to greatly reduce the severity and frequency of feeling triggered in day to day life. If you are experiencing frequent life reminders and distress associated with past traumas in your life, I encourage you to give True North Counseling and Development a call at 859-740-7374 so that we can help you thrive and achieve healing.